New York, October 29, 2015—The New York Road Runners Advisory Council has been established in an effort to help advance the organization’s mission to help and inspire people through running, it was announced today by George Hirsch, chairman of the board of New York Road Runners. The NYRR Advisory Council will be comprised of leaders from various professions and geographic locations who will provide complimentary insight, advice, and support to NYRR’s leadership.

“We have decided to create the NYRR Advisory Council with people in the running community who share our mission and will help us with outreach, new ideas, and a passion for what we do,” said Hirsch. “Some are true champions with Olympic gold medals and world records among them, others are writers, actors, chefs, and academics who love our sport, have run the New York City Marathon, and believe that we can empower people through running.” 

Members of the newly created New York Road Runners Advisory Council include:

Mark Bittman, Writer and former New York Times columnist, participant in NYRR races

N. Chandra, CEO and managing director, Tata Consultancy Services, TCS New York City Marathon finisher

Ezekiel “Zeke” Emanuel, oncologist and a provost of the University of Pennsylvania

Haile Gebrselassie, Olympic gold medalist, New York City Marathon participant, 2015 NYRR Hall of Fame inductee

Malcolm Gladwell, renowned writer and speaker, participant in NYRR races

Cathy Lasry, philanthropist, benefactor of NYRR Run for the Future program

Edward Norton, actor and CrowdRise founder

Paula Radcliffe, marathon world record-holder, British running legend, New York City Marathon three-time winner, 2015 NYRR Hall of Fame inductee

Bill Rodgers, four-time winner of New York City and Boston Marathons, U.S. running legend, 2013 NYRR Hall of Fame inductee

Al Roker, T.V. personality, New York City Marathon finisher

Joan Benoit Samuelson, Olympic Marathon gold medalist, U.S. running legend, New York City Marathon finisher, 2013 NYRR Hall of Fame inductee

Frank Shorter, Olympic Marathon gold medalist and silver medalist, U.S. running legend, New York City Marathon Finisher, 2013 NYRR Hall of Fame inductee

Marcus Samuelsson, renowned chef, 2015 TCS New York City Marathon entrant

Germán Silva, Olympian, two-time New York City Marathon winner, 2014 NYRR Hall of Fame inductee

Adam Silver, Commissioner of the NBA, two- time New York City Marathon finisher

Guhan Subramanian, professor at Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School

Paul Tergat, former marathon world record-holder, IOC member, Kenyan running legend, 2005 New York City Marathon winner, 2015 NYRR Hall of Fame inductee

Billy Webster, former appointments secretary to President Bill Clinton, business executive

Caroline Wozniacki, professional tennis player, TCS New York City Marathon Finisher

About New York Road Runners

Founded in 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization, whose mission is to help and inspire people through running. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, community events, youth running initiatives, school programs, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people each year, from children to seniors, with the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR’s premier event, and the largest marathon in the world, is the TCS New York City Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features 50,000 runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.