On November 1, 1970, a small group of runners gathered in Central Park with bib numbers safety-pinned to their shirts and not a single TV camera in sight. Only 127 people had signed up for what organizers were calling the New York City Marathon, and the entry fee was just one dollar. The course wound around the park four times - a loop of asphalt and autumn leaves - and finished with a sprint past a handful of friends and curious joggers.
The race was the dream of Fred Lebow, a clothing salesman and running fanatic who borrowed orange traffic cones and convinced volunteers to hand out water from paper cups. The winner was a 22-year-old fireman named Gary Muhrcke, who crossed the line in 2 hours, 31 minutes, and 38 seconds. He woke up that morning thinking he might not even run, then jumped in at the last minute. Only 55 of the 127 starters actually finished. There were no medals waiting at the end - just cheap wristwatches and a bottle of soda.
Seven years later, Lebow moved the marathon out of the park and through all five boroughs, and the race exploded. Today the New York City Marathon draws more than 50,000 runners and around two million spectators along the streets, making it the biggest marathon on Earth. It started with a few dollars, some cones, and a guy who believed running could be a party - and a small, sweaty Sunday in Central Park turned into a citywide tradition.
