How TCS is powering the newest global race entrant
The TCS Sydney Marathon has been officially recognised as an Abbott World Marathon Major, joining a prestigious series that includes renowned marathons such as those in Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York, and Tokyo.
The inclusion of the TCS Sydney Marathon marks significant expansion within Tata Consultancy Services' (TCS) portfolio, now sponsoring five of the seven World Marathon Majors.
Wayne Larden, CEO of Pont3 and Race Director of the TCS Sydney Marathon, stated, "We set out to create history together and take the TCS Sydney Marathon to the Abbott World Marathon Majors, and now we have achieved this incredible milestone through an incredible amount of work done by the Pont3 team and the collaboration with partners like TCS, the NSW Government, Destination NSW and ASICS. Joining the Majors will create fundamental positive changes to the event and community. From significantly enhanced participation, visitation from international and interstate runners will turbo charge the economic impact of the event, we will also see significantly enhanced contributions to charities through our increased focus on fundraising."
The addition of the TCS Sydney Marathon offers runners a new opportunity to engage with a global network of elite athletes aspiring for coveted recognitions and rewards.
Abhinav Kumar, Chief Marketing Officer at TCS, commented on the achievement, "This is a historic moment not just for the TCS Sydney marathon, and Australia, but for the global running community at large. This is only the second time that a race has been accorded this status since the founding of the majors in 2006, with Tokyo's inclusion in 2013. We strongly believed in and supported Sydney's candidature to become a Major, leading to our decision earlier this year to express this support through our title partnership."
"We are glad to see this dream become a reality and congratulate all our partners who worked hard on this effort. We are delighted to now be a proud partner to five of the seven most prominent races on our planet."
TCS has a substantial involvement in marathon sponsorships globally, participating in 14 events spanning four continents and involving over 600,000 runners each year. TCS' partnership includes marquee events like New York City Marathon, London Marathon, Sydney Marathon, and collaboration with marathons in Boston and Chicago.
As a newly minted Abbott World Marathon Major, the TCS Sydney Marathon is expected to attract elite athletes internationally, fostering increased investment and participation while enhancing Sydney's standing as a destination for world-class athletic competitions.
This development follows the legacy of the 2000 Sydney Olympics and emphasises Australia's unique position as the host of the only major marathon in the Southern Hemisphere.
Vikram Singh, TCS Country Head of Australia & New Zealand, highlighted the significance of this achievement, saying, "We are proud to have played a role in the race's elevation to world major status."
"The elevation of the TCS Sydney Marathon establishes the race as the first Abbott World Major in the southern hemisphere. The recognition parallels TCS' growth story in Australia, one of its fastest growing markets. We look forward to partnering on a global scale with the TCS Sydney Marathon to set a new standard in sustainability and in the way, technology can enhance marathons for participants and fans alike."
The inaugural year of TCS as title sponsor of the Sydney Marathon witnessed significant milestones, smashing records with 25,000 participants and featuring historically fast marathon times in Australia.
The marathon has also committed to cultural recognition and education, appointing Hayley Pymont as the TCS Sydney Marathon Indigenous Running Ambassador, advocating youth engagement through the introduction of a Mini Marathon, and supporting young runners through educational projects like the goIT challenge.
