Rubin (political science, Borough of Manhattan Community College, City U. of New York) chronicles efforts of Fred Lebow to found and popularize the New York City Marathon. Rubin describes the politics involved in establishing the race in 1976; how Lebow imprinted his vision onto the Marathon; and his battles with cancer towards the end of his life, symbolically overcome as he personally ran his first New York Marathon in 1992. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)