Why Marathon sponsorship became the cornerstone of TCS’ global brand strategy
When Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) first dipped its toe into marathon sponsorship back in 2008, few could have predicted just how central running would become to the company’s global brand story.
At the time, TCS’ sponsorship strategy was spread wide across cricket, Formula 1, cycling and more. However, as Abhinav Kumar, Global Chief Marketing Officer at TCS, recently explained in the Brand Finance Marathon 50 report, a conscious pivot soon began to take shape.
“About 15 years ago, we shifted our focus towards marathons, beginning with our partnership with the Tata Mumbai Marathon, followed by the TCS Amsterdam Marathon,” Kumar said. “As we activated behind the sport, we found immense value in it.”
Today, TCS partners with 14 iconic races around the world including five of the top seven Majors like New York, London, and Boston. Marathons have become inseparable from its identity.
And the results have been staggering. According to Brand Finance, TCS’ brand value has soared from $2.1 billion in 2010 to $21.3 billion in 2025, a tenfold rise.
But why have marathons been so effective for TCS where other sponsorships haven’t?
Marathons create real emotional engagement
Unlike many sports where brands jostle for fleeting moments of visibility, marathons offer something much deeper: emotional connection at scale.
“Marathons are a great way to elevate your brand at the city level on a large scale, to emotionally engage your communities as athletes, unlike mere spectators in other sports, and to showcase your business’ capabilities,” Kumar said.
The accessibility of running has also been key. Participation has doubled in the past five years, according to TCS, and the barriers to entry are low, all you need is a pair of shoes and a bit of determination.
Brand Finance’s research backs this up: TCS enjoys 46% brand familiarity among marathon runners, compared to just 16% among non-runners. These events connect brands with people who value resilience, hard work, and community, brand attributes that are hard to fake and even harder to buy.
“Marathon sponsorship offers a rare blend of professional competition, mass public participation, and deep community engagement,” said Hugo Hensley, Head of Sports Services at Brand Finance. “Unlike many other sponsorships, they don’t just promote a brand they become part of a city's identity.”
Marathons align perfectly with business values
For TCS, marathons aren’t just a platform to be seen they’re a way to live their brand values.
“There is so much inspiration to draw from marathons, the ability to think long term, the resilience to go the distance, the discipline to train and perform, and the camaraderie of running together,” Kumar explained.
This thinking led to the creation of TCS’ global brand campaign With you for the Long Run a message that resonates not only with runners, but also with clients, employees, and investors.
It’s a rare example of a sponsorship strategy that isn’t just a marketing add-on, but an authentic reflection of what the company stands for. Similar sponsorship opportunities exist for brands in sports such as cycling.
Marathon sponsorship as a platform for innovation
TCS isn’t just present at marathons it’s pushing the boundaries of what brand involvement can mean.
Through its “Future Athlete” project, TCS developed the world’s first digital twin of a human heart for elite runners. Combining AI and data analytics, the initiative helps athletes better understand their cardiovascular systems with the long-term goal of improving early diagnosis and preventive health measures for everyone.
In a crowded tech industry, initiatives like this allow TCS to show rather than tell what its capabilities are.
A commitment to community and sustainability
Impact has been a cornerstone of TCS’ marathon partnerships.
In 2023 alone, the marathons supported by TCS helped raise $280 million for charitable causes. Youth programmes like the TCS Mini London Marathon, which engages 18,000 UK schoolchildren, are helping foster a new generation of runners and healthy habits.
TCS has also leaned into sustainability. Partnering with the Council for Responsible Sport, they developed the ReScore app, a free tool helping events measure their environmental impact and improve sustainability practices.
"Marathons are powerful city ambassadors and huge economic drivers," Kumar said. "If we can make them more engaging, raise more for charities, and be environmentally friendly, then I would consider our service to be complete."
In an increasingly crowded market marathon sponsorship offers brands something unique: a platform that blends community, achievement, and resilience into one.
Few brands have understood and executed this better than TCS and the results speak for themselves.
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