Sir Jim Ratcliffe raced through the capital for Manchester United’s FA Cup semi-final just hours after running the London Marathon.
The 71-year-old set a personal best of four hours, 30 minutes and 52 seconds before racing into the national stadium straight from the finish line.
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Ratcliffe, participant 46136 in this year’s iconic race, ran 04:32:47 last year after finishing 45th in the 70-74 category.
United co-owner Ratcliffe, who bought a 25 per cent stake in his boyhood club in February, arrived at Wembley for the second half.
The British billionaire’s remarkable double time trial took place after his London marathon started around 10:30 a.m.
Ratcliffe crossed the line shortly before his United kicked off against Championship side Coventry City in the 3.30pm kick-off.
Speaking to BBC Sport after completing the London Marathon, Ratcliffe compared his achievement to owning a football club.
He admitted: “There are some parallels I have to say, but it just takes a bit of courage. Running a marathon after 30 km is difficult.
“We’re not there yet with football. One of the biggest problems with football is new guys coming into the team, they’re good people but they’re all on gardening leave.
“It’s a big problem in football. The fans are impatient. It’s a journey, they have to be patient. It’s not a switch. We will turn the tide.”
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After his interview, Ratcliffe walked the 12.1 miles from the finish line outside Buckingham Palace to the ‘home of football’.
The keen athlete was seen taking his place inside the famous arch for the second half of a must-win match for Erik ten Hag’s side.
He joined United’s majority owners Joel and Avram Glazer at Wembley, who were already leading by two goals.
Efforts from Scott McTominay and Harry Maguire put the Red Devils on course for a second consecutive FA Cup Manchester derby final following Man City’s late 1-0 win over Chelsea.
