I have been an endurance runner for most of my life. I ran my first Marathon when I was 15 in Monmouth County, NJ.  I ran my first New York City Marathon over 20 years ago. This will be my fourth NYC Marathon and my third with Fred’s Team.  My first time running as a member of Fred’s Team was in 2021, only one year after I was diagnosed with cancer.  

In March 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic locked down New York City where I live, I was diagnosed with high grade, stage 2/3, muscle invasive bladder cancer and began treatment with an amazing team of doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering. I underwent 3 months of chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments during the summer months of the pandemic and then had neobladder surgery on October 1, 2020.  The surgery involved the removal of my bladder and the construction of a new one using a piece of my small intestine. My prostate and lymph nodes in my pelvic area were also removed.  (Prior to my surgery, I began a 5-month course of treatment with blood thinners to address a blood clot in my iliac vein and to prevent any new blood clots from forming post-surgery).  

While undergoing chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments during the summer, I continued to run.  While I was not able to run nearly as many miles as I did pre-cancer due to the fatigue caused by chemo, I endured. Running gave me much confidence and strength as well as a sense of peace during a very difficult time. In January 2021 after my 3-month post-surgery scans showed no visible evidence of the cancer having spread, I began running again.  On November 7th, 2021 (just a little over a year after my surgery) I completed the NYC Marathon as a 1-year cancer survivor and proud member of Fred’s Team and I did it again on November 5th with this incredible team of survivors and supporters. 

Today, I feel stronger and healthier with every passing day, and I can say, with confidence, I am now cancer free. Even though Bladder cancer is the eighth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, and the fourth most common cancer diagnosed in men—there is still little known about this deadly disease.  This year’s NYC Marathon is especially meaningful for me since it is the 30th anniversary of Fred’s Team, and on Sunday, November 2nd this year I will run the NYC Marathon again with Fred’s Team as a 5-year cancer survivor exactly one week before my 60th birthday. 

Fred’s Team has raised over $100 million dollars since 1995, and your support is key to helping experts at MSK develop better treatment options for people who need them most. When you make a gift to Fred’s Team, you give clinicians and researchers the resources they need to make discoveries that bring real hope to people with cancer and their families. As a global leader in cancer care, MSK treats over 400 subtypes of cancer each year. The breakthroughs made in MSK labs set new standards for cancer treatment around the world.

I will dedicate this race in honor of Lee Vozza who passed away last year.  Lee was not only a great friend to me and my wife for more than 4 decades, but also to Fred’s Team.  Lee worked closely with Fred Lebow many years back as an early member/volunteer for NYRRC.  Lee always supported my running efforts and gifted me a subscription to Runner’s World for over 30 years. Lee was a great support when I was diagnosed with cancer 5 years ago and generously donated to my fundraising goal with Fred’s Team.  I will always be grateful for her love and friendship and will cross the finish line in November in her memory as a celebration “to life”.

Please help make a difference—Imagine A World Without Cancer!