Members of Morgan Stanley's Women's team react with joy after hearing that they had won the 2011 J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge Championship. With them is Philip Lee, Managing Director and Senior Country Officer for J.P. Morgan in Singapore. Bolt & Tool Africa (Men) and Goldfields (Mixed) won the other team titles.

Bolt & Tool, Goldfields, Morgan Stanley
take team titles at 28th Championship

SINGAPORE, April 21, 2011 — When the participants for the 28th annual J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge® Championship boarded buses at the InterContinental Hotel for the short ride from Bugis Junction to Marina Bay, you could feel the excitement in the air.

And the humidity.

Singapore in April most definitely does not share the same weather characteristics of any of the other 11 cities in the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge Series. At 4 p.m. on race day, temperatures were around 90 degrees with humidity that brought on a sweat after just a brief stroll.

But the 147 participants in this race made the trip to Southeast Asia as Champions for a reason.

Each runner finished — most without PRs — but all with superb memories.

Singapore was the second city to host the Championship in its current “Olympic” style of rotating locations. Johannesburg hosted the first Championship held off of U.S. soil in 2010 after the first 26 events were held in New York City (25) and East Rutherford, New Jersey (debut event in 1984).

While the location may have been different, the dominance of the South African teams remained constant. Johannesburg’s Bolt & Tool Africa convincingly won the men’s team title, led by overall first-place finisher Sibusiso Nzima in a sizzling 15:55.

“The weather didn’t bother me, as we train in altitude and that has its own challenges,” Nzima said. “I ran a great race, but it was an incredible thrill to represent Bolt & Tool Africa in this beautiful country.”

Nzima’s teammates also were superb. Enoch Manyandi clocked a 16:24, followed by Vincent Kutoane in 16:27 and Lucky Miya in 16:51. To put those times into perspective, the winner in the ensuing J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge on the same course finished in 18:57.

III. BPA Wurzburg, representing Frankfurt, was the second male team, almost eight minutes behind Bolt & Tool. Legal & General of London was third with Phil Wicks racing home in 16:31 to earn the distinction of first non-South Africa finisher.

Goldfields of Johannesburg earned the mixed team title, with Patrick Sefako leading the way in 17:17 (10th overall). His teammates were Ntiti Konana (17:26), Puselefso Maema (19:41, 2nd overall woman) and Puselefso Tieane (20:09).

“We have incredible pride in our company,” said Maema. “When we compete in the Championship, we feel we are running for every one of our colleagues.”

Team champions of the 2011 J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge Championship are, from left: Morgan Stanley (Women's), Goldfields (Mixed) Bolt & Tool Africa (Men's).

London’s Asics team was second in the mixed race, less than two minutes behind, while KPMG of Sydney was third. Mark Miles ran a great race for Asics, finishing seventh overall in 16:59, while KPMG was led by the remarkable Andrea Ilakovac, who won the women’s overall title in 19:29. Teammate Tom Crasti was ninth overall with a solid 17:13.

New York lived up to its reputation as one of the world’s finest running cities with Morgan Stanley taking the women’s team title. Lauren Cummings led the way with a courageous 20:26, seventh among all women in an exhausting finish. Lauren Uhler (21:20, 14th woman) and Alysia Dusseau (21:50, 20th) and Amy May (23:26, 35th) completed the prize-winning effort.

Morgan Stanley’s ebullient acceptance of the first-place award on the stage may have been the night’s most touching moment. “What a great team!” enthused Cummings. “Wow!”

HSBC, led by London champion Lara Bromilow’s 20:47, was second in the women’s division followed by Macquarie. Laura James was the first finisher for that Sydney qualifier in 21:17.

“I did it,” said Kristen McGuinness, representing Buffalo and the Niagara Wheatfield Central School District. “I so badly just wanted to finish this race. That was the goal and I’m proud of it.”

It was indeed a Championship performance by every company representative.