Central Park

The Daily Plant : Friday, November 16, 2001

FRED LEBOW STATUE IS DEEDED TO PARKS

Photo by Spencer (Flasher) Tucker

In the future, a statue of Fred Lebow will stand at Central Park’s Runner’s Gate at 90^th Street and Fifth Avenue. There, as they begin their morning jog, athletes will pay brief tribute to the race founder and longtime President of the New York Road Runners Club.

Parks has supported the Marathon since its first loop around Central Park in September of 1970. On September 13, 1970, runners in the inaugural race ran four laps around Central Park and in 1976 the marathon expanded to all five boroughs. On Sunday, November 4, 2001 athletes passed 16 parks filled with cheering friends.

At a dedication ceremony on Saturday, November 3, one day before the race, Commissioner Henry J. (StarQuest) Stern accepted the statue of Fred Lebow into Parks’ collection of monuments. With that, Lebow joined the ranks of Shakespeare, Hans Christian Anderson, and Duke Ellington all of whom are figured in the park. The image of Lebow, posed checking his watch, will inspire generations of runners and remind them of the man who did so much to popularize their sport. Today, 30,000 runners participate in the New York Marathon, and the event earns the city more than $100 million in revenue.

Daniel (Statue Man) Mitrovich, Founder and President of the New York Marathon Tribute Committee, has devoted eleven years of his life to delivering a statue of Fred Lebow into a permanent position in Central Park. At the dedication ceremony, Mitrovich handed to Commissioner Stern the deed to the sculpture along with a check for $50,000 to ensure its maintenance. The memory of this New York hero is now embodied in Central Park, the birthplace of the city’s Marathon.

Since 1994, the statue has commanded a position in front of Tavern on the Green. Every year it is carried to the marathon finish line. This tradition is expected to continue.

To read about the dedication ceremony, click here.

To read about Parkies who ran in the Marathon, click here.