Run Clubs Must Keep Non-Sponsor Brands Out of Their New York City Marathon Cheer Zones

Brands that don’t sponsor the New York City Marathon will be kept out of run club cheer zones on Nov. 1, under race-day guidance New York Road Runners issued to clubs on Tuesday, which was first reported by A Mile A Minute.

Tata Consultancy Services sits at the top of NYRR’s sponsor roster as premier partner and title sponsor, with Mastercard, United Airlines and New Balance, the race’s official footwear and apparel partner, in the tier below. Gatorade, Maurten, Michelob Ultra, Peloton, Maybelline, TAG Heuer, Shokz and Shake Shack are among the other names on NYRR’s partner page, and Runna is listed as the training partner. Culligan, another strategic partner, provides the water for the five refill stations going on the course this year.

A club backed by a shoe company other than New Balance, or by a fuel brand other than Gatorade or Maurten, would seem to be on the wrong side of the rule as A Mile A Minute described it, and has only a few weeks to rethink what goes on display.

Banners, Permits and Space for Sponsors

The rules trace partly to the permit the city issues NYRR for the race, according to A Mile A Minute. Barricades and nearby buildings are off-limits for banners, and no club zone can get in the way of another one or of any sponsor space NYRR has approved. The guidance also includes a list of banned items that A Mile A Minute did not detail in its post, and Marathon Handbook has not seen the document itself.

For fans who aren’t with a club, NYRR’s public rules keep spectators off the roadway and the bridges, ban personal speakers across the city, and ask people to take their signs home with them.

What the Sidelines Looked Like Last Year

Citizens, CookUnity, Mastercard, Maybelline, Michelob Ultra, New Balance, Peloton, Shake Shack, Smoothie King and United Airlines were among the companies NYRR named for cheer zones in its race-week announcement last October. Celsius, the energy drink brand, ran a cheer zone on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn and handed out its drinks, Event Marketer reported. Celsius does not appear on NYRR’s current partner list.

NYRR estimates 2 million spectators come out for the race, and 59,226 runners finished in 2025, which puts a lot of eyes on whatever logo hangs over a cheer zone. NYRR’s chief executive, Rob Simmelkjaer, said last year that the 2024 race helped generate close to $700 million in extra spending in the city.

Anyone planning to cheer in the Bronx should check the map before race day, since NYRR has moved the mile through Mott Haven, the course’s first change since 2011.