New York, February 27, 2019 – New York Road Runners (NYRR), the world’s premier community running organization, today announced the kickoff of the 2019 TCS New York City Marathon Official Charity Partner program.  NYRR will partner with more than 400 charitable organizations to support impactful causes and philanthropic work and use the marathon as a powerful platform for fundraising efforts in New York City and across the nation. In 2018, a record $40 million was raised through the legs and hearts of 10,000 charity runners.

“For well over a decade, the TCS New York City Marathon Official Charity Partner program has turned the world’s largest marathon into one of the world’s largest fundraising platforms,” said Michael Capiraso, president and CEO, New York Road Runners. “We’re honored to partner with such an amazing group of nonprofit organizations and inspiring runners who all share in our mission to help and inspire people through running.”

Since its inception in 2006, the TCS New York City Marathon Official Charity Partner program has helped over 1,000 charities raise more than $310 million. Last year’s group of charity runners was comprised of those running in support of official charity partners and individual runners using CrowdRise, the TCS New York City Marathon’s official fundraising partner platform, to raise funds for a charity of their choosing.

NYRR’s charity running team, Team for Kids, led the way, raising $6.6 million to support free youth running and fitness programs. 2019 marks NYRR’s 20th year providing free programs to youth throughout New York City’s five boroughs and around the country.  Team for Kids is a committed group of adult runners from around the world who add meaning to their run by raising funds while training for major endurance events. These efforts help support annual programs for nearly 250,000 children nationwide including 125,000 in New York City’s five boroughs.

Thousands of runners find out today if they received an entry to the marathon through the non-guaranteed entry drawing.  Those runners who do not receive entry through the drawing can still run the 2019 TCS New York City Marathon by supporting one of the 400 Official Charity Partners, including NYRR Team for Kids.

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 10,000 charity runners. Participants from over 125 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 ends at the marathon finish line. 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 49th running of the TCS New York City Marathon is set for November 3, 2019. To learn more, visit www.tcsnycmarathon.org.