How running with marathons helped TCS humanise its brand

Faces contorted with pain soften into disbelief, then joy. Runners stumble, cry, laugh, and collapse, clutching their medals as proof that they have accomplished something once deemed unimaginable. The finish line is loud, chaotic and deeply intimate all at once. Months of solitary training, self-doubt, and discipline compressed into a few unforgettable seconds as runners crossed it and realised they were no longer the same person who started the race.

It is precisely this raw, emotional and profoundly human moment that global technology major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has chosen to anchor itself to.

For a B2B company that largely operates in boardrooms, backend systems and enterprise conversations, marathon sponsorships offer something most corporate platforms cannot: a way to be present at life-defining moments, not just business milestones.

Through 14 marquee marathons across 11 countries, including the Mumbai Marathon, London Marathon, New York City Marathon and Sydney Marathon, TCS has embedded itself into stories that go far beyond branding.

These include clients hugging colleagues after a race; proposals at the finish line; framed selfies; and friendships made over shared kilometres. Through this, the company has humanised a B2B brand at a global scale.

“Humanisation is critical because emotional connection is what makes a brand memorable,” says Michelle Taylor, head of sports sponsorships at TCS. “Through these activations, we bring a brand that typically operates behind the scenes into people’s hands in very tangible ways.”

On January 18, as 69,000 runners take to the streets for the Tata Mumbai Marathon, the company will once again be part of this collective emotion. The $30 billion company began its marathon sponsorship journey by being the event's technology partners in 2008.

According to Taylor, TCS’s foray into sports sponsorships did not originate as a marketing decision. Instead, it emerged from a deeply personal and purpose-led place, rooted in the company’s people-first values.

A senior leader who was told by his doctor to exercise more and focus on his health was the trigger. As he began walking regularly, he experienced immediate physical and mental benefits.

A leader's personal shift led to a larger realisation: an IT workforce that spends long hours in front of screens needed movement too. His simple message inspired other leaders: “We need to do something about this.”

This led to the launch of Fit4Life, TCS’s internal, gamified wellness platform. In its first year alone, around 40,000 employees signed up. The platform enables employees to log daily movement, earn points, and convert those points into charitable contributions. Today, more than 200,000 TCS employees actively participate in the programme.

“As we saw the impact this had internally, the thinking naturally expanded,” says Taylor. “If movement could transform our employees, why couldn’t it benefit our clients and the communities we operate in as well?”

That insight eventually led to marathon sponsorships. “When we first partnered with the Mumbai Marathon in 2008, it was an investment in movement, something we believed was fundamentally good for society,” she adds. “It was about encouraging healthier lifestyles, inviting our clients into that journey, and supporting communities, not just building brand visibility.”

From these beginnings, the portfolio steadily expanded, with endurance running emerging as the anchor of TCS’s sports sponsorship strategy. Marathons offered a rare platform where all of TCS’s brand values – purpose, technology and community – intersected. Moreover, the company's brand promise itself says, "With you for the long run".

According to market research firm Brand Finance, TCS enjoys far higher familiarity among marathon runners than non-runners — 46% versus 16%.

Runners are 67% more likely to consider TCS than non-runners (27%). The platform provides rare and influential audience access. According to the same study, 14% of marathon runners worldwide work in C-suite positions, making endurance running a powerful way to build long-term relationships with senior executives.

In markets outside India, particularly North America, the UK and Europe, TCS has been hiring a disproportionately high number of new employees who are runners. Many of them already know the TCS brand through their passion for running.

“When they see a job posting, they think, 'This is a company that supports something I care about.' I often ask new hires how they heard about us, and a surprising number say, 'You sponsor all the running events,'" explains Taylor.

Marathons also allow the company to showcase its technological capabilities through race apps, AI-led insights and digital innovations, making these events smarter, safer and more engaging for runners and organisers. TCS's Mumbai Marathon and other global race apps are downloaded over two million times annually.

According to a Fortune article, as of October 2024, TCS spends $40 million a year on sports sponsorships. Alongside running, TCS has a second major sports platform in Formula E, through the Jaguar TCS Racing team.

Formula E is a spectator sport based on advanced technology, while marathons are participatory and focused on health, wellness, and community impact. Still, endurance running dominates the company's sports investment.

TCS integrates STEM education, youth running, and teacher engagement through marathons. Running also makes deeper technology stories compelling. TCS's Future Athlete program creates digital twins of professional runners to show how technology can improve health.

Another pillar is sustainability. TCS developed ReScore, a free tool that helps sporting events measure their sustainability against the UN Sustainable Development Goals, with the Council for Responsible Sport.

With over 800 marathons held globally each year, choosing which races to support requires a clear framework. Taylor says there are a few non-negotiables.

The first is operational soundness. Races must meet the highest standards for safety, global guidelines and execution. The second is market relevance. “We invest in races in markets where we want to grow our business or strengthen existing relationships,” she says.

Scale helps, but it is not the sole criterion. Sometimes TCS partners with established races; at other times, it backs events with strong growth potential.

“The TCS Sydney Marathon is a good example,” Taylor notes. “It had the ambition to become an Abbott World Marathon Major, and we partnered with it to help strengthen the race and support that journey.”

Engagement comes third. TCS seeks races where employees and clients can run and volunteer. “Volunteering is core to our culture of giving back,” she says. “These events allow our people to contribute directly to their communities.”

Finally, client experience matters. TCS strives to create unique, memorable marathon experiences that deepen long-term relationships.

Taylor recalls a perfect TCS London Marathon moment from last year. With a colleague tracking a client live on the app, she watched the runner cross the finish line sweaty, exhausted and with a medal. Colleague rushed forward. They hugged and high-fived, and the runner said, “Thank you for giving me this experience.”

At the TCS New York City Marathon in 2024, another client became engaged at the finish line, creating “a life memory in that instant”.

For TCS, these moments go far beyond sponsorship. “It has never been about putting our logo on a race and stepping back,” says Taylor. “We partner deeply and show up fully.”

The TCS team meets with race organisers to discuss how it can help. The approach mirrors how the company works with clients, identifying challenges and using technology, expertise, and manpower to improve results. Beyond technology, volunteering, charity, infrastructure, and long-term collaboration are supported.

Bringing this strategy to life requires storytelling. TCS' global marathon portfolio highlights a few innovation stories each year and amplifies them across markets.

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The digital twin of a runner's heart uses enterprise client technology. Debuted at the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon, the project introduced a virtual replica of two-time Olympian and Boston Marathon champion Des Linden’s heart. A complex business capability became a relatable running story. Marathons worldwide featured an immersive Apple Vision Pro experience that let people enter a virtual heart. Data mattered more than spectacle. It helped runners improve and allowed doctors to practise on a patient's digital twin before surgery.

“These stories allow us to engage meaningfully throughout the year, across markets, while reinforcing what TCS stands for — purposeful technology with real-world impact,” says Taylor.

She shares another anecdote. While wearing a marathon T-shirt in a New York park, Taylor was stopped by a woman who asked if she had run the race. Her daughter had. The woman described how she tracked her daughter on an app during the marathon and how it guided her to specific spots along the route so she could see her not once, but three times.

The woman didn't know Taylor or that TCS built the experience's technology. But in that moment, the brand quietly did what it does every day for its customers: use technology to solve real problems and improve experiences.

“That’s the connection we’re trying to create,” says Taylor. “When people experience our technology in their hands, it naturally leads to a simple thought: ‘If they can do this for a marathon, imagine what they could do for my business.’”