New York, November 1, 2016—On Friday, November 4, New York Road Runners will host the seventh annual Night of Champions to support NYRR’s Youth and Community programs, which are free to participants and impact more than 215,000 youth each year. The evening will honor two long-standing champions and partners of NYRR, Jack Rudin, Civic Champion, and Meb Keflezighi, Athlete Champion.

In 1976, Rudin, along with his brother Lewis, became the first sponsors to support Fred Lebow in his quest to take the New York City Marathon to the streets of the five boroughs. In doing so, they honored their father Samuel Rudin – an avid long-distance runner and member of the Pastime Athletic Club in the Bronx by naming the Marathon trophy in his memory. For 40 years, the Rudin Family has played an instrumental role in growing the New York City Marathon into the largest marathon in the world and offering the prestigious Samuel Rudin Trophy to the race winners each year. 

Eric Rudin, Vice Chairman and President of Rudin Management, stated, “On behalf of my father Jack and the entire Rudin family, we are grateful to New York Road Runners for recognizing and honoring Jack with the Civic Champion award at NYRR’s Night of Champions. When Jack and Lew became involved with the New York City Marathon in 1976, no one could imagine how the race would grow to become the world-class event —and New York institution—it is today.”

Keflezighi, an NYRR Team for Kids Ambassador, will be honored for his continued commitment to growing participation and excitement in the sport of running. In 2009, Keflezighi became the first American in 27 years to win the New York City Marathon. A four-time Olympian, Keflezighi has finished in the top 10 in New York in eight out of his 10 appearances.

“I am very excited to be honored with Jack Rudin at the NYRR Night of Champions benefit that supports NYRR free youth running programs,” stated Keflezighi. “As a father of three young girls, I feel very passionate about children’s fitness.”

The event will be held Friday, November 4 at 7:00 p.m. at the TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion in Central Park. The evening will feature live entertainment, cocktails, and hors d’oeuvres designed by two chefs participating in the 2016 TCS New York City Marathon – Elizabeth Falkner and George Mendes.

“NYRR is excited to join with so many great civic and athletic champions to raise awareness and critical funds to support our year-round free youth and community programs,” said Michael Rodgers, Vice President Development & Philanthropy, New York Road Runners. “It is through the continued generosity of Jack, Meb, our partners and donors, and the many great athletes we work with that we’re able to fulfill our mission to help and inspire people through running.”

As part of their Grand Marshal duties, the 2016 U.S. men’s and women’s Olympic Marathon teams will take part in the evening. Amy Cragg, Desiree Linden, Shalane Flannagn, and Jared Ward will be on hand to honor their teammate Keflezighi.

Other notable 2016 race participants expected to attend include: defending champions Stanley Biwott, Mary Keitany, Ernst van Dyk, and Tatyana McFadden, Olympian and Team for Kids Ambassador, Molly Huddle, television personality Nev Schulman, actor Sean Astin, tennis champion Marion Bartoli, and soccer legend Raúl González Blanco. Supermodel Kim Alexis, a New York City Marathon finisher, and 2016 New York City Marathon Hall of Fame inductees Rod Dixon, Dick Traum, Margaret Okayo, and Steve Jones will also be in attendance.

The 2016 TCS New York City Marathon will be televised live on Sunday, November 6, on WABC-TV, Channel 7 in the New York tristate 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. The NYRR Youth Invitational will be featured as part of the WABC-TV, Channel 7 live broadcast.

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 New York Road Runners (NYRR)

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 nyrr.org.