Armstrong breaks three hours in New York Marathon

NEW YORK, Nov 5 (Reuters) Seven-times Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong today reached his goal of beating the three-hour mark by finishing the New York City Marathon in two hours 59 minutes and 36 seconds.

Armstrong, running the marathon as a personal challenge and to benefit his foundation and raise money for cancer research, was cheered all along the route through the city's five boroughs.

''It was amazing,'' said the 35-year-old Armstrong, who was surrounded by Team Armstrong runners who helped raise more than 600,000 dollars.

He was also helped by pacesetters including former race winner Alberto Salazar, former Olympic champion Joan Benoit Samuelson and Olympic 1,500 and 5,000-metre winner Hicham El Guerrouj.

''Certainly without the support of New York City I would have been three and a half hours,'' he said.

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