Mike Heitzenrater edges defending champion Matt Glynn by three seconds to win the 2003 men's title in 17:31. For Heitzenrater, it was another bonus from a running streak begun on May 11, 1997. "I’ve run at least two miles a day every day since, and over 3,000 miles per year,” said the new Buffalo champion.

Buffalo crowns a pair of first-time
winners at annual corporate party
Official results are posted | See the 2003 Photo Gallery

Grete Waitz with members of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority team. (Joe Rosen photos)

BUFFALO, June 12, 2003 – Mike Heitzenrater and Allison Carr were toddlers when the first JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge® in Buffalo was held in 1981. Now they join the illustrious list of champions.

Heitzenrater, a Physical Education and Health teacher at Newfane Central Schools, upset defending champion Matt Glynn of the Buffalo News. The 25-year-old covered the 3.5-mile Delaware Park course in 17:31, besting Glynn by three seconds in a race that began under grey skies and finished in a downpour.

“We carried each other through the first and second miles,” Heitzenrater said. “At the third mile mark I opened a little lead, but I felt myself fading at the end and was just able to hold Matt off.”

Carr, a recreational therapist for Quality Behavioral Health, is just a year out of Penn State, where she was a scholarship cross country and track athlete. The former East Aurora prep star posted a comfortable, 73-second victory over veteran Corporate Challenge racer Brenda Spillman of National Fuel, breaking the tape in 20:37.

“This is the first time I’ve been eligible to run here and just being out of college to be honest, I didn’t know a lot about the competition,” the 24-year-old Carr said. “That was probably a good thing, because I didn’t come here expecting to win. I heard it was a huge event, a lot of fun, and I like racing. Winning was a bonus.”

More than 200 company tents dot Delaware Park

The new faces added a fresh perspective to Buffalo’s largest road race and an event that has become known as the “corporate social event of the year.” The beautiful Frederick Law Olmsted-designed Delaware Park was packed with over 200 company tents, more than 300 corporate teams and approximately 10,500 participants – the seventh consecutive year the Corporate Challenge has attracted a five-figure crowd. New York, Chicago and Boston are the only other cities in the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge Series to have more events with over 10,000 participants.

“Rain or shine, it’s a great day in Buffalo for the Corporate Challenge,” said JPMorgan Chase Regional Executive Ralph Macey. “It’s a pleasure to host this event year after year and gratifying to see how it has become part of the community fabric.”

JPMorgan Chase, in conjunction with the Corporate Challenge, made a donation to the Buffalo Inner-City Scholarship Opportunity Network, the BISON Scholarship Fund. Nine-time New York City Marathon champion Grete Waitz made an appearance race morning at the Central Catholic School, a private grammar school that has several students attending on BISON scholarships.

“With this donation from JPMorgan Chase, a total of 65 children will be able to attend the private grammar school of their choice,” said Chris Jacobs, President of the Board of Directors for BISON, talking to participants from the post-event awards stage. “You all made an impact tonight in the lives of those kids.”

Grete Waitz is interviewed by WKBW-TV.

A lesson in persistence was displayed on this night by Heitzenrater. He acknowledged he was an “average” high school cross country runner, but turned around his running fortunes in college.

“It was May 11, 1997,” Heitzenrater said. “My friend and I were running at Cortland (NY) State and we started a running streak. I haven’t stopped since. I’ve run at least two miles a day every day since, and over 3,000 miles per year.”

Heitzenrater’s Ripken-esque streak has paid off in a pair of Buffalo News “Runner of the Year” Awards. “There are obviously days you feel sick and don ‘t want to run, but consistency of training really has paid off big-time for me,” he said.

The women’s winner, Carr, was impressed by Heitzenrater’s streak, but also quickly said it’s not for her.

“I think he’s crazy,” she laughed. “But he’s a young guy, he can probably hang on without getting hurt. I need to take a break. Besides, I consider myself more of an 800 runner or a miler. A distance of 3.5 miles is OK for me, 3.1 is better, a 10K is really pushing it.”

Carr beat a very talented, experienced women’s field. The third and fifth-place finishers, Amy Fakterowitz and Jackie Kralisz, are both past champions. “This is a gratifying win,” Carr said. “It shows what I am capable of.”

There was also a first-time Most Senior Executive winner on the men’s side as Scott Aladeen of Fujisawa Health Care crossed first in 23:05. Arlene Kaukus defended her women’s Most Senior Executive title in 28:22.

Kaleida Health was the largest team in the event with 333 total runners. The rain didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the post-race gathering in Delaware Park. The post-race barbecues were still abundant and the participants lingered well after nightfall.

“I wish all running events in Buffalo were like this one,” said Carr.

The 27th season of the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge Series continues next Wednesday with our second international event of the year – in Frankfurt, Germany. A crowd of more than 50,000 total participants is expected, making it the largest road race in Europe.