New York (CNN) -- Celebrities running in the usually star-studded New York Marathon on Sunday are likely to be overshadowed by a man from a less glamorous profession whose fame derived from his sprints inside the gloomy pit of a Chilean mine.
Edison Pena, otherwise known as "the runner" by fellow miners who spent 69 days trapped with him in a gold and copper mine, has taken the limelight in in the days before one of the world's most famous marathons.
With appearances on David Letterman, where he showed his devotion for Elvis Presley amid rioting applause, Pena is attracting attention from nearly every press outlet and every street fan.
Despite his limited command of the English language, he showed he knew most of the words to Elvis classics.
Whether or not he is competitive in the race, Pena is undoubtedly the star of the 2010 NYC Marathon, People Magazine's Suzanne Zuckerman said.
"It does seem like the Chilean miner is going to upstage any of the stars who are running in the New York City marathon on Sunday," she said.
Pena -- a triathlete -- was invited by the NYC Marathon after stories spread about his daily runs in the mine to keep himself fit.
"When I ran, I thought I was going to beat destiny," he said. "I told the mine, 'I'm gonna outrun you. I'm gonna run till you're tired and bored of me.'"
The 12th miner to be rescued, he also became known for singing Elvis songs during his confinement.
Star-gazing is still part of the experience of watching about 45,000 runners over 26.2 miles. Actress Katie Holmes, rapper entrepreneur P-Diddy, rocker Alanis Morissette, former Gov. Mike Huckabee and TV chef Bobby Flay have all competed in the marathon.
The NYC Marathon's circuits through five boroughs and is one of the most popualr marathons in the world.
Source: edition.cnn.com
Edison Pena, otherwise known as "the runner" by fellow miners who spent 69 days trapped with him in a gold and copper mine, has taken the limelight in in the days before one of the world's most famous marathons.
With appearances on David Letterman, where he showed his devotion for Elvis Presley amid rioting applause, Pena is attracting attention from nearly every press outlet and every street fan.
Despite his limited command of the English language, he showed he knew most of the words to Elvis classics.
Whether or not he is competitive in the race, Pena is undoubtedly the star of the 2010 NYC Marathon, People Magazine's Suzanne Zuckerman said.
"It does seem like the Chilean miner is going to upstage any of the stars who are running in the New York City marathon on Sunday," she said.
Pena -- a triathlete -- was invited by the NYC Marathon after stories spread about his daily runs in the mine to keep himself fit.
"When I ran, I thought I was going to beat destiny," he said. "I told the mine, 'I'm gonna outrun you. I'm gonna run till you're tired and bored of me.'"
The 12th miner to be rescued, he also became known for singing Elvis songs during his confinement.
Star-gazing is still part of the experience of watching about 45,000 runners over 26.2 miles. Actress Katie Holmes, rapper entrepreneur P-Diddy, rocker Alanis Morissette, former Gov. Mike Huckabee and TV chef Bobby Flay have all competed in the marathon.
The NYC Marathon's circuits through five boroughs and is one of the most popualr marathons in the world.
Source: edition.cnn.com
