Lorraine Kelly
The NYC Marathon is many things—a bucket-list badge of honour, a moving street party, and, for one Sunday each November, the loudest heartbeat of New York City.
And now, after a nearly decade-long break, TAG Heuer is back at its side, returning as Official Timekeeper of the TCS New York City Marathon. The Swiss watchmaker known for slicing seconds with surgical precision last partnered with the event in 2016. Now, it’s back—and not just for show.
This isn’t a soft re-entry. TAG Heuer’s presence will be stitched into the very fabric of race week, from the countdown clock at the expo to the finish line ticker that may as well be a confessional booth for 50,000 runners.
With over two million supporters roaring from the sidewalks and millions more tuning in across the globe, the NYC Marathon is more than a footrace—it’s a communal rite of passage, and TAG is once again holding the stopwatch.
“We are all measured by the moments that define us,” said Antoine Pin, CEO of TAG Heuer. “The TCS New York City Marathon represents a moment of truth, resilience, and shared humanity.
It is remarkable to witness a single event bring together so many individuals from all walks of life, united by the common drive to push their limits.
Every runner arrives at the start line with a deeply personal story, and each of those stories deserves to be honoured with absolute precision.”
And honour it they will. The winners of the professional races won’t just get medals and applause—they’ll be handed a TAG Heuer Connected smartwatch.
It’s not your average fitness tracker. It’s the sort of wristwear that whispers “Swiss engineering” while clocking your VO2 max and heart rate like a discreet coach on your arm. All function, no fuss, and sleek enough to turn heads even when your shirt’s stuck to your back with salt and pride.
The NYC Marathon wasn’t always this sprawling epic of sweat and soul. It began modestly in 1970, with 127 runners looping Central Park and just 55 finishing—cheered on by squirrels and rewarded with bargain-bin trophies and cheap timepieces.
In 1976, the race broke free from the park and took to the streets—through all five boroughs—and never looked back. It’s since become a monument to grit, grace, and the unrelenting forward motion of humanity itself.
Christine Burke, Chief Commercial Officer at New York Road Runners, summed it up: “Every athlete who lines up at the start of a New York Road Runners race embodies the ‘Designed to Win’ mentality.
We’re thrilled to welcome TAG Heuer back as a New York Road Runners and TCS New York City Marathon sponsor, and to partner with them to celebrate the transformative power of running, and the determination and triumph that define the running community.”
This collaboration isn’t a one-off. TAG Heuer is also extending its sponsorship across two more New York Road Runners events—the United Airlines NYC Half and the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K. It’s a hat-trick of endurance racing that proves the brand is all-in on sport that doesn’t flinch when it hurts.
The comeback also syncs with TAG Heuer’s “Designed to Win” campaign, unveiled at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2025. A nod to the inner engine of athletes, the campaign celebrates those kairos moments—the precise, life-altering seconds when preparation collides with performance and the truth arrives without warning.
That’s what the NYC Marathon is, really. A ticking symphony of hopes, heartbreaks, and hard-earned highs. And now, with TAG Heuer back in the booth, every one of those moments gets the time it deserves.
