New York Marathon 2015: Top Celebrities Expected to Race in NYC

Running the iconic New York City Marathon is a significant dream for many dedicated amateur runners. Completing the historic course through the five boroughs is a goal for runners from all walks of life, whether cubicle-inhabiting technical-support guys or glamorous, Grammy-winning Divas. 

Alicia Keys highlights this year's celebrity lineup. The composer of Songs in A Minor, among other popular albums, sounded as wracked with anticipation and excitement as any rank-and-file athlete on Twitter last week:

Keys will be running to support her foundation Keep a Child Alive, which supports the efforts to stop the AIDS epidemic in Africa. 

RunningCompetitor.com reported America's favorite hobbit, Samwise Gamgee (aka Sean Astin), is expected to run. Astin recently took part in the brutal Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii. 

Most years, the marathon attracts at least a few retired professional athletes to the field. For sports fans it can be interesting to see elite athletes doing something that leaves them looking like mere mortals. 

Former NFL running back and current media figure Tiki Barber sounded amped up and ready to run on Twitter Saturday:

This is Barber's second year in the marathon. According to RunningCompetitor.com, he turned in a time of five hours, 14 minutes last year. Now simply finishing the 26.2-mile distance is an achievement, but at over five hours, the man who made a fortune with his body is very much a part of the middle-pack crew in the running world. 

Reality Bites star Ethan Hawke will be running to benefit The Doe Fund, which supports people battling addiction and homelessness. Katrina Bowden of 30 Rock fame will be running to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. At four hours, 16 minutes, the actress beat Barber by nearly an hour last year.