The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), a global financial institution with its US headquarters in NYC, will become the exclusive title sponsor of the Brooklyn Half, ‘the largest half marathon in the United States’.
The company is also on board as a strategic partner of New York Road Runners (NYRR), which notes that the return of the RBC Brooklyn Half will be at full capacity with 27,000 runners this May.
A four-year deal, announced by RBC and NYRR, also includes RBC’s sponsorship of Rising New York Road Runners and the launch of a new race, the RBC Race for the Kids. This is positioned as RBC’s flagship philanthropic even,t which will be added to the NYRR weekly race calendar each spring as a four-mile run and 1.4-mile walk for families.
“We are thrilled to partner with RBC to put on the largest half marathon in the country, in addition to sharing a vision with them to inspire the next generation of runners,” said Christine Burke, NYRR Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Runner Products.
“The RBC Brooklyn Half and RBC Race for the Kids Presented by NYRR will reach thousands of adults and kids, giving them a goal to strive for and encouraging them to stay healthy and active.”
Derek Neldner, CEO at RBC Capital Markets, said “We are delighted to announce our strategic partnership with New York Road Runners. As a purpose-driven global financial institution, RBC is strongly committed to giving back to our communities, and this partnership will further accelerate the impact of our ever-growing RBC Race for the Kids platform.
“Additionally, our title sponsorship of the iconic Brooklyn Half is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate RBC’s commitment in the US, and to the New York City community.”
This year’s RBC Brooklyn Half takes runners on a 13.1-mile journey through the diverse neighbourhoods of Brooklyn, beginning at the Brooklyn Museum, passing the Grand Army Plaza, and running through Prospect Park and along Ocean Parkway to the finish line on the Coney Island boardwalk.
As both the exclusive title partner and exclusive financial services and investment banking partner of the event, RBC will receive all title sponsor rights, including the pre-party and post-race activations.
RBC Race for the Kids started in New York as a single event in 2009 and grew to a series supporting kids and youth-focused causes. Prior to going virtual in 2020, RBC Race for the Kids events took place in 17 physical locations, including the Bahamas, Barbados, Calgary, Chicago, Hong Kong, Jersey, Kuala Lumpur, London, Montreal, New York, Ottawa, Seattle, St. Paul, Sydney, Toronto, Trinidad & Tobago, and Vancouver.
Since it began in 2009, the RBC Race for the Kids event series has hosted 325,000 participants who have collectively raised over US$57.5 million for youth causes around the world. The inclusion of the RBC Race for the Kids in NYRR’s weekly race series, taking place this year on April 24, is seen as a next chapter for the program’s foundational race.
