IT was a busy weekend for Concord Rangers’ Steve King.

The defender, 33, played 90 minutes for the Beach Boys in Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Gosport Borough.

And just 16 hours later King was on the start line for the London Marathon, running the 26.2 miles in four hours and 38 minutes - the first marathon he had ever run.

Back at work for the London Fire Brigade yesterday morning, King admits he was actually a doubt to play for Concord this weekend.

“I expected to play as we had injuries and suspensions but I actually had a dead leg in the run up to the game and was a doubt myself,” he said.

“But I thought to myself ‘how can you not play on Saturday and then run on Sunday so I was committed of course.

“It did have an effect on the Sunday. I ate so many carbohydrates after the game but it really hit me in the final 10K of the race.

“I was pleased with my time although I was looking to do it in just over four hours. But I had played the day before and think I took on some of my liquids and gels at the wrong time.

“My legs felt OK in the last four or five kilometres but I felt a bit sick as it was so hot.

“Then again, with my ginger skin, running anything longer than five minutes is an achievement!”

King is already looking towards his next marathon although admits running it in the football season is not something he would do again, as Concord end their season at Hampton & Richmond Borough on Saturday.

“I thought it would be my last marathon but the day after I was thinking how I would love to improve on my time,” said King.

“It has been hard combining it with football. You are always recovering and it meant I couldn’t prepare as I would have wanted. I did under a quarter of the training I should have done.

“It is a different sort of training to football as well as you are using different muscle fibres.

“But I am so pleased I have done it as it has been on my bucket list. It was a great day.”

To donate to the Indee Rose Trust or the London Fire Brigade visit King’s Just Giving page at justgiving.com/fundraising/Steve-King20.