Louisville, KY, July 12, 2018 – The National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) presented the Distinguished Leadership in Safety and Security Award to New York Road Runners (NYRR) President of Events and Race Director of the TCS New York City Marathon Peter Ciaccia. Ciaccia accepted the award at yesterday’s NCS4’s annual National Sports Safety and Security Conference and Exhibition in Louisville, KY.

The Distinguished Leadership Award annually recognizes a sports industry professional who has demonstrated service, commitment, ingenuity, and integrity, and has made significant contributions to the safety and security of spectator sports.

“The collective efforts made by spots industry leaders around the world, led by the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security, has provided a safer experience for participants and spectators for over a decade, and I am beyond honored to be recognized by my peers as this year’s Distinguished Leadership in Safety and Security Award recipient,” said Ciaccia. “During my tenure at New York Road Runners, the safety, security and overall event experience of our race participants, from the elite athletes to our final finishers, have topped our list of priorities, and I pride myself in our team’s ability to deliver a positive experience to all who come out to run, walk, spectate, and volunteer.”

During his 18-year tenure with NYRR, Ciaccia has overseen the planning and implementation of well over a thousand world-class running events. Most notably, Ciaccia serves as Race Director to the TCS New York City Marathon, the world’s largest marathon, which annually serves more than 50,000 participants, 12,000 volunteers and 1 million spectators with a safe, best-in-class experience. 

"Managing the largest marathon in the world is no short order,” said NCS4 Director Lou Marciani.  “Peter's leadership skills were put to a test following 9/11. His strong leadership and extraordinary people skills brought New York Road Runners step-in-step with the local New York City first responder community to advance not only the safety and security of the TCS New York City Marathon but the entire marathon industry. Peter's vision of developing and implementing industry-wide marathon safety and security best practices has become a reality due to his distinguished leadership."

Ciaccia, who served as Chief Production Officer and Technical Director before becoming President of Events and Race Director in 2015, has announced his plans to retire following the 2018 TCS New York City Marathon on November 4. Following Ciaccia’s departure, NYRR announced on May 30 that Senior Vice President of Event Development and Production and Technical Director of the TCS New York City Marathon Jim Heim will take the reins as Race Director.    

“Peter’s leadership and commitment to delivering world-class events for nearly two decades will have a lasting impact on the TCS New York City Marathon and the industry of spectator sports for decades to come,” said Heim. “Under his leadership, our team has streamlined crisis response, contingency planning, command and control systems, allowing us to respond quickly and readily to anything from five-alarm fires on the course to inclement weather conditions.”

Through close working relationships with city, state, and federal officials on all matters pertaining to event planning, Ciaccia has been able to raise the logistical integrity and enhance the overall experience for all participants, volunteers, and spectators at NYRR events, including the United Airlines NYC Half, the Popular Brooklyn Half (the largest half marathon in the country), and the TCS New York City Marathon. He holds a certification in FEMA and ICS planning and is a certified USAT Race Director. More information on Ciaccia is available at nyrr.org/about-us/management.

About New York Road Runners (NYRR)
In 2018, NYRR is celebrating 60 years of helping and inspiring people through running. Since 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, community events, free youth running initiatives and school programs, the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub, 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.

About the National Sports Safety and Security Conference and Exhibition
The ninth annual National Sports Safety and Security Conference and Exhibition will take place on July 9-12, 2018 at the Downtown Marriott in Louisville, Kentucky. The theme this year is Enhancing Situational Awareness in the Sports Safety and Security Industry. The Conference will attract over 450 attendees and 60 exhibitors representing safety and security professionals in professional sport leagues, intercollegiate athletics, stadium and arena directors/managers, government agencies, private sports security firms, emergency responders, sport facility owners and operation managers.  For more conference and exhibition information, visit www.ncs4.com/conference.