In a July tradition that has become as familiar as strawberries and cream, the 36^th running of the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge is scheduled for beautiful Battersea Park on July 3-4.

If history is our guide, more than 25,000 racers, joggers and walkers from over 700 companies will answer the call for entry and cover the 3.5-mile (5.6km) road race distance while displaying their company pride. But beyond the fitness and camaraderie benefits, participation in the Corporate Challenge has a long-lasting positive effect.

J.P. Morgan partners each year at the Corporate Challenge with a not-for-profit, raising awareness for the good work the organization does in the community. At the 2024 Corporate Challenge, Centrepoint will return for its second year as the partner.

Centrepoint is the UK’s leading youth homelessness charity, supporting over 16,000 young people every year alongside its partners. Support from this year’s Corporate Challenge will provide young people aged 16-24 in London with access to hardship funding to ensure financial constraints don’t hold them back on their journey to independent living.

“We were incredibly grateful to have been the beneficiary of last year’s Corporate Challenge event,” said Valerie Borne, Head of Relationship Fundraising at Centrepoint. “It helped to fund our ‘Transforming Homes’ program, contributing to key improvements to our accommodation services, co-designed by young people themselves. By making these physical improvements to the services, we can better support young people’s physical and mental well-being, helping them to feel safe and valued. Creating spaces that young people do not just live in, but a home in which they can flourish and rebuild their lives.”

Registration is now open for the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge London with a registration fee of £40 per person, and available only to companies who register a minimum of four employees (with no maximum).

Participating teams also have the option to turn their Corporate Challenge experience into a one-of-a-kind company outing by reserving hospitality space. This creates an opportunity to celebrate with your co-workers over delicious food and drink within Battersea Park, and there are options for teams of all sizes.

The deadline for both registration and hospitality is Tuesday, June 4, or until space is full, whichever occurs first. Don’t wait too long, as the 2023 Corporate Challenge attracted a great crowd of 26,530 entrants from 736 companies over two nights. That represented an impressive 35% increase in the total number of entries and a 19% increase in the number of participating companies from London 2022 (19,672 entrants from 619 companies).

J.P. Morgan is proud to donate to Centrepoint in honor of this large crowd and share the stage on race night to help create more awareness of its important work.

“The Corporate Challenge is an incredible opportunity for Centrepoint not only to raise vital funds, but also raise awareness of the problem of youth homelessness in the UK,” said Borne. “At present, one young person every four minutes faces homelessness in the UK. A shocking statistic that we want to change but need support across society to do so.”

Sam Febresslassie of L.E.K. Consulting and Lucy Reid from J.P. Morgan ran the fastest male and female times at the 2023 Corporate Challenge, 17:03 and 18:08 respectively. Reid’s time was the very best in the entire 2023 J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge Series.

Every participant has the option to see their times posted on the Corporate Challenge Leaderboard. And in the months following the race, they can honor their efforts by making an individual donation to Centrepoint.

“If anyone taking part would like to show their support to homeless young people, they can help by sponsoring a room at Centrepoint,” said Borne. “A monthly gift could provide a safe room, and help teach the essential life skills, like budgeting, that help a young person to live independently.”

Companies interested in more information about the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge London may email london@corpchallenge.jpmorgan.com or phone 020 7170 6388. Many of your questions will be covered in the event’s FAQ section.

The 2024 J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge Series will ultimately be conducted at 16 locations in eight countries, with organizations like Centrepoint honored at each.