New York, November 3, 2018 –Peter Ciaccia, Race Director of the TCS New York City Marathon and President of Events at NYRR, will culminate his 18-year tenure by celebrating the “final finishers” crossing the iconic finish line at the TCS New York City Marathon on November 4. It was announced earlier this year that Ciaccia will retire following the marathon. Ciaccia is an industry trailblazer and has been instrumental in elevating NYRR’s events on the global stage.

Recognizing every runner, from the first to the last, has been an important platform for Ciaccia, who is renowned for greeting runners at the finish line at all NYRR events. For this year’s TCS New York City Marathon, NYRR staff and local supporters will cheer on the last runners of the day. The festivities will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Ciaccia instituted a tradition to invite professional athletes, who competed earlier in the day, to return to the finish line to cheer on the final finishers. Last year, several elite runners participated giving medals to runners including the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon champion Shalane Flanagan and five-time TCS New York City Marathon champion Tatyana McFadden.

“One of my favorite memories from winning the TCS New York City Marathon was greeting the final runners with Peter at 9:00 p.m. that night. His enthusiasm was the same for me as I crossed the finish line earlier in the day as it was for these runners who had been out there all day and into the night. For me, that embodies what Peter is all about,” said Shalane Flanagan.

Throughout race week, Ciaccia was recognized for his outstanding contributions to the sport of running and impact on New York City, including his induction to the 2018 New York Road Runners Hall of Fame and honors from the NYPD and NYC Parks department.

During his tenure, Ciaccia was responsible for introducing many NYRR innovations, from the marathon’s wave start plan and seeded corral program at weekly races, to the advancement of race day emergency management operations. Under Ciaccia’s leadership, the number of NYRR race finishers has grown 40%, including the Popular Brooklyn Half, which has become the largest half marathon in the nation, and the TCS New York City Marathon, which has become the largest marathon in the world.

For Ciaccia’s thank you letter to the running community, please visit the following link.

About the TCS New York City Marathon

The TCS New York City Marathon is the largest marathon in the world and the signature event of New York Road Runners (NYRR), the world’s premier community running organization. The race is held annually on the first Sunday of November and includes over 50,000 runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to runners of all ages and abilities, including over 9,000 charity runners. Participants from approximately 140 countries tour the diverse neighborhoods of New York City’s five boroughs—Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan. Race morning also features the Rising New York Road Runners Youth Invitational at the TCS New York City Marathon, a race within Central Park that finishes at the same finish line being crossed hours later by the marathon field. More than one million spectators and 10,000 volunteers line the city’s streets in support of the runners, while millions more watch the globally televised broadcast. The race is a founding member of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, which features the world’s top marathons—Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York. 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. The 48th running of the TCS New York City Marathon is set for November 4, 2018. To learn more, visit www.tcsnycmarathon.org.