Joey Graziadei returned to L.A. after running in the NYC Marathon this weekend … and even though he is clearly feeling sore, he says the soreness was worth it — achieving his goal time by mere seconds!

Our cameras caught up with the former “Bachelor” and “Dancing with the Stars” winner at LAX … and he mentioned that despite just completing a major race, there is no rush to get married to fiancée Kelsey Anderson … as they are still in the “early stages” of wedding planning.

Check out the clip … Joey tells us that running the marathon was just another bucket list item he wanted to check off … after he completed his viral “30 Under 30” bucket list earlier this year.

We asked JG about Dave Portnoy‘s assertion that anyone can run a marathon if they train hard enough, and Joey completely agrees … stating that depending on how fast you want to go and what you aim to achieve, anyone can make it happen.

Kelsey also chatted with us … sharing a bit about her father — Mark Anderson — and his love life following his experience on “The Golden Bachelorette,” which led to his blossoming relationship with actress Barbara Alyn Woods.

As for their big day … Joey and Kelsey remained relaxed, only teasing that they’re aiming for sometime in 2027.