Anything for a T-Shirt

Almir Kolari

POL 100

How was the NYC Marathon conceived, and why does it give the Big Apple its happiest, most unifying day of the year?

Fred Lebow was a showman. He liked action. He liked attention. Originally born Fishl

Lebowtiz on June 6, 1932 in Transylvania, Romania he did something that was beyond belief.

He is the father of the world's greatest foot race, The New York City Marathon. Lebow

transformed the marathon from a small race with 55 finishers in 1970 to one of the largest

marathons in the world with over 30.000 finishers today. Lebow proved to the world that

ordinary people can run in a marathon. Lebow survived the Holocaust after the German army

arrived late in the war in his Transylvanian town near the Hungarian Border. Lebow migrated to

America, studied at the Yeshiva Torah in Brooklyn, and opened an improvisational theater in

Cleveland.

Upon his return to the Big Apple, Lebow organized the first New York City Marathon in

1970. His "Jewishness" definitely contributed to his lifelong goal of "inclusiveness."Long

before he emerged as the master promoter, the only sport Lebow played was tennis. Most of his

tennis matches were against his roommate, Brian Crawford. Never being able to win a match

against him Lebow joined a health club. Being bored of lifting weights, Lebow was told that he

should start jogging and was a recommendation was around the 1.577-mile oval track of Central

Park, reservoir. Enamored of running, he became a regular in going the distance around the

reservoir.

With an " Whatever I want, I get" attitude, Lebow directed the Cherry Tree Marathon, which is

also considered the mother of The New York City Marathon. The race started at the Yankee

Stadium across the MacCombs Dam Park, site of other Road Runners Club races. People were

literally throwing rocks at the runners, and this encouraged them to move its location. Seeing

that no attention is being given to the race, Lebow visits the New York Times, but no one

showed any kind of interest. However, when told that Ted Corbitt would be running things would

change.

The New York Times ran an article about the race and Lebow learned something he

would apply down in the road in promoting his marathon party, the importance of the big names.

The race was won by a fireman, Gary Muhrcke, with a 2 : 31: 38 and the award was a $10 watch.

Lebow paid for the awards from his pocket. With the marathon growing from year to year,

Lebow's entrepreneurial mind, told him to take his project a step further. The idea came to him

on framing a five borough party. The marathon would not only be a vehicle of showcase running,

but it would also boost the New York City's economy which was in a deep downturn. A boost to

his dream came from borough president Sutton, who requested Lebow that if the proper police

protection and the money was offered would Lebow stick with his idea. Lebow accepted this idea

and the next step was who would sponsor the race. Rudin Management Companybecame on the

first sponsors, offering twenty thousand. . Knowing that it would not be enough Lebow turned to

other sponsor. He wrote a letter to Citibank and no interest was shown by them. Than he turned

to Manufacturers Hannover Bank and the vice president thought " Wouldn't it be wonderful to

have thousands of people running around New York City in our T-shirts?" He offered five

thousand dollars. However, Lebow requested eight thousand to nine thousand. Deciding not to

press for more he proposeda barter deal for the airline's sponsorship, suggesting that Finnair fly

some ten to fifteen top European runners and have European offices publicize the five-borough

marathon in European running clubs. Seeing the marathon's business as potential Finnair agreed.

George A. Hirsch, thepublisher of the New York Times became a sponsor, offering five thousand

dollars. Himself a runner, he thought it was the right thing to do. He later would be the publisher of the Runner's World magazine.

The idea itself had its weaknesses. A question that would come up would be how the

New Yorkers would respond to something this strange. The marathon was drawn up to be of a

distance of 26 miles, 385 yards, including all the five boroughs. Doubts were raised, of how

many runners would sign up, how would people react to closed bridges, and streets, would the

streets be wide enough and the thoughts of half-naked people running around the streets. To this

the race, organizer had no