New York, October 26, 2015—On TCS New York City Marathon morning, as the 50,000 runners start the race in Staten Island, one thousand youth runners will run the final miles of the TCS New York City Marathon course in Central Park, and finish at the race’s iconic finish line as part of the NYRR Youth Invitational at the TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 1, it was announced today by Peter Ciaccia, president of events for New York Road Runners and the race director of the TCS New York City Marathon.  

“New York Road Runners is thrilled to put kids in the spotlight on Marathon Sunday,” said Ciaccia. “The NYRR Youth Invitational at the TCS New York City Marathon allows for 1,000 youth runners to directly experience the magic of this event as they lace up their shoes and run part of the course to the famed TCS New York City Marathon finish line, while getting to be a part of our national TV broadcast.”

“We are so excited to organize the first NYRR Youth Invitational at the TCS New York City Marathon for our youngest runners of the day,” said Michael Capiraso, president and CEO of New York Road Runners. “The kids that will be running are part of NYRR’s Mighty Milers and Young Runners free youth running programs, and will help illustrate the significance of physical activity for young people while kicking off one of the City’s greatest and most inspiring days.”

The inaugural NYRR Youth Invitational at the TCS New York City Marathon will feature a 1.8-mile run beginning at Central Park East Drive near 84th Street, near mile 24 of the TCS New York City Marathon course, and continue through Central Park to finish at the iconic TCS New York City Marathon finish line on West Drive at 67th Street.

The youth runners are part of NYRR’s two largest youth running programs, NYRR Mighty Milers and NYRR Young Runners. These two programs, and a number of NYRR youth running programs, events, and resources are supported by NYRR’s Premier Partner, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), title sponsor of the TCS New York City Marathon, and Official Youth and Community Services Partner. More than 200,000 students are served locally and nationally through free NYRR youth running programs, events, and resources. When participating, students get fit, build self-esteem, learn good sportsmanship and healthy habits, and make friends. Of the 200,000 students served nationally, approximately 120,000 are in New York City’s five boroughs.

NYRR Mighty Milers is NYRR’s flagship youth running program, and the largest free youth running program in the U.S. This program provides primarily pre-kindergarten through eighth grade students the opportunity to run during the school day and develop a love for physical fitness. Each Mighty Miler strives to run a total of 26.2-miles or more over the course of a school year, in effect running their own marathon of miles. Nationwide, NYRR Mighty Milers reaches more than 157,000 students in approximately 700 schools and community centers who have collectively ran more than five million miles over the 2014-2015 school year.

NYRR’s other leading youth running program, NYRR Young Runners, is an after-school program where older kids learn to run distances up to four miles while training together as a team. More than 3,300 students in more than 100 schools throughout New York City’s five boroughs participate in this distance running program. Other key NYRR youth running programs include the NYRR Youth Running Series, a three-season program designed for youth with events throughout the school year, including cross country, indoor track, and road running, as well as seasonal Youth Jamborees.

Many youth runners participating in the NYRR Youth Invitational at the TCS New York City Marathon will cross the finish line and be able to turn around and cheer for their teachers. Approximately 100 teachers in NYC will set an example for their students by running the TCS New York City Marathon as part of a new rewards initiative for NYRR youth running program participation. Schools and community centers from NYRR Mighty Milers and NYRR Young Runners programs were each offered two guaranteed, non-complimentary entries into the 2015 TCS New York City Marathon for their staff who volunteer their time administering the programs and inspiring kids to get active, develop healthy habits, and love running. In addition to entries into the 2016 TCS New York City Marathon, teachers who participate this year can earn up to $250 in rewards to spend on sports equipment, classroom supplies, and healthy snacks through this new rewards program, which also includes NYRR branded apparel and books for their school.

The NYRR Youth Invitational at the TCS New York City Marathon will begin at 8:45 a.m. and feature rolling starts by age group. For more information, visit tcsnycmarathon.org.  

The 2015 TCS New York City Marathon broadcast is produced in partnership with IMG Productions and will be televised live on Sunday, November 1, on WABC-TV, Channel 7 in the New York Tri-State area from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET and for the rest of the nation on ESPN2 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET.  A highlight show will air from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. ET on WABC-TV, Channel 7 and local ABC affiliates throughout the nation. Additionally, the race will be available live in Spanish via ESPN Deportes+ and internationally via a variety of global broadcast partners.

Pre-race coverage will be carried live in the New York Tri-State area on WABC-TV, Channel 7 from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, November 1.  Additional race-weekend programming on WABC-TV, Channel 7 includes live coverage of the TCS New York City Marathon Opening Ceremony Presented by United Airlines on Friday, October 30, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and the Countdown to the Starting Line on Saturday, October 31, from 7:30 to 8:00 p.m. ET.  Pre-race and race coverage on Sunday, November 1 is available to stream live on WATCH ABC and ESPN3 (accessible on WatchESPN platforms). Click here for all the broadcast details, including online and via mobile devices.  

For the latest TCS New York City Marathon news and media information, please visit the NYRR online media center.  Also, follow us on Twitter @nyrrnews.  To join the social media conversation, search #TCSNYCMarathon.

About the TCS New York City Marathon

The TCS New York City Marathon is the premier event of New York Road Runners (NYRR) and the largest marathon in the world. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features the world’s top professional athletes and a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. The race began in 1970 with just 127 entrants running four laps around Central Park, and expanded citywide in 1976. In 2014, a record 50,530 runners from 130 countries toured New York City’s five boroughs, including the one-millionth finisher in the history of the event, starting on Staten Island at the foot of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, and running through the neighborhoods of Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, before ending in Manhattan at the iconic Central Park finish line. More than one million spectators line the city streets to cheer on the runners, while millions more watch the live television broadcast in the United States and around the world. The race is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, a series featuring the world’s top marathons—Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York—and crowning the top professional male and female marathoners in the world.  Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading global IT services, consulting, and business solutions organization, is the premier partner of NYRR and the title sponsor of the TCS New York City Marathon. To learn more, visit the TCS New York City Marathon website at www.tcsnycmarathon.com

Contacts:

NYRR Media Relations
Laura Paulus: (o) 646.241.3527 (e) lpaulus@nyrr.org 
Lauren Doll: (o) 212.423.2271 (c) 347.931.1232 (e) ldoll@nyrr.org