Just days after car accident,
woman runs to fast Boston title
Results are official - team results are posted | See the 2003 Photo Gallery

After her inspired victory, Caroline Dobbyn shares a moment with running legend Grete Waitz.

BOSTON, June 5, 2003 – Caroline Dobbyn grew up in Ireland, attended college in Dublin, and had been an observer of the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge® in London for several years. “I look at all the fast times,” she said. “I wanted to know what my competition would be.”

She moved to Boston, took a job as an investment accountant at Deutsche Bank, and circled June 5 on her calendar. “I knew all about the Corporate Challenge,” she said. “I had some friends in London that had run it, and when I moved to Boston I saw what a big deal it was. I dreamed about running in the race and winning it.”

The dream was nearly derailed this past Sunday. Competing in a tune-up event in nearby Newton, Massachusetts, Dobbyn was struck by a car. “It was terrible. Stretcher, ambulance, trip to the hospital, the whole works,” said Dobbyn. “And the whole time all I am thinking is, ‘I hope this doesn’t keep me from the Corporate Challenge.’”

The 23-year-old Dobbyn sustained some nasty purple bruises on her hip, lats and arm. “But there was no internal damage, and that meant I could run,” she said.

And when Dobbyn lined up to run in her first JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge she ran very well indeed. She broke the finish tape in 19:52, earning the women’s individual title and the fastest U.S. women’s time of the 2003 JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge Series.

Dobbyn was one of more than 12,000 runners from over 500 companies who jammed Boston’s Back Bay on a misty, grey evening perfect for running and little else. This was the 20th annual Corporate Challenge in Boston and the 13th in a row that reached full capacity of runners.

Ryan Carrara of Raytheon breaks the tape held by Randy Kinard of the JPMorgan Private Bank to win in 17:19. (Joe Rosen photos)

And one of the field was a familiar face. Ryan Carrara, 26, an engineer at Raytheon, won his second JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge individual men’s title in three years. His 17:19 winning team topped Chris Volante of Fidelity by nine seconds and marked Carrara’s fifth straight year in the Top Five for this event. His time was also the best men’s Corporate Challenge effort on U.S. soil in 2003.

Winning the men’s crown on this night was no small feat. The first six finishers all ran faster than 18:00.

Carrara’s motivation to win? A trip to New York. Last October, Carrara and his Raytheon teammates won the men’s team title at the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge Championship. He’s thirsty for a return trip to defend the title.

“We love going down to New York,” said Carrara, who took the lead just before the two-mile mark and won going away. “All the engineers at Raytheon don’t tend to go on nice corporate trips. So this is special for us.”

Dobbyn’s women’s victory came over former champ Andrea Gillespie of MFS by 10 seconds. Even more remarkable than her recovery from the car accident on Sunday is perhaps the fact that she has only been a competitive runner for a year.

“I played basketball in college and never thought about running,” said Dobbyn. “Then I started to try it about a year ago, realized I had some ability, and devoted myself to it. I remember running in a Flag Day race in Brookline last June. My boyfriend beat me. But he hasn’t beaten me since.”

Phil Stern of QED Intellectual Property and Heidi Price of Heidi Price Design won the men’s and women’s Most Senior Executive titles in 20:40 and 30:20 respectively. Times were generally quicker on this night as the conditions made the flat course (down and back on fabled Commonwealth Avenue) even more accommodating than normal.

The beneficiary for the evening was The Fund for Boston Neighborhoods, a not-for-profit organization that stages large scale events such as concerts, movies, neighborhood pride days and other civic celebrations free to the general public.

“Remember when the (New England) Patriots won the Super Bowl?” asked Cecily Foster, representing The Fund for Boston Neighborhoods. “We were the organization responsible for putting on the victory parade that was enjoyed by nearly a million people. Events like that, along with literally hundreds of free concerts and movies and celebrations in public spaces throughout Boston, is what the Corporate Challenge was supporting.”

The choice of beneficiary underscored JPMorgan Chase’s commitment to Boston. The Bank has 1,100 employees in Greater Boston and takes great pride in hosting the Corporate Challenge.

“Through this event we provide a very loud message to Boston that we’re here, we’re here to stay and we want to grow our presence in the community,” said Virginia Meany, President and CEO of JPMorgan Investor Services.

The JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge continues next Thursday, June 12, in Buffalo, NY. It will be the 23rd consecutive event in the Western New York City and more than 12,000 participants are expected.