Thousands of brave runners hit the pavement Sunday to celebrate the lasting legacy of one of the founders of the New York City Marathon, Fred Lebow.

The annual New York Road Runners Fred Lebow Half Marathon at Central Park honored Lebow, who transformed the New York City Marathon into one of the biggest sporting events in the world.

“Fred Lebow was such an inspiration,” said Rob Simmelkjaer, the CEO of New York Road Runners, who is also a runner himself. “He was a Holocaust survivor. He was an entrepreneur. He had a vision for what running in New York could be. So many people are so excited to come out and celebrate him.”

What You Need To Know

  • Thousands of runners ran in the annual New York Road Runners Fred Lebow Half Marathon Sunday morning at Central Park 
  • The race celebrated the lasting legacy of one of the founders of the New York City Marathon, Fred Lebow
  • Lebow was passionate about running and helped transform the New York City Marathon into a global event
  • Despite the wet conditions Sunday, runners showed up to remember Lebow, a Holocaust survivor, a day after International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Runners braved the elements Sunday during a wet 13.1-mile race. Runners did several loops in Central Park for the half marathon, a nod to the New York City Marathon’s initial route back in 1976.

This was before Lebow transformed the New York City Marathon into its global status, with runners now racing across all five boroughs.

Casey Nelson was the first woman to cross the finish line Sunday.

“It was just really fun. It was a wet race, which I think was motivation to finish faster, so finishing felt really good,” Nelson said.

Nelson, 25, lives in Boston but spends a lot of time in New York City.

Runners united as a community Sunday to get through the challenging race.

“It’s great to see all the support,” said Conor McDonough, a 27-year-old runner who says he likes to run in the rain because it keeps him cool. “Even with all the rain, there are so many people. It’s great hearing everyone cheering. The spirit is still there and the weather doesn’t matter.”

Some runners used Sunday’s event as a training opportunity for the New York City Marathon.

“I’m glad to be out here, support a great cause, support Fred [Lebow], and also run with everybody out here,” said Redatu Semeon, a 29-year-old who moved to New York about a year ago. “So first time out running a half marathon here in New York, and it was great. I’m actually going to be running the New York [City] Marathon this November for the first time.”

“This was a good day for me and pointing me in the right direction for the fall,” Semeon added.