Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) said that it has inked an eight-year contract with New York Road Runners (NYRR) for the extension of its title and technology sponsorship of the TCS New York City Marathon till 2029.

The Indian IT services company said that its sponsorship of international running events will also be showcased in a new advertising campaign.

According to Tata Consultancy Services, its extended partnership with New York Road Runners follows an earlier announcement of the company becoming the new title sponsor of the London Marathon starting from next year.

The Indian IT company said that it will invest $30 million to $40 million per year in global running sponsorships and related community programs from 2022 to 2029.

Surya Kant – Chairman, North America, Tata Consultancy Services, said: “We are delighted to extend our sponsorship of the TCS New York City Marathon, the foremost running event in the world.

“We sponsor running events across the world because we want to inspire local communities to live healthy and active lifestyles, and also because of the obvious parallels between marathons and the growth and transformation journeys that we help our customers undertake.”

Tata Consultancy Services will roll out a new version of its TCS New York City Marathon App that integrates augmented reality (AR) features. The new version will have features for supporting in-person as well as virtual runners along with surprise-and-delight AR experiences.

Fans and athletes can access real-time runner tracking, digital cheer cards along with a finishing-time predictor through the app, said the company.

Kerin Hempel – CEO of New York Road Runners said: “Since 2014, TCS has helped us transform our runners’ experience through technological advancements, while also providing tremendous support of our community programs across the five boroughs.

“TCS and NYRR have shared core values, commitment to service, and passion for innovation, and I can’t wait to see what we co-create in our next chapter together.”

  augmented reality, Kerin Hempel, New York, New York City Marathon, New York Road Runners, Surya Kant, Tata Consultancy Services, USA