Sports
Why one company went all in on marathons
If you’ve ever run or attended a marathon, odds are you’ve seen the letters “TCS.”
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a B2B tech services company, currently has 14 active marathon partnerships, including sponsorships with five of the seven World Marathon Majors. In total, TCS has a portfolio of 40 endurance running sponsorship deals, according to Global Chief Marketing Officer Abhinav Kumar.
Outside of its presence in running, though, TCS is scarce in sports.
“Once we discovered the magic of marathons, we [made] a decision about 15 years ago that we shut down everything else,” Kumar told Marketing Brew. Now, the company’s entire sports marketing portfolio, with the exception of a title sponsorship of the Jaguar Formula E team, is centered on running.
TCS started sponsoring marathons a couple of years after its 2004 IPO, with the goal of raising its brand profile, Kumar said. Since then, the brand has found that focusing on the running world helps the company connect more deeply with its customers and employees, many of whom are runners themselves.
Off to the races
Every runner remembers their first marathon, and some sponsors do, too. TCS’s was the Mumbai Marathon in 2008, now called the Tata Mumbai Marathon, which was part of a 10-year deal inked in 2017. Before that naming rights deal, the Amsterdam Marathon became the brand’s first title sponsorship of a race in 2010, Kumar said.
Before the push into marathons, TCS was active in sports like Formula 1, cycling, and cricket, which brought with them their own set of benefits. F1 in particular allowed TCS employees to give clients access to race-day experiences, like meet and greets with drivers, Kumar said.
But after Mumbai, Amsterdam, and a partnership with New York Road Runners, the organization behind the New York City Marathon, TCS quite literally hit the ground running.
“As we started discovering the sport, I think we had a light-bulb moment,” he said. “Unlike many of the other sports where you have a fantastic spectator and hospitality experience, the difference here is that our customers, partners, and colleagues who participate in this sport are actually the athletes.”
Across the 14 marathons TCS sponsors each year, about 8,000 employees and 4,000 customers participate, according to Kumar. Of the company’s 607,000 employees, one-third of them are runners in some capacity, he added. The sport doesn’t just offer a point of connection for the brand and its stakeholders, but offers a chance to form deeper ties.
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“Everyone has their unique reasons to do it, but their emotional involvement with this is just phenomenal,” Kumar said. “And look, in the sector we are in, in B2B technology services, usually it’s not a sector that you get emotional or excited about.”
Track-ing
In addition to title sponsorships, TCS aims to show up at its marathons with activations that support its staff and clients, as well as the rest of the runners. At the New York City Marathon, for instance, the company sets up hospitality tents at the start and finish lines with amenities like food, drinks, and stretching services for TCS runners. TCS also books out Tavern on the Green in Central Park, where runners’ families can wait for them to finish, and where runners can enjoy massages when they’ve completed their 26.2 miles, Kumar said.
Non-TCS runners will encounter the company’s branding along the route, as well as on shirts and other race merchandise. And to reach beyond its stakeholder base, TCS also showcases its tech at marathons with services like virtual course maps and mobile apps with features like runner tracking and predicted finish times. In 2023, TCS debuted the Future Athlete Program, partnering with Boston Marathon champion and two-time Olympian Des Linden to create and analyze a digital replica of her heart.
While TCS strives to help the runners, marathons help TCS brand in turn: A recent report from the company found that its brand consideration among nonrunners is 27%, but among marathoners, that number jumps to 67%. For some of the bigger races broadcast around the world, TCS sees between $10 million and $20 million in equivalent media value, Kumar added.
It’s a symbiotic relationship with the broader running ecosystem as well, which doesn’t tend to see as much sponsorship interest as some other major sports despite the increasing number of marathons around the world, he said.
“I think that will change with time,” Kumar said. “While it may be undernourished from [a sponsorship] point of view…running as a sport is exploding, so we’ll see more and more on this front.”
Springfield, Mass. – December 23, 2025 – Springfield College is excited to announce the 2026 Athletic Hall of Fame Class, which will be inducted on April 11. The six individuals who have been chosen to the Springfield College Athletic Hall of Fame include:
Marisa Clapp ’04 – Women’s Cross Country
Nick Guerette ’00 – Men’s Track & Field
Damian Larkins ’01 – Men’s Track & Field and Football
Jackie Moscardelli ’12 – Women’s Soccer and Women’s Lacrosse
Nick Porillo ’76 – Wrestling
Steve Spagnuolo ’82 – Football
The Springfield College Athletic Hall of Fame was established by the Class of 1933 in 1972 to honor members of the College community for outstanding achievement on the “playing field” or for service, dedication, and commitment to athletics, sport and related programs. To date, over 200 individuals have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.
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If it feels too good to be true, it usually is. The Kentucky volleyball team felt like a team of destiny, but that destiny did not manifest in a National Championship. Even though the Cats came up one game short of a second title, this special season did unquantifiable good for the program.
Volleyball culture is embedded in the Commonwealth, with successful clubs racking up national titles, but that world is unknown to most sports fans around the state. In 2025, Kentucky hit all the right notes to grow the game.
Casuals turned on their TVs when the Cats jumped out to a two-set lead over top-ranked Nebraska in the opening weekend of the season. Even though it ended with a loss, that performance got plenty of people interested enough to turn on their TVs a week later. They watched the Wildcats sweep Penn State on the night the Defending National Champions hung their title banner.
It was a gauntlet of a schedule, one that produced plenty of dramatic moments. After falling behind 2-1 against Louisville, Kentucky rallied for a five-set rivalry win.
Kentucky owned the SEC for years. When perennial title contender Texas arrived, that dominance was in question. The Cats went on the road and swept the No. 2 team in the country.
It’s not just that they won. This Kentucky volleyball team played an entertaining and inspiring style of volleyball. Brooklyn DeLeye and Eva Hudson created an explosive 1-2 punch on the outside, while Lizzie Carr’s length looked like Spider-Man in the middle. You didn’t have to know ball to have fun watching this team.
As the Cats picked up steam, BBN got behind them in a way that I didn’t think was possible. Craig Skinner stood on a table to ask fans to show up to Historic Memorial Coliseum. He climbed to the rafters of Rupp, went to the top of the tallest building in Lexington, and even hopped in a fighter jet to rally Kentucky fans to support this team.
They showed up in droves and packed Historic Memorial Coliseum to propel Kentucky to the Final Four for just the second time in school history. When fans couldn’t make it to the game, they packed KSBar for watch parties. It was surreal to hear a harmonica playing a fight song in front of a full restaurant late on a weeknight while Kentucky reverse-swept Texas in the SEC Tournament Title.
Just when you thought you couldn’t love this team any more, they did the unthinkable in the Final Four. It’s easy to become jaded by college athletics in the money-driven world of NIL and the transfer portal. This team sacrificed for one another and played together, no matter the circumstances.
Wisconsin looked destined to dominate. Carter Booth was possessed in the middle. A dozen blocks would be a great game for a middle, and she had nearly two dozen. The Cats only scored 12 points in the first set. It didn’t look much better in the second, yet somehow, some way, they rallied under pressure. Brooklyn DeLeye’s defense was outstanding, while Eva Hudson powered the Cats’ offense with nearly 30 kills in a gutsy, five-set win, a victory that will make lifelong Kentucky volleyball fans.
All good things must come to an end. Unfortunately, they could not capitalize on a hot start in the National Championship. After letting the first set slip away, Texas A&M took over. Kentucky did not have one more rally in the tank.
The season ended with a loss, but they won’t be losing much from this team. Eva Hudson was the star, but the only senior on the roster. After making countless new fans, the Kentucky volleyball team will surely give them more reasons to cheer in 2026.
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Lameria Thomas of Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team was named the Atlantic Sun Conference Newcomer of the Week the league announced Monday.
Thomas made her first start of the season against Illinois-Chicago on Saturday and had an 11-point, 14-rebound performance. The Montgomery, Alabama native shot five of six from the field while picking up one assist and one steal.
The junior is averaging 5.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game this season, with her 11 points and 14 rebounds at UIC being career-highs.
Thomas and the Govs are back home on Dec. 28 for a 2 p.m. matchup against Berry at F&M Bank Arena.
Dec. 23, 2025, 4:02 a.m. ET
Rowan Kage’s first three years at Gainesville High School each offered something different.
A losing record and injury struggles her freshman season. A district title for the first time in a decade with a Division I laden roster her sophomore year. The team lost in the region semifinals in an arduous region. Junior year brought a new coach and roster. It was a remarkable season with another district title, a No. 1 seed…and a first-round playoff upset.
Details
Posted: 22-Dec-25
Location: Clinton, South Carolina
Type: Full-time
Categories:
Coaching
Coaching – Volleyball
Sector:
Collegiate Sports
Required Education:
4 Year Degree
Presbyterian College invites applications for the position of Assistant Coach for Women’s Volleyball. This position is responsible for assisting the Head Coach with all aspects of the Women’s Volleyball program, including recruiting, player development, academic monitoring, operations, and compliance. The successful candidate will contribute to a competitive NCAA Division I program while supporting the academic and personal growth of student-athletes.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities Assist in coaching and instructing the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball program.
Support all recruiting efforts, including evaluating prospective student-athletes, maintaining recruiting records, coordinating campus and home visits, communicating with high school and club coaches, and assisting with admissions processes.
Monitor student-athlete academic progress, including class schedules, study hall, and academic checks.
Assist with monitoring financial aid, squad lists, eligibility forms, and required documentation.
Assist with scouting opponents and preparing match analysis.
Support pre-season and post-season conditioning programs.
Assist in organizing and administering summer volleyball camps.
Coordinate team travel logistics, including pre- and post-game meals, hotel arrangements, and cash advances.
Coordinate and oversee all video exchange and video-related operations.
Operate in full compliance with NCAA, Big South Conference, and Presbyterian College rules and policies.
Attend faculty, college, and athletic department meetings and events as required.
Participate in college and community service initiatives.
Perform additional duties as assigned by the Head Coach.
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Strong interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively with student-athletes, coaches, faculty, staff, and community members.
Ability to supervise, train, and support student workers or support staff.
Ability to prioritize tasks and manage multiple responsibilities in a fast-paced environment.
Strong computer and technology skills.
Ability to work collaboratively within a diverse team environment.
Knowledge of or ability to stay current with emerging technologies related to video, data, and computing.
Enthusiasm, adaptability, and the ability to thrive in an environment of continual change.
Education and Experience Prior collegiate coaching experience preferred.
Knowledge of NCAA rules and regulations preferred.
Work Environment and Physical Demands Travel, evening, and weekend work required.
Application Procedure Interested candidates should submit a letter of application, current résumé, and the names, addresses, and phone numbers of three professional references via email to: Human Resources at hr@presby.edu
Qualifications:
Prior collegiate coaching experience preferred.
Strong communication, organizational, and computer skills.
Ability to work in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.
About Presbyterian College
The Blue Hose Athletics Department sponsors 19 NCAA Division I sports and is dedicated to building competitive programs while prioritizing student-athlete success in the classroom, in competition, and in the community. Presbyterian College emphasizes compliance, sportsmanship, and a student-centered approach that supports both athletic and personal growth.
Located in a close-knit campus community, Presbyterian College offers employees the opportunity to work collaboratively with dedicated faculty, staff, and coaches who are invested in developing young leaders. The College values service, inclusion, and innovation, and encourages professional growth within a supportive and mission-driven environme…nt.
Presbyterian College is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace.
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Connections working at Presbyterian College
https://ncaamarket.ncaa.org/jobs/21925027/volleyball-assistant-coach
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