President and chief executive officer of the nonprofit that oversees the New York City Marathon will depart his post at the end of December, the New York Road Runners announced Monday.
"Over the past several months, the Board of Directors has listened to the concerns raised and recommendations offered by the community NYRR serves, including its employees and members of the broader running community," George Hirsch, Chairman of the Board of New York Road Runners, said in a press release.
Michael Capiraso will end his 10-year run as head of the New York Road Runners on Dec. 31.
"I am grateful for the opportunity to have served the NYRR running community for the past 10 years. I am proud of the growth the organization and I have achieved and the impact we have had, and I wish NYRR continued success," Capiraso said in the release.
Capiraso's exit follows allegations of fostering a "toxic, discriminatory, and systemically racist work culture at NYRR."
Three months ago a group called Rebuild NYRR started a Change.org petition demanding Capiraso's resignation. The group, made up of current and former NYRR employees, included a list of demands for the Board of Directors calling for structural changes to address concerns of inequality within the company.
"Inspired by friends and counterparts at other organizations working to dismantle institutional racism and oppression, a coalition of current and former employees at NYRR call for the immediate resignation of Michael Capiraso, the president and CEO," the Rebuild NYRR petition reads, in part.
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The NYRR Board of Directors did not directly address these claims in their press release.
The New York Road Runners has started an external search for its new CEO. In the interim, Kerin Hempel will fill the role.
