Fred's Team
Stories
LECTIONARY TALES FOR THE PULPIT
Series III, Cycle A
Every day newspapers, magazines, and radio stations report how "bad" things are getting. There is a negative atmosphere around the general daily news. People are killing each other for no reason. Retaliations are more fierce than ever. Drug use, teen pregnancy, and television violence emphasize that the moral meter is headed in a downward spiral. We are going downhill is the consensus of many.
But we don't have to look very far to see the other side of the equation. Ordinary people do extraordinary things. There are countless unsung heroes who do things that will help others, both directly and indirectly. There are also public heroes whose legacies continue to help others. One example is Fred Lebow, founder of the New York Marathon.
Who would run a five--borough marathon to commemorate a sixtieth birthday? Fred Lebow would. He did - and his sixtieth birthday happened to fall two years after his diagnosis of brain cancer. All told, he ran 69 marathons in over thirty countries in his running career.
Mr. Lebow started running to build up endurance for tennis, which was his diversion after long hours working in the garment industry. Mr. Lebow started the New York Runners Club in 1970 with 126 runners. Ten years later, in 1980, over 16,000 runners entered the New York Marathon. Later the club reached more than 31,000 runners under Mr. Lebow's direction. He was president of the New York Runners twenty years before being promoted to chairman.
Mr. Lebow was born in Transylvania, Romania, in 1932. He lived in both Ireland and Czechoslovakia before coming to the United States. He lived in New York and worked as a textile consultant in the garment district. He left his consulting career when he became more involved in the business side of the Marathon.
Running is seen by some as boring, unprofitable, and too solitary and routine. Yet, there are many who love the competition and the endurance running gives and the spiritual component of training those long hours. Many argue that it's the perfect sport: the only required investment is a good pair of running shoes, it's possible to do just about anywhere, and it can be done with or without others. Marathon races themselves have a festive air to them with team T--shirts, medals, refreshments, and lots of publicity. Fans and runners get excited at a marathon, and there is much opportunity for pride in beating a personal best time.
Running used to be a blue collar sport, but under Mr. Lebow's direction, running in New York became fashionable. Upper--class runners touted their personal well--being. Middle--class runners liked the social status. No matter the socioeconomic status, running for countless people gives a much better health outlook. People claim to have regularity, better sex lives, and a rosier outlook on life when they run. Many who travel constantly combat jet lag with jogging. It seems it gets under one's skin, and the pull to run is overwhelming.
Mr. Lebow recognized the benefits of running and, with corporate sponsorships and larger numbers of runners, saw the New York Marathon blossom into a well--respected race. Its organizers were former volunteers; now they are paid executives. The New York Marathon is a business venture with a salaried staff.
Mr. Lebow recognized that women wanted a shorter, more manageable run. He suggested a road race in sections which quickly grew to become the famous Mini--Marathon. The "Mini," as it fondly became known, is a 6.2--mile, or 10--kilometer run and drew over 6,000 runners in the first few years. It has grown and become a favorite for many women.
Fred Lebow did much for the sport of marathoning. He was inducted into the United States Track & Field Hall of Fame a few months before he died in 1994 of brain cancer. He also raised millions of dollars for cancer research before his death.
Mr. Lebow received care at the Sloan--Kettering Cancer Center in New York and both the Cancer Center and the New York Marathon support Fred's Team, which was created in his honor. Special races raise money that supports cancer research efforts at Sloan--Kettering. These runners run for a cause - a cause that might one day help save lives.
It's true that there are negative things around us. It's an unfortunate fact of life. But Fred Lebow didn't let that stop him from creating a monster: a friendly monster called the New York Marathon that helps raise money and awareness for cancer.
We have to look at the other side of the equation: there are many ordinary people who do extraordinary things. Extraordinary things, that in Fred Lebow's case, will bring money and hope to many people with cancer. We hope one day there will be a cure. But for now, Mr. Lebow's legacy continues to make a life--saving difference in the race against cancer.
But we don't have to look very far to see the other side of the equation. Ordinary people do extraordinary things. There are countless unsung heroes who do things that will help others, both directly and indirectly. There are also public heroes whose legacies continue to help others. One example is Fred Lebow, founder of the New York Marathon.
Who would run a five--borough marathon to commemorate a sixtieth birthday? Fred Lebow would. He did - and his sixtieth birthday happened to fall two years after his diagnosis of brain cancer. All told, he ran 69 marathons in over thirty countries in his running career.
Mr. Lebow started running to build up endurance for tennis, which was his diversion after long hours working in the garment industry. Mr. Lebow started the New York Runners Club in 1970 with 126 runners. Ten years later, in 1980, over 16,000 runners entered the New York Marathon. Later the club reached more than 31,000 runners under Mr. Lebow's direction. He was president of the New York Runners twenty years before being promoted to chairman.
Mr. Lebow was born in Transylvania, Romania, in 1932. He lived in both Ireland and Czechoslovakia before coming to the United States. He lived in New York and worked as a textile consultant in the garment district. He left his consulting career when he became more involved in the business side of the Marathon.
Running is seen by some as boring, unprofitable, and too solitary and routine. Yet, there are many who love the competition and the endurance running gives and the spiritual component of training those long hours. Many argue that it's the perfect sport: the only required investment is a good pair of running shoes, it's possible to do just about anywhere, and it can be done with or without others. Marathon races themselves have a festive air to them with team T--shirts, medals, refreshments, and lots of publicity. Fans and runners get excited at a marathon, and there is much opportunity for pride in beating a personal best time.
Running used to be a blue collar sport, but under Mr. Lebow's direction, running in New York became fashionable. Upper--class runners touted their personal well--being. Middle--class runners liked the social status. No matter the socioeconomic status, running for countless people gives a much better health outlook. People claim to have regularity, better sex lives, and a rosier outlook on life when they run. Many who travel constantly combat jet lag with jogging. It seems it gets under one's skin, and the pull to run is overwhelming.
Mr. Lebow recognized the benefits of running and, with corporate sponsorships and larger numbers of runners, saw the New York Marathon blossom into a well--respected race. Its organizers were former volunteers; now they are paid executives. The New York Marathon is a business venture with a salaried staff.
Mr. Lebow recognized that women wanted a shorter, more manageable run. He suggested a road race in sections which quickly grew to become the famous Mini--Marathon. The "Mini," as it fondly became known, is a 6.2--mile, or 10--kilometer run and drew over 6,000 runners in the first few years. It has grown and become a favorite for many women.
Fred Lebow did much for the sport of marathoning. He was inducted into the United States Track & Field Hall of Fame a few months before he died in 1994 of brain cancer. He also raised millions of dollars for cancer research before his death.
Mr. Lebow received care at the Sloan--Kettering Cancer Center in New York and both the Cancer Center and the New York Marathon support Fred's Team, which was created in his honor. Special races raise money that supports cancer research efforts at Sloan--Kettering. These runners run for a cause - a cause that might one day help save lives.
It's true that there are negative things around us. It's an unfortunate fact of life. But Fred Lebow didn't let that stop him from creating a monster: a friendly monster called the New York Marathon that helps raise money and awareness for cancer.
We have to look at the other side of the equation: there are many ordinary people who do extraordinary things. Extraordinary things, that in Fred Lebow's case, will bring money and hope to many people with cancer. We hope one day there will be a cure. But for now, Mr. Lebow's legacy continues to make a life--saving difference in the race against cancer.
