The ING New York City Marathon has long been a premier event in the world of distance running, but Ann Wells Crandall has turned the race into a global marketing platform for major brands. Crandall is executive vice president of business development and strategy for the New York Road Runners, which organizes the event. She came to the organization in 2001 after stints with the NBA, DirecTV and Time magazine. During her tenure, she’s brought on blue-chip partners such as Nissan and Subway as well as international brands and tourism boards to help expand the race’s footprint abroad. Sponsor activation dollars for the event have tripled in the last five years. She’s also helped the race grow from being a one-day occasion to a yearlong property, with special events built around race registration, training and the New York Road Runners’ 54 other races during the year. “Selling vertical events as single events was not going to last forever; it was not going to help us grow,” Crandall said. “Now, there are so many different opportunities for racers and partners to get involved, when you add it up, it’s an expansive engagement platform.”