“Our big objective is to leverage the scale of Bank of America to help the Boston Marathon have a bigger impact on communities not just in Boston but all around the United States,” David Tyrie, Bank of America’s chief digital officer and head of global marketing, said in an interview.
The lender will get more than 100 race bibs through the deal, which will be distributed through programs across the country, said Tyrie, a resident of the Boston suburb of Needham. Title sponsorship helps finance the race itself and gives Bank of America naming and marketing rights surrounding the event.
The 26.2-mile marathon course that winds from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to Boylston Street in Boston will remain the same, but Bank of America and the Boston Athletic Association are considering changes to make the race more accessible, said Jack Fleming, the association’s CEO. This year’s race, on April 17, will have a field of almost 30,000 runners who gain entry through time qualification or charity groups.
The partnership with Bank of America “prepares us for the future—not just next month’s race, but inspiring the next generation,” Fleming said in an interview. “It will be a tremendous boost for the sport of running.”
