On Monday morning, thousands of brave runners will be taking to the streets for the 116th Boston Marathon, set to kick off at 10 a.m. EST.

Among the runners taking part this year are celebrities like Ryan Sutter (of Bachelorette fame), former NFL player Tedy Bruschi and retired US soccer star Kristine Lilly.

Sutter, who found fame (and love) on the first season of The Bachelorette with Trista Rehn, is running this year's marathon in support of Grassroot Soccer, a charity co-founded by another reality TV star Ethan Zohn (Survivor).

Zohn, who ran the New York City Marathon in November, had plans for Boston, but was unable to qualify due to a recent stem-cell transplant.

Ryan is proof that you don't have to have a diagnosis to be affected by a life-threatening disease . . . I'm so impressed with his passion to help others. He stepped up for me before and is doing it again . . . to me, that's inspiring! Zohn told People. Zohn, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2009, was in remission for nearly two years, before the cancer returned in September 2011.

Also taking on the grueling 26.2 miles on Monday is Tedy Bruschi, who played with the New England Patriots for 13 seasons. The Boston Marathon will be Bruschi's first marathon of his life.

After my stroke in 2005, I started an organization called Tedy's Team . . . then I retired and [the organization] kept asking when I would do it. Climbing Kilimanjaro last year made me think about things that I could accomplish physically even though I was no longer in the NFL. After I got off that mountain, I told my runners I would attempt to run the Boston Marathon, Bruschi recently told ESPN's Front Row.

The former football player will be joined by 40 runners from Tedy's Team.

Also running her first marathon is Kristine Lilly, who will be running to raise money for Boston Children's Hospital.

I know I won't finish first in the marathon, but I would love to be the top fundraiser, Lilly wrote on ESPN-W on Apr. 11.

Click through for a look at celebrity runners running the 2012 Boston Marathon, along with a look back at other famous brave souls that have taken on the challenge.

Ryan Sutter
Ryan Sutter of “Bachelorette” fame will be running on behalf of Ethan Zohn’s Grassroot Soccer charity. Sutter also ran the 2011 NYC Marathon in November, with a time of 3:17:56. Twitter
Tedy Bruschi
Tedy Bruschi will be joined by 40 runners from his foundation, Tedy’s Team, in partnership with the American Stroke Association. REUTERS
Kristine Lilly
Former soccer star Kristine Lilly will be running her first marathon, in an effort to raise money for Boston Children’s Hospital. REUTERS
Will Ferrell 2003
There was nothing funny about Will Ferrell’s time at the 2003 Boston Marathon. The comedian/actor finished with a time of 3:56:12.“It’s truly an amazing event. Along with the history and everything, it’s a bit of a blur . . . Heartbreak Hill felt like a lovely summer day . . . and then you get hit over the head with a hammer,” he told the Associated Press after the run that year. REUTERS
Valerie Bertinelli 2010
Actress Valerie Bertinelli finished the 2010 Boston Marathon with a time of 5:14:37. REUTERS
Lance Armstrong 2008
Lance Armstrong finished strong with a time of 2:50:58 in 2008. REUTERS
Mario Lopez 2002
Mario Lopez ran the 2002 edition with a time of 5:41:41 -- and he did it with an injury. REUTERS
Lisa Ling 2002
Former “The View” member Lisa Ling finished the 2002 Boston Marathon with a time of 4:34:18. REUTERS
David James Elliott 2000
“JAG” star David James Elliott finished the 2000 Boston Marathon with a time of 4:57:23. Five years later, Elliott crossed a different finish line, at the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii (pictured). REUTERS
Ali Landry 2002
Model-turned-actress Ali Landry ran the 2002 Boston Marathon with then-boyfriend Mario Lopez. Both crossed the finish line with a time of 5:41:41. REUTERS