Mumbai Marathon on Sunday – Tata Consultancy Services, Asia\’s largest software firm in historic tie-up with Asia\’s largest marathon – TCS to be exclusive Associate Sponsor, enhance association with mega city event – Network18 television channels, CNBC-TV18 & IBN7 come on board as Channel Partners

MUMBAI: Underscoring its commitment to the city of Mumbai and its people, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Asia's largest software company and a leading IT services, business solutions and outsourcing company, announced that it had enhanced its engagement with the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon for 2008.

TCS, which has been the among the largest participants in the Corporate Challenge segment of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon since 2004, has now increased its commitment to Mumbai's largest sporting spectacle by becoming the exclusive Associate Sponsor to the event. It's only apt that the landmark 5th edition of the event marks the association between Asia's richest and largest marathon and Asia's largest software company.

This historic tie-up was announced by S Ramadorai, CEO and MD of TCS at a press conference in TCS House on Thursday. The occasion was also used to welcome into the marathon fold, leading television channels from the Network18 stable, CNBC-TV 18 and IBN7 as new 'Channel Partners' to the event. Also present on the occasion was Satish Menon, President Sports18 and Anil Singh and Vivek B. Singh of Procam International, the promoters of the event.

Elaborating on the tie-up, Mr. Ramadorai said, "The Mumbai Marathon represents the indomitable spirit of this city helps all participants to raise their game as well as display endurance and performance over a sustained period. As a company that lives these values, we believe that our enhanced support will help create an event that represents the global aspirations of this city and inhabitants."

Mr Ramadorai added: "At TCS, maintaining work-life balance of our associates is important and our participation in these events only helps to propagate this idea across the company and the community. We are also encouraging Generation Next by helping build a team from different TCS-associated schools in the area to participate."

Tata Consultancy Services has been among the biggest supporters of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon since it began four years ago in terms of participation from their employees, entering as many as 10 teams and over 250 people in 2007. TCS is now an integral part of the event that has marked its place in the annals of history as having changed the mindset of the average Mumbaikar and brought about a health and fitness revolution. Over 250 TCS employees will participate in the 2008 edition as well.

TELEVISION REVOLUTION:

The Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon is among the few marathons around the world that is telecast live, owing to the humongous challenge that constitutes the exercise. Procam Mediatel, a sister concern of Procam International, has managed this task with aplomb. This year, the entire exercise will be more enriching with the coming on of CNBC TV18 and IBN7 as the Channel Partners to the event.

Catering to diverse audiences and with an all encompassing national reach, the two channels will bring the event live to millions of Indians along with a power packed line up of programming built around the event. CNBC-TV18 & IBN 7 will focus on the tremendous diversity of the marathon experience, ranging from professional participation, support of charity causes and corporate social endeavours to celebrity involvement, individual recreation and community building. In fact, channel reporters will participate in the marathon in order to ensure a truly entertaining and informative viewing experience. This is in addition to the simulcast that will be done on Doordarshan National, as part of Prasar Bharati, the Broadcast Partner.

Speaking on Network18's partnership with the marathon, B.Sai Kumar, Group C00 said, "The Mumbai Marathon has become an institution by now. It epitomises achievement, teamwork and above all support for greater causes and symbolizes India's resurgence. Being one of the leading media entities in the country, we found it befitting to associate with the marathon, through two leading channels from our network, CNBC-TV18 & IBN7. We hope this will be a new glorious chapter in the journey of the Mumbai Marathon."

GOLD STANDARD ELITE FIELD:

There has always been a concerted effort by Procam International to attract the cream of the world's long distance running talent to come and participate in Mumbai, a fact vindicated by the improved timings over the first three years and a winning time that just fell a few seconds short of the course record in 2007. To commemorate five glorious years of the event, it was decided to get together all the winners from the previous years to have the best race possible. The latest communication from Ian Ladbrooke, the Elite Athletes' coordinator, indicates that all the athletes have accepted the invitation to come and race in Mumbai on January 20.

Besides the winners from the past years, the elite athlete field also includes some of the biggest names in the world of long distance running, like Kenya's Japhet Kosgei and David Langat, the athletes with the fastest timings in the field, with personal bests of 2:07.45 and 2:08.58 respectively. Kenyan John Mutai, winner of the Belfast Marathon in 2007, Moroccan Khalid El Boumlili, winner of the Marakesh Marathon and with a personal best of 2:10.49 and Ethiopian Tariku Jiffar, who finished third in the 2007 edition, are some of the other fancied names to with in the field.

Among the ladies, though the favourites to win the title will be among the former champions, the athlete with the fastest timing is Ethiopia's Shitaye Gemechu (2:26.15), followed by Kenya's Beatrice Omwanzu (2:27.19). The Russian challenge has three athletes and will be spearheaded by their 2006 champion, who has a personal best of 2:30.54. Ethiopians Letay Negash and Marashet Jimma, who finished third and fourth respectively in the 2007 edition, make up the strong field.

BEST PUBLISHED PHOTOGRAPH:

This competition was begun last year and met with great success, with photographers from all the major publications submitting their entries. The contest was judged by World Press Photo Award winners Arko Datta and Swapan Parekh.

This year too the best published photographs on the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon will be awarded with cash. The judges for the same are yet to finalised and will be picked in consultation with leading photographers from Mumbai's media.

There is no unifying force greater than sport and it can't get bigger and better than the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon. The city has responded in typical fashion by enthusiastically swamping all the race categories on offer. The stage is now set for those that are not running to come together and stamp their statement on the event and this can be done by being part of the cheering zones or lining up the streets of the Mumbai to portray Mumbai's sporting spirit to the world. Let's all strive to turn January 20 into one mammoth celebration of the human spirit.