New York Road Runners and Abbott Partner for 2015 TCS New York City Marathon

NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- New York Road Runners and global healthcare company Abbott (NYSE: ABT) will partner for the 2015 TCS New York City Marathon, set for Sunday, Nov. 1. The partnership complements Abbott's existing title sponsorship of the global Abbott World Marathon Majors.

"New York Road Runners' strategic partnership with Abbott on the TCS New York City Marathon builds on existing synergies between the two organizations," said John Gassner, vice president of business development and strategic partnerships for New York Road Runners. "Both organizations passionately promote a lifestyle inspired by fitness and achieving the highest level of health and wellness among people of all ages. As title sponsor of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, Abbott's new involvement with the TCS New York City Marathon further connects the dots to a series of first-class events in the endurance space."

Abbott's corporate identity, "LIFE. TO THE FULLEST.," aligns with New York Road Runners' mission of helping to inspire people through running. Abbott is devoted to developing products and technologies that improve the health and lives of many, and celebrates how people, when at their healthiest, can do more, achieve more, and experience more in life.

The partnership includes the use of 15 i-STAT^® systems, handheld blood analyzers that perform commonly ordered blood tests within minutes. The i-STAT^® devices, which Abbott is deploying across all Abbott World Marathon Majors races, empower medical personnel to better administer needed care on site.

Additionally, Abbott teams will be on-site in New York City during the race weekend, giving runners and supporters an opportunity to participate in a global quest to understand what a full life means to people around the world by taking a short quiz or sharing their story in a selfie video. Learn more at www.lifetothefullest.abbott.

"Since it was founded more than 125 years ago, our company has been about helping people live not just longer, but better," said Elaine Leavenworth, senior vice president, chief marketing and external affairs officer at Abbott. "From keeping your heart healthy and nourishing your body at every stage of life, to helping you see clearly and providing the information and medicines you need to manage your health – we want to help people unlock all that life has to offer. That's why we're proud to partner with the TCS New York City Marathon to celebrate the determination and significant accomplishment of all who are taking part."

Abbott supports tens of thousands of marathon participants and encourages the sharing of health "best practices" among the six iconic races that make up the series, including the Tokyo Marathon, Boston Marathon, Virgin Money London Marathon, BMW Berlin-Marathon,  Bank of America Chicago Marathon, and TCS New York City Marathon.

About The TCS New York City Marathon
The TCS New York City Marathon is the premier event of New York Road Runners (NYRR) and the largest marathon in the world. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features the world's top professional athletes and a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. The race began in 1970 with just 127 entrants running four laps around Central Park, and expanded citywide in 1976. In 2014, a record 50,530 runners from 130 countries toured New York City's five boroughs, including the one-millionth finisher in the history of the event, starting on Staten Island at the foot of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, and running through the neighborhoods of Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, before ending in Manhattan at the iconic Central Park finish line. More than one million spectators line the city streets to cheer on the runners, while millions more watch the live television broadcast in the United States and around the world. The race is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, a series featuring the world's top marathons—Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York—and crowning the top professional male and female marathoners of the series. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading global IT services, consulting, and business solutions organization, is the premier partner of NYRR and the title sponsor of the TCS New York City Marathon. To learn more, visit www.tcsnycmarathon.com.

About Abbott 
At Abbott, we're committed to helping you live your best possible life through the power of health. For more than 125 years, we've brought new products and technologies to the world – in nutrition, diagnostics, medical devices and branded generic pharmaceuticals – that create more possibilities for more people at all stages of life. Today, 73,000 of us are working to help people live not just longer, but better, in the more than 150 countries we serve.

Connect with Abbott at www.abbott.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @AbbottNews and @AbbottGlobal.

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