Celebrities and elites gear up for NYC

The ING New York City Marathon is a week and a half away and its not just the elites who are getting ready to run.

NBC has released a list of all the celebrities who are planning to run the marathon on Nov. 6. Actors, Olympians, models, reality TV stars and athletes are registered to run the race. The full list includes:

• Gbenga Akinnagbe, actor
• Nate Appleman, chef/TV personality
• Joe Bastianich, restaurateur, winemaker and judge on MasterChef
• Dr. Andy Baldwin, reality star
• Richard Blais, chef/TV personality – Top Chef All-Stars
• Jennie Finch, U.S. Olympian/Softball
• Mark Messier, NHL Legend
• Mýa, Grammy Award-Winning Artist
• Mario Lopez, “Extra” host/actor
• Apolo Ohno, U.S. Olympian/short-track speed skating
• Shonda Schilling, wife of Curt Schilling and New York Times bestselling author
• Paul Sparks, actor
• Ryan Sutter, reality star
• Christy Turlington Burns, model/founder
• Michael K. Williams, actor
• Edwin van der Sar, retired Manchester United goalie
• Veronica Webb, model/actress
• Ethan Zohn, reality star

Approximately 45,000 runners are expected to take part in the race that runs through all five boroughs of New York. According to the New York Road Runners, the race organizer, more than 100,000 people applied to run the 2011 race.

The race itself always attracts a number of the world’s elite runners, and this year is no exception. Gebre Gebremariam, Meb Keflezighi, Emmanuel Mutai, Boston Marathon champ Geoffrey Mutai, Lauren Fleshman, Mary Keitany, Caroline Kilel and Jo Pavey are among the elites slated to run.