TCS SYDNEY MARATHON LAUNCHES HIGH PERFORMANCE PROGRAM POWERED BY PORSCHE

Applications surge more than 2,000 per cent as the world's best sub-elite runners set their sights on Sydney.

(Sydney, 17 June 2026) The TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS has today

announced the launch of the High Performance Program powered by Porsche, a bespoke

program designed to deliver a professional-level race experience to the world's best sub-elite marathon runners.

The TCS Sydney Marathon and Porsche share a conviction that the world's best sub-elite

runners deserve more than a fast start. Built on that belief, the High Performance Program

delivers a premium experience that goes well beyond race day, welcoming, supporting and celebrating athletes at every step of their journey through Sydney and across the finish line on Sunday, 30 August. Overseeing and helping curate the program in 2026 is TCS Sydney Marathon Elite Athlete Program Manager and two-time Olympian Ben St Lawrence, who brings first-hand experience of competing at the highest level in road running and track events around the world.

That ambition is resonating, with applications growing from 299 in 2025 to more than 6,300 in 2026, an increase of more than 2,000 per cent, reflecting a global sub-elite running community that is well and truly taking notice.

Wayne Larden, CEO and Race Director of the TCS Sydney Marathon, said the partnership

reflected the event's commitment to a new era of athlete experience.

"We are seeing a new generation of sub-elite runners who are redefining what it means to

compete at the highest level outside of professional sport. These athletes are fiercely

competitive and increasingly deliberate about where they choose to race," he said.

"Together with Porsche, we are building a program that speaks directly to these runners,

creating a premium experience that makes Sydney the destination of choice for the best

sub-elite talent in the world."

Daniel Schmollinger, CEO and Managing Director of Porsche Cars Australia, said “the High

Performance Program aligned naturally with Porsche's commitment to performance at every level.

Porsche has always believed that the pursuit of personal best is not reserved for the few,

" he said. “The High Performance Program powered by Porsche reflects that belief. These are athletes who dedicate themselves to their craft with the same discipline and precision that drives everything we do at Porsche. We are proud to support them and to be part of a program that is raising the bar for sub-elite running on the world stage."

In 2024, Sydney hosted the Abbott World Marathon Majors Marathon Tours & Travel Age

Group World Championships, welcoming 1,800 of the world's best sub-elite athletes to the

city. The event was a resounding success, delivering a world-class experience that drew

praise from athletes and the global running community alike, and proved the appetite for a marathon that takes its sub-elite field seriously.

Now, the TCS Sydney Marathon has built on those learnings to deliver a program that is

genuinely world-leading, treating sub-elite athletes as professionals in their own right and

offering an experience that is unrivalled before, during and after race day.

Program benefits include a dedicated warm-up area, priority bib collection and an exclusive shakeout run where runners from across the world can connect together before race day.

The TCS Sydney Marathon is supported by the NSW Government via its tourism and major

events agency, Destination NSW. The event is owned by Athletics Australia and managed by Pont3.

For more information please visit: High Performance Program | TCS Sydney Marathon

-ENDS-

MEDIA ASSETS:

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ABOUT TCS SYDNEY MARATHON PRESENTED BY ASICS

The TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS is Australia’s largest marathon and is the

sole remaining participant legacy of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. The TCS Sydney

Marathon is supported by the NSW Government via its tourism and major events agency,

Destination NSW. The event is owned by Athletics Australia and managed by Pont3. The

only mass participation running event in Australia to have a four hour live broadcast each

year, the TCS Sydney Marathon boasts participation from over 117 countries and has raised over $36 million for charitable organisations since its inception.

ABOUT PORSCHE CARS AUSTRALIA

Australia has held a special place in Porsche’s history since Melbourne entrepreneur

Norman Hamilton imported two early 356 models in 1951, making Australia Porsche’s very

first right-hand drive market and one of its first export territories. Since those early days,

Australia’s passion for Porsches has grown, with thousands of Porsche vehicles finding new

Australian homes each year. Porsche Cars Australia is a wholly owned subsidiary of

Porsche AG and is represented by 14 Official Porsche Centres throughout Australia.

Motorsport has also been a strong focus for Porsche in Australia from the earliest days of

the marquee ‘Down Under’. Porsche’s racing heritage continues today in the Carrera Cup

Australia series. Porsche owners and enthusiasts in Australia also enjoy bespoke events

and experiences such as the Porsche Pavilion at the Formula 1® Australian Grand Prix and

Porsche Track Experience.

ABOUT TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES (TCS)

Tata Consultancy Services is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organisation

that has been partnering with many of the world’s largest businesses in their transformation journeys for over 56 years. Its consulting-led, cognitive powered, portfolio of business, technology and engineering services and solutions is delivered through its unique Location Independent Agile™ delivery model, recognized as a benchmark of excellence in software development.

A part of the Tata group, India's largest multinational business group, TCS has over 601,000 of the world’s best-trained consultants in 55 countries. The company generated consolidated revenues of US $29 billion in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, and is listed on the BSE and the NSE in India. TCS' proactive stance on climate change and award-winning work with communities across the world have earned it a place in leading sustainability indices such as the MSCI Global Sustainability Index and the FTSE4Good Emerging Index. For more information, visit www.tcs.com

ABOUT ABBOTT WORLD MARATHON MAJORS

The Abbott World Marathon Majors (AbbottWMM) is a series of eight of the largest and most renowned marathons in the world - Tokyo Marathon, Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America, TCS London Marathon, BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, Bank of America Chicago Marathon, TCS New York City Marathon, the TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS and now the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon.

Encompassing an annual series for elite runners and elite wheelchair athletes, AbbottWMM also applauds the achievements and passion of everyday champions from around the world. AbbottWMM also operates the Abbott World Marathon Majors Marathon Tours & Travel Age Group World Rankings, offering athletes aged 40 and over the chance to compete against their peers for a place in the Abbott World Marathon Majors Marathon Tours & Travel Age Group World Championships. The 2024 Championship was held within the 2024 TCS Sydney Marathon. For more information, visit www.worldmarathonmajors.com

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Sophie Walton | sophie@sydneymarathon.com | +61 404 507 975

Hollie Hodges | hollie@sydneymarathon.com | +61 402 696 775