If there’s one sporting property in India that has quietly grown into a cultural institution, it’s the Tata Mumbai Marathon. Long past its first-mover advantage, the marathon continues to draw tens of thousands of runners, global brands, and an ever-expanding audience that sees running not just as sport, but as purpose. Speaking about the marathon’s enduring appeal, leaders across technology, finance, and energy brands repeatedly return to one idea: the human spirit.
A Marathon That Belongs to the City
For Tata Consultancy Services, marathons are not just sponsorship properties—they are city-shaping platforms. “Marathons do so much good for the cities which host them. They bring the spirit of the city out, and also take the city to the rest of the world,” says Abhinav Kumar, Global CMO, Tata Consultancy Services, pointing to the growing influx of international runners travelling from Singapore to the US to participate in Mumbai.
The impact is tangible. An industry estimate pegs the Tata Mumbai Marathon’s economic contribution at nearly ₹530 crore in incremental revenue for the city. But the deeper value, TCS believes, lies elsewhere.
“It makes people think about their lifestyle, about health. It makes younger children engage with sport,” Kumar adds.
Having experimented with high-octane sponsorships—from Formula 1 and global cycling to cricket—TCS found its strongest emotional alignment in marathons. “The moment we discovered marathons, starting right here with Mumbai, we just fell in love with the sport,” he says.
Today, TCS partners with 14 global marathons, including New York, London, and Sydney—but Mumbai remains special. “Mumbai is always the first. This is home for the Tata Group and for TCS,” Kumar notes.
Powering Quiet Determination
This year marks a significant shift on the sponsor landscape, with Amaron entering the Mumbai Marathon ecosystem for the first time through its battery brand Amaron. Rather than loud branding, the focus is on endurance—both literal and metaphorical.
““Our narrative, associations both with the runner and spectator, is going to be about quiet determination which is essentially about people who show up, push their limits, and keep going,” explains Chandrasekar Radhakrishnan, Chief Business Officer – Automotive & Home Energy Business Unit (India & SAARC), Amaron (Amara Raja Energy & Mobility).
That philosophy is being brought alive on-ground in practical ways. Amaron is powering ambulances, lead vehicles, and key race infrastructure. One of the toughest uphill segments of the course, Peddar Road, has been rechristened the Amaron Endurance Stretch, while the marathon countdown clock reinforces the idea of energy and stamina.
“We want to power everything around the human spirit, because that’s at the core of running a marathon,” Radhakrishnan says.
Not About Age—About Conviction
With running booming among urban Indians in their 30s and 40s, the obvious question is whether marathons are becoming age-specific. The sponsors disagree. “Marathon is essentially about the human spirit irrespective of age or gender,” Radhakrishnan notes “What matters is the conviction to wake up every day, train, and show discipline. Those are the values we stand for.”
Participation as a Brand Value
For IDFC First Bank, now in its fifth year of association with the Mumbai Marathon, the alignment is philosophical. “For us, everybody who is participating is a winner,” the bank’s Chief Marketing Officer, Shreepad Shende says. “We are a customer-first bank, and putting the customer first is our only motive,” he adds.
The participative nature of running mirrors the bank’s approach to service and product design. “Whether it’s offering some of the best products or delivering customer-friendly experiences, we like to see our customers win,” they added. While the bank also associates with spectator sports like cricket, marathon running remains its core participative property.
“In one case, the connection goes beyond the boardroom,” Vijayaraghavan Venugopal, Co-Founder and CEO, Aeronutrix Sports Products Ltd. (FAST&UP) reveals that running has been a personal journey long before it became a professional one.
“My first full marathon was in 2013. After that, it became a roadmap to get better at running. Incidentally, the brand journey happened in parallel,” he adds. That authenticity shows up in long-term commitment. Since 2020, his brand has been the official energy drink partner of the Mumbai Marathon.
“Being connected with the running community was always one of our endeavours,” he explains.
“When you are connected with the top running event in the country, it percolates down to the entire running fraternity.”
A Pyramid of Runners, A Spectrum of Stories
With nearly 65,000 runners, millions of spectators, broadcast reach, and massive social amplification, the Tata Mumbai Marathon today operates like a multi-format media ecosystem—live sport, experiential activation, influencer content, and UGC rolled into one.
“You have serious marathoners, half-marathoners, 10K runners, and dream runners. That diversity is exactly what an active lifestyle brand needs to engage with,” Venugopal adds.
At its core, the Tata Mumbai Marathon is no longer just a race. It is a living platform where brands, communities, and cities intersect, powered by discipline, determination, and belief.
In a media landscape dominated by short attention spans, the Tata Mumbai Marathon offers something increasingly rare: time, emotion, and meaning. It’s not just where brands get seen, it’s where they get felt. And that’s why, year after year, India’s biggest advertisers keep running back to Mumbai.
Watch the full interaction video here:
