New York (CNN) -- Two African runners won the 2010 New York City Marathon Sunday, marathon officials announced.
Runners Edna Kiplagat, from Kenya, and Gebre Gebremarian, of Ethiopia were the first female and male finishers to cover the 26.2-mile course that cuts through New York City's five boroughs.
Much of the celebrity limelight in the usually star-studded race was focused on a man whose fame derived from his sprints inside the gloomy pit of a Chilean mine.
Chilean miner Edison Pena -- one of 33 miners trapped underground for more than two months before they were rescued -- completed the New York Marathon Sunday, taking five hours and 40 minutes to cover the 26.2-mile course.
Pena, otherwise known as "the runner" by fellow miners who spent 69 days trapped with him in a gold and copper mine, set out to cover the course along with thousands of other runners.
During a press conference after the race, Pena said running the marathon was a way to cope with the trauma of being trapped and fearing for his life.
"What I did today was also a symbol of bravery and a struggle against myself against the pain that I have been feeling. This I want to make very clear," he said.
With appearances on David Letterman, where he showed his devotion for Elvis Presley amid applause, Pena attracted attention from nearly every press outlet and every street fan who held signs while he ran the marathon.
"The experience was wonderful," said Pena. "I am not from this country but I kept seeing signs that said 'Go Edison'...and people would say 'Let's go Pena'...the warmth of the north American people is amazing," said Pena.
Pena -- a triathlete -- was invited by the NYC Marathon after stories spread about his daily runs in the mine to keep himself fit.
CNN
