Michael Capiraso Email Address

Advisor, Board Member, Shareholder

To promote health, well-being, and personal achievement through participation in the sport of running in New York City communities and populations with little or no access to structured athletic programming.Physical education programs were virtually eliminated from New York City public schools 20 years ago, and now a second generation of a million plus students is growing up without the character lessons and physical conditioning inherent in the sport of running. Structured running programs teach goal setting and the relationship between effort and achievement, while helping youth develop the self-esteem, fitness, and discipline necessary for success in school, the workplace, and life.

Michael Capiraso is an executive with three decades of experience in the entertainment, sports, and consumer products sectors. He has driven transformational change for major sports leagues, large-scale events, and Fortune 500 corporations. Capiraso is currently a shareholder and advisor for JoggingBuddy, an app that connects runners of all skill levels with exercise partners or groups. JoggingBuddy is active in more than 100 countries around the world and has dedicated advisors on three continents. From 2015 to 2020, Capiraso served as President and CEO of New York Road Runners (NYRR), the organization that puts on the New York City Marathon. From 2012 to 2015, he served as NYRR’s COO and EVP of operations, administration, and strategy. During his tenure with NYRR, Capiraso doubled both the organization’s revenue (to more than $100 million) and reserve endowment (to more than $70 million) while raising more than $40 million for charitable causes annually. In 2019, the NYC Marathon drew more than 1 million in-person spectators, was broadcast to more than 700 million households worldwide, and supported more than $400 million in local economic impact for the Greater New York City region. While with NYRR, Capiraso launched the wildly successful “1 for You, 1 for Youth” program in partnership with New Balance, resulting in tens of thousands of running shoe donations to underserved youth. He also established the NYRR Run Center, whose inclusive community programming draws some 350,000 participants annually. Previously, Michael Capiraso worked in top executive roles at Cole Haan (a Nike subsidiary) and WPP Prism, a global sports and entertainment consultancy. He has also held leadership roles with the National Football League, Major League Baseball, and Calvin Klein. Capiraso has long advocated for well-designed outdoor public spaces and is evangelical about the benefits of exercise. He has earned numerous awards and accolades as a private citizen and as a representative of NYRR, including the NYU Sports Business Society’s Profile in Excellence Award (2019), Sports Destination Management’s Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism (2019), Back on My Feet NYC’s Community Pacesetter Award (2017), and Westside YMCA’s Volunteer Service Award (2016). Michael Capiraso is a lifelong runner who has competed in 28 consecutive NYC Marathons. His participation has raised more than $100,000 for Team for Kids, a charity associated with NYRR. See Recommendations below...