NAIROBI, November 2, 2009 – After months of training on the rocky Kenyan terrain, US actor Edward Norton, has become the first celebrity ever to run the Marathon with three Maasai warriors.

They were part of a team of 30 runners who took to the streets of New York to raise awareness and funding for the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust.

For the past few months, Norton has been touting his New York City Marathon on behalf of the Trust, says Faraitoday.com.

The Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust protects the biodiversity of the Maasai lands in Eastern Africa and is a pioneer effort to preserve the Maasai culture.

Norton has been lending his celebrity to the organisation for the last 10 years and he heads the board for the US arm of the Trust, which raises the bulk of their operations funds.

The Fight Club, Primal Fear and Incredible Hulk actor had exhausted his circle of upscale donors and wanted to try a grassroots approach to fund-raising, which is when he thought of the run, writes nymag.com.

“I have always liked running and I have always been drawn to the idea of running a marathon. But I was a little unsettled about seeing the Maasai running in their traditional gear,” said Norton on maasaimarathon.com. 

Though the November 1 run was his first, Norton completed the 26.2 mile trek in a very respectable 3:48:1, and according to his official fundraising page, has raised almost $300,000.

Norton’s pal and fellow marathoner Alanis Morissette finished the race in 4:28:45.