Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) announced a new partnership with the Rio Marathon, becoming the event’s Official AI and Technology Partner. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in TCS’s global sports sponsorship strategy, bringing its commitment to sports, wellness, and technology to the largest street running event in Latin America.
The Rio Marathon is one of the fastest-growing events on the global running calendar, and its growing prestige was recently cemented by earning its first-ever World Athletics Elite Label. As the Official AI and Technology Partner, TCS envisions playing a transformative role in the future of the Rio Marathon. Drawing on its extensive track record of partnering with world-class events like the TCS London Marathon, the TCS New York City Marathon, and the TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS, the company aims to bring its expertise in artificial intelligence, data analytics, and digital innovation to Rio.
Abhinav Kumar, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at TCS, said: “Our global marathon sponsorships have become a cornerstone of the TCS brand and how we activate it with our clients, colleagues and communities. We are proud of the fact that our partner races create US$ 3.2 billion of economic uplift, improve wellbeing and raise crucial funds for charities. Expanding this strategy to the Rio Marathon makes for a natural evolution, given our growing presence in the Latin America region and the race’s own evolution into one of the top 10 brands in this sport. The iconic city of Rio de Janeiro and its marathon have grand ambitions ahead and we are with them for the long run.”
Duda Magalhães, president of Dream Factory, states: “It is an honor to welcome TCS as a partner of the Rio Marathon. Having a company by our side that is already connected to the world’s major marathons reinforces the scale the event has achieved, as well as our ambition to progress even further. Today, the Rio Marathon ranks among the ten strongest marathon brands globally and is currently experiencing a significant phase of expansion and international recognition. This partnership combines the strength of our platform with TCS’s global expertise in technology and innovation, creating new opportunities to enhance the runners’ experience and expand our presence on the world stage.”
The partnership also reflects the growing brand impact of TCS’s sports portfolio. As a sponsor of 14 of the world’s most prestigious running events, including five of the eight Abbott World Marathon Majors, the company engages with nearly 700,000 runners globally each year. According to the Brand Finance’s Marathons 50 2026 report, the impact of these sponsorships is highly measurable and industry leading. In 2025, TCS-partnered races generated a staggering US$ 3.2 billion in economic impact for their host cities, accounting for 53% of the total generated by the world’s top 50 marathons. These events also raised US$ 315 million for charitable causes and welcomed nearly 157,000 first-time marathoners. Additionally, the report highlights a critical frontier for the industry: while 37% of race organizers currently utilize AI and 59% anticipate it will have a profound impact, only 30% believe their current technology adequately serves spectators, a gap where TCS’s expertise can add value.
The upcoming 2027 Rio Marathon will celebrate the historic 25th anniversary of the race, which has reached an unprecedented scale. Registering approximately 70,000 runners across four distances for 2026, with nearly 75% of participants traveling from outside the city, the event generated a record economic impact of R$ 711 million for Rio de Janeiro.
