At this time next week, the streets of New York City will be littered with thousands upon thousands of runners with one singular goal in mind: to cross the finish line. What started as a Central Park race with just 55 finishers has now evolved into the largest and most famous marathon in the world. Coming off a record year which saw 50,266 finishers, the TCS New York City Marathon expects to see around 60,000 entries this year. Of those 60,000 runners, some names will stand out more than others, as the race has become a major platform for celebrity runners and the charities that they support.
While these names most definitely won't be among the top finishers in the race, they're sure to garner the most attention. Click through the slides to see 10 surprising celebrities that are running this year's New York City Marathon.
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Stephen Fiorentine is a freelance writer from Long Island. He loves his New York Giants and Yankees, as well as Cool Ranch Doritos. Follow him on Twitter.
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Tiki Barber
Claim to fame: Former NFL running back and current radio host
Running for: PitCCH In Foundation
Some say Tiki Barber ended his football career way too early when he walked away from the New York Giants after the 2006 season. Now the former running back and current CBS Sports Radio host will get a chance to show that he still has it when he runs the New York City Marathon representing CC Sabathia's PitCCH In Foundation.
Joe Bastianich
Claim to fame: Chef, restauranteur and MasterChef judge
Running for: His personal best
Bastianich is no stranger to the New York City Marathon, as this will be his sixth time making the 26.2 mile trek across the Big Apple. This year, the celebrity chef will look to top his personal best 3:42:36 time.
Katrina Bowden
Claim to fame: Actress
Running for: Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
You might know Bowden from her role on 30 Rock, but it turns out she is quite the runner also. Bowden will be raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society which is the same charity supported by the Nike Womens Marathon Race Series.
Billy Demong
Claim to fame: Olympic Gold Medalist
Running for: Team for Tomorrow
Demong won the gold medal in the men's nordic combined at the 2010 Winter Olympic games in Vancouver, so we know that he is fast on snow. Now we will get a chance to see if Demong can match that speed on concrete when he partakes in his first New York City Marathon next week. Demong has set some pretty lofty goals for his first NYC Marathon attempt, stating that he is aiming for a sub-three hour finish.
Teri Hatcher
Claim to fame: Actress
Running for: J/P Haitian Relief Organization
Don't take Hatcher's entry into the New York City Marathon lightly, after all she does moonlight as a triathlete when she isn't acting. Hatcher will be representing the Sean Penn led J/P Haitian Relief Organzation, which raises money to bring sustainable programs to the Haitian people.
Angie Martinez
Claim to fame: Radio Host
Running for: PitCCh In Foundation
We don't know what was more shocking: Martinez's move to Power 105.1 or her entry into the New York City Marathon. Running for the PitCCh In Foundation, Martinez received a strong showing of support from 2003 New York City Marathon entrant Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, who donated $26,000 to the radio personality's cause.
Bill Murray
Claim to fame: Actor
Running for: Unknown
Murray is so dedicated to his marathon training that he interrupted his set on the Late Show with David Letterman to get in a test run on the New York City streets. As you'll see in the clip below, it looks like Murray still has a ways to go in his training, so we'll see how he'll fare next week.
Sam Ryan
Claim to fame: Sportscaster
Running for: Tri-ing For Kids
This isn't Ryan's first rodeo, as the MLB Network reporter took part in last year's New York City Marathon. It will be interesting to see what Ryan does for an encore, as she sets out to top her 5:03 finishing time from a year ago.
Gary Williams
Claim to fame: Sports reporter
Running for: The Buck Williams MBA Fellowship at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School
The Golf Channel personality is giving the whole running thing a try by taking part in his first ever New York City Marathon this year. Running for the Buck Williams MBA Fellowship at UNC's Kenan Flageler Business School, we'll see if Williams can master a different type of "long game."
Caroline Wozniacki
Claim to fame: Tennis player
Running for: New York Road Runners Team for Kids
Currently the thirteenth ranked women's tennis player in the world, Wozniacki is putting down her racket to try her hand in marathon running. Although this is Wozniacki's first race of any kind, we wouldn't doubt her, as she has been hard at work training ever since she first declared for the race this summer. To get a look at Wozniacki's dedicated training regimen, check out her Instagram profile, where she has been documenting the training process every step of the way.
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