RBC Race for the Kids Presented by NYRR to take place in Central Park on April 24; RBC Brooklyn Half to return in May at full capacity with 27,000 runners
New York, January 10, 2022 – The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), a global financial institution with U.S. headquarters in NYC, will become the exclusive title sponsor of the Brooklyn Half, the largest half marathon in the United States, and a strategic partner of New York Road Runners (NYRR). The highly anticipated return of the RBC Brooklyn Half will be at full capacity with 27,000 runners this May.
The four-year deal, announced today 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 RBC’s flagship philanthropic event 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.”
“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,” said Derek Neldner, CEO, RBC Capital Markets. “Additionally, our title sponsorship of the iconic Brooklyn Half is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate RBC’s commitment in the U.S., and to the New York City community.”
This year’s RBC Brooklyn Half takes runners on a 13.1-mile journey through the unique and diverse neighborhoods of Brooklyn, beginning at the Brooklyn Museum, passing the scenic Grand Army Plaza, and running through Prospect Park and along Ocean Parkway to the finish line on the famous 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.
As a purpose-driven global financial institution, RBC is also strongly committed to giving back to communities. RBC Race for the Kids started in New York as a single event in 2009 and grew to an exciting 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 $57.5 million for youth 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 an exciting next chapter for the program’s foundational race.
About New York Road Runners (NYRR)
NYRR’s mission is to help and inspire people through running. Since 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, virtual races, community events, free youth running initiatives and school programs, the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people each year with the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR’s premier event, and the largest marathon in the world, is the TCS New York City Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features a wide population of runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.
About RBC
Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 87,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada’s biggest bank, and one of the largest in the world based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our 17 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 27 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com. We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. See how at rbc.com/community-social-impact.
About RBC Race for the Kids
RBC Race for the Kids is an exciting series of 17 charitable runs supporting children’s causes in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, Malaysia, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and the United States. Increasing in popularity every year, RBC Race for the Kids events attract over 33,000 participants annually, and have raised over $50 million for children’s charities around the world.
