This excellent documentary tells the story of Fred Lebow’s involvement in the New York Road Runners club and his work in establishing the New York City Marathon in 1970.
As President of the NYRR, Lebow also organised the first Empire State Building Run-Up in 1978. Faced with derision as the first race was branded a gimmick, he nevertheless persevered with the ESBRU.
He was determined to turn it into a firm fixture on the sporting calendar in New York. In 1979 he told reporters the race would soon become an event as accepted as the New York City Marathon and that a 10-minute climb up the Empire State would rival the legendary four‐minute mile as a goal for world‐class runners.
The sport of tower running owes Fred Lebow a lot.
The documentary is mostly about his life and work in promoting road running, but there is some archive footage from the Empire State Building Run-Up in there too, as well as interviews with former ESBRU and NYC Marathon champions Nina Kuscsik and Gary Muhrcke.
Tower Running UK 