Milk surprised runners after the finish line of the New York City Marathon with the electrifying presence of Janelle Monáe at the Team Milk VIP Recovery Lounge. The singer-songwriter and actor helped female runners celebrate the incredible accomplishment of running a marathon with an empowering DJ set within the VIP Recovery Lounge which also featured professional stretchers from NY Stretch, compression boots, recovery gear and chocolate milk to help repair and rebuild their muscles.

Milk's on-site marathon presence in New York marked a continuation of the program's Sponsorship Tour, which started last year in New York and has continued to expand into a community of more than 14,000 Team Milk runners. From pre-race shakeout runs in Central Park led by certified run coach Alysha Flynn and Sad Girl Track Club's Izzy Seidel, expert advice along their training journey, curated race-ready gifts, and a community focused IRL expo experience, Milk provided support at every mile along the way. And literally, along the marathon route, Milk created a milky white tunnel of motivation with a Cheer Squad between mile 23 and 24 - the notoriously hardest part of the course to help power runners forward when they need it most.

"Milk is dedicated to championing the strength and resilience of every woman," said MilkPEP CEO Yin Woon Rani. "We were excited to join forces with Janelle Monáe to help commend these incredible female athletes on achieving an accomplishment of a lifetime."

Even better, through Milk's continued partnership with Girls on the Run, your run supports her run. For every woman that signs up for Team Milk, Milk has committed to donating to Girls on the Run, an organization dedicated to empowering girls through running and physical activity. Milk's 'Every. Woman. Sponsored' fund supports Girls on the Run with the development of a new suite of curricula designed to empower, inspire and motivate young girls and provide them with confidence through running. To-date Milk has helped generate $1,000,000 in fundraising.

Whether you're training for your first marathon or tackling your 30th, any female runner can sign up to be a part of Team Milk at gonnaneedmilk.com/26.2 to gain exclusive access to female-centric marathon training, recovery, and nutrition tips from leading experts, custom gear and an empowering community of women runners.

Dairy milk is an excellent nutritional partner for both marathon training and recovery. Milk's nutrients can help provide sustained energy to fuel runs, rehydrate with electrolytes, repair and rebuild muscles, and help prevent next day muscle soreness. To learn more about dairy milk's benefits for runners or the 26.2 You're Gonna Need Milk for That campaign's commitment to support female marathoners, visit gonnaneedmilk.com.