Dalton Risner's 7:27 mile redefines NFL lineman endurance ahead of 2026
An often misconception of offensive and defensive linemen is that they are merely big guys and not elite athletes. Dalton Risner, the Cincinnati Bengals veteran offensive guard, just made a new case that linemen are athletes, too.
Risner's offseason conditioning consists of a series of one-mile runs, which he consistently finishes below eight minutes. Risner checks in at 6-foot-5 and around 315 pounds, and he recently ran a mile in an impressive time of 7:27. In the following video, the 30-year-old Risner ran a mile at 7:41 while achieving his goal of a sub-7:45-minute mile.
"Marathon someday," said Risner, whose athletic background also includes playing high school basketball and placing fifth in Colorado in the shot put back in 2012.
Risner surely hopes that his cardio fitness leads to more success for himself and the Bengals in 2026. Risner was a second-round NFL Draft selection by the Denver Broncos in 2019. He joined the Bengals in 2025 and has 92 starts over 101 career games played entering this season. He agreed to a one-year extension in Cincinnati earlier in March. Risner was a three-time All-Big 12 offensive lineman at Kansas State.
