J.R. Martinez, U.S. Army veteran, actor, and Dancing with the Stars champion
Severely burned on 34 percent of his body in 2003 while deployed in Iraq, Martinez has since traveled the country to share his powerful message of resilience. He will start as the last runner in the marathon, and Timex will donate $1 to New York Road Runners' Youth Programs for every runner he passes along the route. His book, Full of Heart: My Story of Survival, Strength and Spirit, will be published on October 30.
Jordan Fried, running on Fred’s Team to raise money for Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
For Fried, a lacrosse player at Hofstra University, the fundraising is deeply personal. He battled leukemia at the tender age of three and was cancer-free two years later. He was treated at Sloan-Kettering at the same time running legend and NYC marathon co-founder Fred Lebow was there jogging the hallways during his own cancer treatment. This will be his third NYC Marathon, and his personal record is 3:13.
Daniel Gravelle, running with the Runaway Bridesmaids team to help fight sex trafficking
Talk about being tough: Daniel Gravelle has run a marathon on every continent, including Antarctica. This NYC marathon will be his 15th, and he is running it alongside his wife, Nancy Yeomans, on what also happens to be the six-year anniversary of when they when they ran the Athens marathon together on their honeymoon in Greece. He's not running only to celebrate, but also to do good: Dan will be part of a team called the Runaway Bridesmaids and will be running with five other women in a dress to raise money to build a shelter for the kids of sex workers.
Adam Chataway, running to support Action Aid/Vicky's Water Project
After his wife died in a cycling accident while working in Ethopia on water projects, Chataway wanted to honor her by continuing her charitable legacy. To help raise money to build a school, he has committed to run six International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) marathons on six continents inside 30 days, finishing up with the New York City Marathon. By November 4, he will have completed the Buenos Aires Marathon, Melbourne Marathon, Beijing Marathon, Nairobi Marathon and Dublin Marathon—the latter two in consecutive days.
Nick Kypreos, member of the 1994 Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers
It’s been 15 years since the former left winger trained as a pro athlete, and nearly two decades since he was on New York’s center stage during the city’s last hockey championship. As you might expect, the transition between an ice rink and the pavement isn’t easy. “This type of training is like nothing I've experienced before,” he says. “I'm honored to be returning to New York to participate in one of its greatest events."