Retired NY Giants running back finishes his 13th marathon

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber kept his streak alive Sunday, finishing the Walt Disney World Marathon in 5 hours, 12 minutes.

It was his 13th marathon. The heat caused officials to issue a heat advisory and remind runners to stay hydrated.

“I knew after a mile that I was going to be in trouble,” Barber said of the hot and humid conditions. “I’ve never had a non-finish,” Barber told the Orlando Sentinel. “I was telling myself, ‘I am not going to not finish. I am not going to not finish.”

His time was about an hour slower than his personal best, a 4:18:24 at the New York City Marathon in November.

Barber, 44, said he stopped along the way take pictures with the Disney characters who were stationed along the route.

Barber said he’s about 30 pounds (13 kilograms) less than he weighed while playing football. He said the toll on his body during a marathon is different than in football.

“I feel worn — not bruised, just worn,” Barber said. “My muscles are cramping, and it takes a long time to recover. It takes fluids, a lot of fluids to recover, whereas in football, I don’t know. It was just bruising, but you still felt invigorated. When I get through a marathon, I feel exhausted.”

His next target is a marathon in Tokyo on Feb. 29. and he intends to keep his streak alive.

There were 14,106 finishers in Sunday’s marathon.