TCS New York City Marathon Race Director Peter Ciaccia to Close his 18-Year Career by Celebrating with the ‘Final Finishers’ Crossing the Finish Line

New York, November 3, 2018 –Peter Ciaccia, Race Director of the TCS New York City Marathon and President of Events at NYRR, will culminate his 18-year tenure by celebrating the “final finishers” crossing the iconic finish line at the TCS New York City Marathon on November 4. It was announced earlier this year that Ciaccia will retire following the marathon. Ciaccia is an industry trailblazer and has been instrumental in elevating NYRR’s events on the global stage.

Recognizing every runner, from the first to the last, has been an important platform for Ciaccia, who is renowned for greeting runners at the finish line at all NYRR events. For this year’s TCS New York City Marathon, NYRR staff and local supporters will cheer on the last runners of the day. The festivities will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Ciaccia instituted a tradition to invite professional athletes, who competed earlier in the day, to return to the finish line to cheer on the final finishers. Last year, several elite runners participated giving medals to runners including the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon champion Shalane Flanagan and five-time TCS New York City Marathon champion Tatyana McFadden.

“One of my favorite memories from winning the TCS New York City Marathon was greeting the final runners with Peter at 9:00 p.m. that night. His enthusiasm was the same for me as I crossed the finish line earlier in the day as it was for these runners who had been out there all day and into the night. For me, that embodies what Peter is all about,” said Shalane Flanagan.

Throughout race week, Ciaccia was recognized for his outstanding contributions to the sport of running and impact on New York City, including his induction to the 2018 New York Road Runners Hall of Fame and honors from the NYPD and NYC Parks department.

During his tenure, Ciaccia was responsible for introducing many NYRR innovations, from the marathon’s wave start plan and seeded corral program at weekly races, to the advancement of race day emergency management operations. Under Ciaccia’s leadership, the number of NYRR race finishers has grown 40%, including the Popular Brooklyn Half, which has become the largest half marathon in the nation, and the TCS New York City Marathon, which has become the largest marathon in the world.

For Ciaccia’s thank you letter to the running community, please visit the following link.