BOSTON (CBS) – A boy band heartthrob is hoping to take on Heartbreak Hill this year.

Joey McIntyre of the New Kids On The Block will be on the starting block in Hopkinton on Marathon Monday. He’s running for his mom.

“I’m not nervous for Monday because I feel like I’m prepared. I’ve done the work,” said McIntyre.

Though he’s no longer “new” or a “kid”, NKOTB’s McIntyre is determined to conquer Boston.

“It is my first marathon and I figure I’m going to do Boston because I might not ever want to do it again,” he said.

The 40-year-old pop star has a powerful motivator.

“I’m running, number one, for my mom. My mom suffers from Alzheimer’s. I just feel like there’s a lot of energy, a lot of momentum in finding a cure. And the more awareness, and of course the more funds we can raise, the better,” he said.

Read the full article at Boston.CBSLocal.com.