Lance's pacers

The members of Lance Armstrong’s cycling teams escorted him to seven consecutive victories in the Tour de France, but Armstrong will lean on a different group of athletes Sunday when he competes in the New York City Marathon: three legends of long-distance running.

The former marathon champions Alberto Salazar and Joan Benoit Samuelson, and Hicham el-Guerrouj, the defending Olympic champion in the 1,500 and 5,000 meters, will pace Armstrong for his debut in the 26.2-mile race, each running with him for a different section of the course.

Salazar, 48, will run the first 10 miles, while Samuelson, 49, will take over for the next 10. Guerrouj, 32, will join Armstrong for the next six miles. For the last, short stretch through Central Park, Armstrong will be on his own.