Run for Your Life

Director: Judd Ehrlich
Actors: Ed Koch, Frank Shorter, Grete Waitz, Alberto Salazar, Bill Rodgers
Studio: Universal Studios
Category: DVD

List Price: $24.98
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Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars 3 reviews
Sales Rank: 8509

Format: Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 96 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.1
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.3 x 0.6

MPN: MCAD68106739D
UPC: 025195057684
EAN: 0025195057684
ASIN: B001E75PJ4

Theatrical Release Date: 2008
Release Date: October 28, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
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Run for Your Life

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Customer Reviews



2 out of 5 stars Running at the Mouth ... For hard-core marathon historians    December 26, 2008
Kevin Quinley (Fairfax, VA)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful

"Running for Your Life" is a somewhat tedious documentary about Freed Lebow and his pivotal role in starting and growing the New York City Marathon. The film aims to mythologize and lionize Lebow and aggrandize the NYC Marathon. For example, near the beginning of the movie, one commentator says that the NYC Marathon is the most famous marathon in the world.

Certain folks in Boston might rightly take issue with that.

Lebow to me comes off as a rather pitiable character. No wife. No kids. Married to his job. He pursues serial relationships with young honeys but confesses that, once the thrill of the chase is gone, he gets bored with women. He tolerated selected vendors double-billing and ripping off the Road Runners Club. What a guy!

An undercurrent of this self-absorbed film is the notion that, since the event relates to The Big Apple, it must by definition be hot $%&*. From this movie, you'd think that designing a footrace to run through all five NYC boroughs is up there with the Seven Wonders of the World.

Please!!

After about an hour, the documentary is up to the 1978 NYC Marathon and you may be stealing glances at your watch.

IF you are a hard core historian of distance running lore or of the NYC Marathon, you may enjoy this movie, which only lasts 95 minutes but which, to me, seemed much longer.



5 out of 5 stars Run for your Life    December 16, 2008
Marty Ball
A biographical documentary that presents itself as true entertainment. A film that any runner will be interested in, as well as many others who will feel the dedication and passion Fred Lebow had for his calling.


5 out of 5 stars Great movie about a great visionary    November 29, 2008
David Wallick (Westchester County, NY)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

We owe the big-city marathon as it exists today to Fred Lebow, the subject of this documentary. His vision of what he wanted the NYC Marathon to be changed the way marathons are organized around the world.

This film looks at Fred and his life, specifically looking at the period from 1969 (the last year of the Cherry Tree Marathon in the Bronx, the precursor to the NYC Marathon) through the time of Fred's untimely death from brain cancer in 1994. There is amazing archival footage in the film and wonderful interview with those heavily involved in the marathon in the early years.

As a runner and NYC Marathon finisher, I found this film fascinating, though anyone who has an interest in history, New York City, and biographies of interesting individuals would greatly enjoy this movie.