TCS to run as title sponsor for New York City Marathon

New York Road Runners (NYRR) and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS), a leading IT services, consulting, and business solutions organization, today announced an eight-year partnership, with TCS taking on the role of Title Sponsor in 2014 of the premier long-distance athletic event in the world – the New York City Marathon.  Beginning in 2014, the prestigious race will be called the TCS New York City Marathon and is a part of a year-round premier partnership between TCS and NYRR to provide support for the NYRR 5-Borough Series and key heritage events, as well as year-round youth and community-focused events and programs, starting November 5, 2013.

The new global partnership—fueled by movement and empowered by technology—is built on a shared commitment to elevating the health and well-being of individuals and embodies TCS’s historical dedication to strongly supporting the communities in which it operates. The spark of this joint “movement” starts today in New York City, driven by TCS’s digital, financial, strategic, and marketing support of NYRR events and programs, most notably a goal to make the New York City Marathon the most technologically advanced and socially engaged marathon in the world.

“We are thrilled that TCS will be joining NYRR as our premier partner and title sponsor of the NYC Marathon,” said Mary Wittenberg, president and CEO of New York Road Runners. “TCS won us over with their commitment to our sport and to elevating the health and well-being of our community, their technological excellence and their belief in the infinite potential in front of us to jointly help and inspire people through running.”

“We are delighted to be the title sponsor of the New York City Marathon from 2014. This partnership presents a great way for us to accelerate our engagement with communities in the New York area and across North America to raise awareness about health and fitness. Starting in 2014, we also aspire to make the TCS New York City Marathon a more technology-enriched and socially engaged experience for all its participants and fans across the world, using our core technology skills,” said Natarajan Chandrasekaran, CEO and Managing Director of TCS.

He added: “As a marathoner myself, I’m personally proud to partner with the NYRR team to support the world’s most prestigious marathon as well as many year-round events and community programs across the five boroughs of New York. This partnership will also help us project the awareness and understanding of the TCS brand and its values beyond our core audiences and into the communities where we operate, not only in North America but globally.”

With TCS, NYRR unveiled today the new logo for the 2014 Marathon, designed to commemorate the unprecedented new partnership and to provide an iconic uplifting symbol for the race. The new logo represents both organizations' forward-thinking, community-focused vision.

NYRR’s “Run for Life” manifesto champions the benefits of a lifetime of running, and is closely aligned with TCS’ Fit4Life program, which is built on the philosophy that “healthy individuals make healthy organizations.” Fit4Life, in natural alignment with NYRR’s “Run for Life” philosophy, is realized through the active engagement of employees and their families with local charities.
 
TCS has been a technology consulting partner for NYRR since 2010. It previously developed mobile apps for the 2013 NYC Half and will create a new app for the 2013 Marathon, helping participants to track runners and to receive race results, information on the event, and tips for training. As part of the new partnership, beginning on November 5, 2013, TCS will be a principal sponsor of each of NYRR’s major five borough events and its key heritage events, including the Oakley New York Mini 10K, the Fifth Avenue Mile, and the Midnight Run, and will support NYRR’s youth and community programs.