Photos And Stories
“It All Started Here”: Runners Celebrate Fred Lebow with 13.1 in Central Park

“Todo comenzó aquí”: los corredores celebran la vida de Fred Lebow con 13.1 en Central Park

19 de ene de 2020

Runners and Fred statue during 2020 NYRR Fred Lebow Half Marathon

Making good on their #ResolveToRun resolutions to get (or stay) fit and active in 2020, more than 5,200 runners finished today’s NYRR Fred Lebow Half Marathon.

Following a slushy Saturday, conditions were ideal for running 13.1 miles, with sunny skies, light winds, and temps in the 40s. First across the line were Roberta Groner of the New York Athletic Club in 1:16:43 and Sean Swift, also of NYAC, in 1:09:01—awesome performances on a course that featured three ascents of Harlem Hill, the last one in the race’s final mile.

“Fred would have been proud of you,” said Jim Heim, NYRR’s senior vice president of event development and production and the race director of the TCS New York City Marathon. He was referring to Lebow, who served as president of NYRR from 1972 until his death from cancer in 1994 and as race director of the marathon, which he co-founded as a four-loop Central Park event in 1970, with 55 finishers.

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Capping off 13.1 miles with lots of smiles and high-fives. Congratulations to all the dedicated #FredLebowHalf finishers and thank you to #TeamNYRR and #NYRRVols for your support at today’s race.

A post shared by New York Road Runners (@nyrr) on Jan 19, 2020 at 7:30am PST

This year the 50th running of the TCS New York City Marathon, now the largest marathon in the world with 53,000+ finishers in 2019, will take place on November 1. The application to run will open on January 30 at 12:00 noon ET and close on February 13. During the two-week window, runners can apply for a drawing or claim their guaranteed entry. Learn more, and set your reminder now!

Finishers of today’s race appreciate Lebow and what he accomplished. “I know how important he was to running, especially Central Park Running,” said Rocco Ali, who finished in 1:46:22. “This race means a lot to runners who know the history of New York Road Runners and Fred, and how everything all started here in Central Park. It’s enjoyable to have a lot of seasoned runners enjoying this race, along with new ones just starting out.”

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As #FredLebowHalf runners take on the course in @CentralParkNYC, we remember and honor Fred’s contributions to running – specifically the @NYCMarathon! Established in 1970, the original route was four laps around @CentralParkNYC, which is why his iconic statue lives here in the park and why we’re here today. Thanks to Fred, we will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the marathon this year! Comment a ⭐ if you’ll be there.

A post shared by New York Road Runners (@nyrr) on Jan 19, 2020 at 6:05am PST

As for the hills, finishers seemed to take them in stride. “It actually went pretty well, I was surprised,” said Kelly Youngstrom, who recently relocated to NYC and finished in 1:43:41 today. “I’m training for a marathon and I wanted to see how a hilly half would go.”

All finishers received a medal designed to look like a stopwatch—a nod to Lebow’s appreciation for precision and accuracy (fancy GPS watches didn’t exist in his day, so he did the best he could). Learn more about your finisher medal—and stop by the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the NB Run Hub to get it engraved for free (NYRR members) Sunday until 2:30 p.m. and Monday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.