The Moscow International Marathon was born in 1981. Yes, Fred was both running it and running in it. As a representative of the New York Road Runners Club, and being associated with the name of Fred Lebow, I was treated as a very special guest. At the pasta banquet and at all the official events I was seated next to Dr. Fadeev and the heads of the Russian and Moscow Sport Committees and Federations. During the banquet, actors in Russian national dress presented traditional bread and salt to Dr. Fadeev and to me.
Russian hospitality is beyond the imagination.
When I left Moscow in 1978, I never would have imagined that in 1997, at the age of 41, I would for the first time in my life get involved in running and later that year do a miracle-complete a Marathon. I did not think that I would ever see Moscow again. As for running the Moscow Marathon-it would never have entered my dreams. But here I am. And here it is-the Kremlin, one of the most beautiful architectural ensembles in the world.