Meb Keflezighi, NBA greats to highlight New York City Marathon

The 2014 New York City Marathon will have plenty of star power when runners depart from the starting line this weekend.

Meb Keflezighi, who last spring became the first American man to win the Boston Marathon in more than three decades, will highlight the elite field. The fanfare and expectations arising from the Boston victory may make the New York race a little tougher for him.

“I’ve just got to go back to the basics and start working forward,” Keflezighi told the Associated Press.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and a group of basketball luminaries are also scheduled to participate, covering the 26.2-mile course in a relay of 24 segments.

The list of other NBA runners includes television analyst Greg Anthony and former players Darryl Dawkins, Dikembe Mutombo, Nate “Tiny” Archibald and Chris Mullin.

“Inspiring young people to enjoy fun, fitness-related activities is a goal shared by the NBA and New York Road Runners,” Silver said in a news release.