Two titles for Singapore Prison Service; UBS makes its debut in winners circle

Michael Durante (bib number 9103) and Peter Sturgeon (9107) charge from the starting line, ultimately leading UBS to the men’s team title at the 2017 J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge in Singapore.

After capturing the women’s and mixed team titles at the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge on April 27, Singapore Prison Service climbed the ranks as one of the most successful entrants of all-time in this race.

The Prison Service won the women’s and mixed divisions in the 3.5-mile (5.6km) road race, and now has five total team victories in Singapore’s 14-year event history.  That is the third most team titles, training only the Singapore American School (seven) and the Gurkha Contingent of the Singapore Police Force (six).  Barclays also has five.

UBS won the men’s division this year, its first team title in Singapore.

Singapore Prison Service last captured a Singapore team title in 2013, when its men were tops.  It also triumphed in the women’s and mixed division in 2011.

In the women’s race, the Prison Service was represented by Peishan Wu, Valerie Chia, Xiaowen Liang, and Joann Chen.  They collectively timed 1:50:31, topping second-place J.P. Morgan (1:55:14) by nearly five minutes.  Clifford Chance (1:59:00) was third.

Cleeve Mu, Yong Heng Cher, Kailin Ng, and Chew Ian Ng were the Prison Service’s winning mixed team, clocking 1:33:14.  They needed a good finishing kick to hold off an impressive 1:34:00 effort from Bloomberg, in second-place.  Barclays was a strong third in 1:39:26.

The UBS victory in the men’s division was decisive.  The 1:22:39 collective time clocked by Michael Durante, Peter Sturgeon. Xiaojun Collin Wang and Chris van Beek easily distanced the 1:28:37 of second-place Standard Chartered Bank.  Deutsche Bank took the bronze in 1:30:44.

Singapore American School dominated this race between 2005 and 2009, earning seven of a possible 15 team titles during that time.  The Gurkha Contingent was a powerhouse in the first four years of this race, collecting its six team titles between 2004 and 2007, including four consecutive men’s crowns.

The 14^th running of the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge in Singapore featured a new starting line on St. Andrew’s Road and a capacity crowd of 14,260 entrants from 323 companies. 

J.P. Morgan commemorated the event by donating to MINDS, one of the oldest and largest non-governmental organizations in Singapore catering to the needs of persons with intellectual disability.