Few footballers will have clocked up anywhere near the miles Folkestone’s James Rogers did over the weekend.

Rogers put in a big shift on Saturday, dropping in at left-back for around an hour to help 10-man Invicta beat National League South Dulwich Hamlet 1-0 in the FA Cup.

But the 37-year-old wasn’t done there.

Having previously deferred a place he had got on a ballot to run the London Marathon, Sunday saw him finally take on the 26.2-mile course.

He said: “My wife put me in the ballot, thinking I had nothing to do. I deferred it for a couple of years because of Covid but it was finally time to step up to the plate.

“I enjoyed it. It was tough, physically and mentally, but it’s one of the most rewarding things I have done.

“Football is about a team but that was a little bit more personal. I’m definitely feeling the effects now, though!”

Rogers initially didn’t think he would want to do the London Marathon ever again but - just a day later - he had already changed his mind having finished in just under the four-hour target he had set himself.

“I was pleased at the end,” said Rogers, who timed 3hr59min14sec as he ran for Children with Cancer UK.

“I wanted to do it in under four hours and I just scraped it.

“I didn’t train, either. If I get in next year, I will definitely train properly for it.”

Folkestone, who lost 3-0 at Bishop’s Stortford on Tuesday in Isthmian Premier, with Rogers playing for more than an hour, have been drawn away to Southern Premier South Merthyr Town in the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round on October 15. The match at Bishop's Stortford also saw Jake Dancer come on for his league debut.

Looking ahead to the FA Cup tie at Merthyr, Rogers said: “It’s definitely winnable as long as we turn up and do the right things on the day.

“I’m not sure what will happen with travel - whether we will go on the day - but we have to fancy ourselves.

“At the moment, I think we are looking better away from home than at home so it will probably suit us.”

Rogers started the game at Dulwich in midfield but had no qualms about dropping into the back-line after Nathan Green’s dismissal.

He said: “I have played a lot of games at left-back but that was when I was younger! I’m not quite as quick but I’m as fit as I’ve ever been.

“They overloaded [on the right] but I thought I coped well. I was playing against George Porter, who I know, so that probably helped.

“We had to be solid but Ian Gayle and Matt Newman were brilliant, as was Josh Vincent and the midfield, and the strikers helped us nick a goal.

“It was a good win for us, especially in the circumstances, going down to 10 men early on.

“It was a bit of a smash and grab, really, but we nicked a goal early in the second half and defended for our lives. Overall, I think we deserved the luck we got.”

Rogers managed Hythe last season, only to turn down the chance to carry on managing at Reachfields in the summer.

“Management and trying to play was a lot, I’m glad I stepped away from it, to be honest,” he said.

“I still feel I have a lot to give as a player. I’m enjoying it at Folkestone and I want that to continue.”

Invicta host Isthmian South East Whitehawk this Saturday in the FA Trophy Third Qualifying Round. The winner will pocket £2,450, although Neil Cugley’s men will be without Green as he serves a one-match ban.

To donate to Rogers’ Children with Cancer UK campaign, click here.