Sydney
Sydney enjoys record-breaking numbers in its 22nd running
Now that is breaking a record in style!
The J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge Sydney not only set a record for total entries in its 22nd year, but it also obliterated the previous high mark.
A total of 11,873 entries from 538 companies registered for the 3.5-mile (5.6km) run/walk at Centennial Park, a 28% increase in entries from 2023 (9,279). It also topped the previous entry record of 10,129 in 2019 by a full 17%.
The attendance was also more than double the Corporate Challenge crowd here 20 years ago, in 2004 (5,808 entrants from 278 companies).
It’s bigger now, but even from day one with this event, it’s been an environment that truly celebrates the accomplishment and potential of the Sydney business community. Lachlan Oakes, team captain for Westpac, explains further.
“The J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge is always a big event on the calendar each year for Westpac,” said Oakes. “Several business units get behind the event and promote it internally, and our team has been growing every year – it’s great to see the number of people getting out for a run within Westpac as well as the broader Sydney corporate community.”
Among the hundreds of businesses across all industry groups in beautiful Centennial Park were the 10 largest by entry: J.P. Morgan (530 entrants), PwC (375), Westpac (348), Australian Securities Exchange (281), Rabobank (176), KPMG (162), Marsh McLennan (156), Scentre Group (147), King & Wood Mallesons (115), and HSBC (106).
Rabobank used the Corporate Challenge as an opportunity to bond with its colleagues from fully owned subsidiary DLL. The two companies registered with early enthusiasm and ran in identical gear.
“Across Rabobank and DLL we had more than 200 people register to participate in the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge within the space of just a few days,” said Rabobank’s captain Jordan Exmann. “This demonstrates the importance of initiatives that combine health benefits, social interaction and team building to our people. It was great to participate again this year!”
Another regular Corporate Challenge participating company vouched for the networking opportunity at this annual Centennial Park celebration.
“151 Property has been involved in the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge for several years and it has become a health and wellness event not to be missed,” said Marc Lucas, Managing Director, 151 Property. “Not only is it a great opportunity to network with our partner Revantage Asia Pacific, but it also encourages our team to step outside their comfort zone, focus on their wellbeing, and most importantly, to have some fun alongside their peers.”
The Sydney crowd was not only large, but collectively fit. The average finish time of 35:32 is the second fastest in the 2024 J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge Series, trailing only the 32:13 average time submitted by entrants in London. And at the front of the pack were a pair of runners who successfully defended their 2023 individual titles.
James Nipperess, representing Reserve Bank of Australia, was the first male in a time of 17:19. That made Nipperess the 13th fastest male overall in the 2024 Series.
Georgia Winkcup, running for commercial law firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth, broke the tape in the female division for the second consecutive year, clocking a time of 18:50. That is the third best time in the 2024 Series, trailing only J.P. Morgan’s Lucy Reid in London (18:33) and Vanessa Fraser of HeyGen in San Francisco (18:35).
Metro Finance loves looking at the Corporate Challenge Leaderboard each year, as it shows the tangible progress from its year-round fitness programs.
“Fostering a strong sense of community is at the heart of our values,” Nicole Watson, team captain from Metro Finance, said. “Participating in the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge aligns perfectly with our commitment to coming together—whether through collaboration at work or shared experiences outside the office. With over 40 Metro Finance team members joining the run, it highlights how we embrace every opportunity to strengthen our connections and support one another, embodying the spirit of teamwork that defines us. Our weekly run club keeps that momentum going, and each year, we use this event as a benchmark to better our health—and maybe run that bit faster!”
Part of the lure of the Sydney stop on the Corporate Challenge Series is the philanthropic connection to Australian running royalty. This marked the 11th consecutive year that J.P. Morgan will donate in celebration of all Sydney entrants to Indigenous Marathon Foundation (IMF), which was started by 1983 world marathon champion Rob de Castella. Since 2009, while promoting health and celebrating Indigenous resilience, courage, and achievement, de Castella and IMF have taken over 142 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women from no running to running an international marathon.
The healthy motivation of participating in a distance run is what also got Emily Lizzio, team captain for commercial law firm Ashurst, to the Centennial Park starting line.
“I registered for the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge because it helps to strengthen workplace relationships through a shared interest in running,” Lizzio said. “The event creates a fun, social, fitness-focused atmosphere where my colleagues and I can bond across teams and fitness levels in an inclusive 5.6km circuit event.”
One of the most experienced team captains in the Sydney field took tremendous pride in his employer’s annual Corporate Challenge participation.
“This is the 17th year I have participated in the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge having run in both Singapore and Sydney events previously,” said Brett Jager, team captain for multinational bank HSBC. “I find it’s a great way to test your fitness each year, plus I enjoy promoting a healthy and active lifestyle.
“It’s been a privilege to be HSBC Sydney team captain since 2015,” Jager continued, “and pleasing to see the participation levels grow strongly during this time with all segments of the bank represented again this year. The event helps us build relationships, strengthens teamwork, and helps raise HSBC’s profile as a great place to work, showing we’re invested not just in business success, but in the well-being of our employees and the community we operate in.”
The record-breaking 2024 J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge Series has three remaining events, beginning with Buenos Aires, Argentina on Thursday, November 7. At its 16-location completion in late November, the Series will have registered more than 220,000 entrants globally.
