"Run For Your Life: The Fred Lebow Story" Review - Written by Anthony Thurber

Run For Your Life: The Fred Lebow Story
Year: 2008
Director: Judd Ehrlich
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Screen Media Films
Running Time: 88 Mins
Official Website: http://www.fredlebowmovie.com/


“Run for Your Life: The Fred Lebow Story” documents the founder of one the most popular marathons in the world, the New York City Marathon in 1976. Fred Lebow was a eccentric Jewish immigrant from Transylvania, who moved to America after fleeing from his war torn country. He then, started the marathon with a group of runners in Central Park. The race wouldn’t become popular, until he expanded it , through the boroughs, which sparked a fitness boom, throughout the United States. The film goes into the up and downs that Lebow experiences through the ups and down of his celebrity status. This film also features interviews, from former runners, family members, friends, and former New York City Mayor, Ed Koch.

Run for Your Life: The Fred Lebow Story was a very interesting and fascinating looking at the founder of the New York City Marathon. Judd Ehrlich does a good job looking and documenting on how the popular race was born, while painting a portrait of the man, who created the race. He does that, by focusing on the marathon, through it’s early days. The film covers the race, from its beginnings in Central Park, to when it expanded, into New York’s five burrows to the methods that Lebow uses to make it so popular. The film also focuses on Lebow’s personal life, from his troubled childhood, to him writing a book that made the high-ups in New York, very angry. I liked how, Ehrlich focuses, on these events. He goes into that, because he wants make the documentary about the person, not the marathon. The film also goes into the dedication that Lebow had for the marathon, as you hear his friends tell how much effort he puts into every one of these events. All of this severs a purpose, for those who never heard of Fred Lebow (like myself) before. Even though, Fred Lebow died in 1994, you still get hear him talk about the marathon that he was passionate about. This was done, through the use of archival interviews. Ehrlich uses these interviews, to show how passionate Lebow was towards the marathon that he created. It also gave a sense to what his personality was like, for those who haven’t heard of this person.

“Run for Your Life: The Fred Lebow Story” was an entertaining documentary. It’s an uplifting and interesting look of Fred Lebow, the man who created one of the popular U.S. running races that still takes place today.