A total of 14,301 participants from 324 companies took part in the largest corporate running event in Singapore on 27 April 2017. The 5.6km scenic route started from the National Gallery Singapore and finished at the F1 Pit Building. Mr Baey Yam Keng, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, was the Guest-of-Honor for the race.
Of the 324 companies, 130 are listed local and multinational firms with a combined total market capitalization of US$5.9 trillion (S$8.2 trillion). The largest participating companies are: StarHub (552 entrants), Deloitte & Touche (504), SAP (320), AON (300), BNP Paribas (272), Visa (250), Cisco Systems (216), ABN AMRO (196), Standard Chartered (166) and AIG (154).
MINDS as the Race’s Beneficiary
J.P. Morgan made donations to its new beneficiary, Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) on behalf of all participants. MINDS is a non-governmental organisation which caters to the needs of persons with intellectual disability (PWIDs) in Singapore since 1962.
More than 20 PWIDs participated in the race as MINDS’ representatives. They were accompanied by Olympian C. Kunalan, one of Singapore’s greatest athletes, who was invited to cheer and inspire the contingent. Keh Eng Song, MINDS CEO said,
“We are grateful for the support by J.P. Morgan and honoured to be part of the Corporate Challenge this year. It’s also a great opportunity for MINDS and I’m glad we are able to send a team to participate in the run too. It’s especially special for the beneficiaries participating in the Special Olympics (Singapore) in the next couple of weeks, to meet with Mr. C Kunalan and for him to share his experiences with them before the race,”
Kunalan, whose national record of 10.38sec in the 100m stood for 33 years since 1968, added,
“I’m very pleased to be running with the athletes from MINDS, they really inspire me with their determination in spite of their disability. A few of the athletes will also be participating in the Special Olympics (Singapore), and I can’t wait for them to beat their personal bests then!”
The Winners of J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge
The first person who crossed the finish line this year was Fraser Thompson from Alphabeta (SG) Pte. Ltd. with a winning time of 17:50. Following closely behind Thompson were Hua Qun Soh from PWC Singapore with 18:19 and Michael Durante from UBS AG Singapore with 18:45. Thompson commented,
“I’ve got a four-month old son, so I haven’t been sleeping much and didn’t know what to expect! The support, atmosphere and weather were great and I’m really happy with my run, it’s a lot better than I hoped!”
In the Women category, Jasmine Teo of Bloomberg LP clinched victory with 21:53. Behind her, Claire Chapman of BP Singapore Pte Limited and Celine Fadnes of Watson Farley & Williams LLP finished second and third with 22:48 and 23:24 respectively. Jasmine Teo, who was surprised with her win, said,
“The win is really unexpected; this is the first race I’ve ever won! I’ve been really busy with work and planning my wedding, so this small achievement means a lot to me. The atmosphere was really good; everyone bonded at the start line and the rain actually hyped us up for the run, which also provided a form of adrenaline for me.”
The race is part of a global series that began 41 years ago in New York’s Central Park and is the longest-running corporate sporting event in the world. Singapore is the second stop of the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge Series 2017. The series will next hit Chicago on 25 May 2017.
