On an ideal evening for running, Duncan Cragg of Luke's Locker shattered the Dallas record for fastest men's time in a Corporate Challenge. Cragg was timed in 17:40. He won by 33 seconds. For individual and special awards, click here.

Big D catches Corporate Challenge fever
with new downtown venue, record field
2003 Results are official - click here | Dallas 2003 in photos - click here

DALLAS, April 8, 2003 – It looks like Big D has caught Corporate Challenge fever.

On the third year of the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge® in Dallas, entries and corporate camaraderie soared. A total of 3,912 participants from 130 companies – an increase of better than 40-percent – took part, many partying well after sundown in a new, tent-filled venue, the Annette Strauss Artist Square.

“What a great move by JPMorgan Chase to move this event downtown to this beautiful location,” said Honorary Race Chairman Robert Decherd, President and CEO of the Belo Corporation. “You have the best companies in Dallas here, showing how vibrant downtown Dallas is, and how important it is to blend good business with a good party.”

Anette Ronnerman of American Airlines wins women's title in 20:38.

An azure sky framed provided the backdrop and the runners benefited from cool temperatures and accommodating tail winds that provided the fastest times this event has seen. The men’s and women’s winners both set local Corporate Challenge records, with Duncan Cragg of Luke’s Locker breaking the tape in 17:40 and Anette Ronnerman of American Airlines in 20:38. For Cragg, it was his first JPMorgan Chase title, for Ronnerman her third – the two previous coming in Corporate Challenge events in Chicago.

"I had a day off, my sister lives here, so this was a can’t miss event for me,” said Ronnerman, a Chicago-based flight attendant for American. “I’ve won Chicago twice before (1997, 2000), know what a quality event it is, and now it looks like everyone in Dallas knows too.”

JPMorgan Chase moved the event from the West End to Artist Square to take advantage of a grassy site that was juxtaposed by Dallas’ impressive skyline, the perfect combination to celebrate corporate fitness.

"To me, it’s a perfect site,” said Paul Majors, company captain for Merit Energy. “We’re at the Galleria (just north of the site) and coming downtown for the evening makes this special, we all preferred the atmosphere. It’s like a little reunion when you get down here and see all the people you know from business in the city.”

A patriotic spirit was in the air for the first U.S. event of the 2003 Corporate Challenge Series. The participants provided a rousing ovation to a special pre-race salute to the troops in the Middle East and many of the companies designed t-shirts that indicated their thoughts were with the men and women serving overseas.

"It brings people together and it’s more than just business,” said Tom Walker, Chairman of the Board of SourceCorp, Inc. “We won the most creative t-shirt and it was special that all the employees pitched in for their t-shirts together, creating something to support our troops. It meant a lot to wear those.”

Walker, at age 70, also ran an impressive time – 27:30. He was one of nearly two dozen Most Senior Executives that participated, including CEO winners Ron Reed of Reed Engineering Group (23:48) and Jean Liu (24:32) of Litex Industries.

Women's CEO champion Jean Liu of Litex Industries (center in peach sweatshirt) is congratulated at the post-race awards ceremony by Donna Cross of Tiffany's; Honorary Race Chairman Robert Decherd of the Belo Corp., Elaine Agather, Chairman & CEO of JPMorgan Chase Dallas; and David Jackson, Chairman & CEO of JPMorgan Chase Tarrant County.

Liu knew about the Corporate Challenge events in New York and other cities around the world, but was unaware Dallas had hosted one until she received an invitation this winter. An accomplished marathoner, Liu jumped at the chance to participate.

" I felt it was important for our company to take part,” Liu said. “JPMorgan Chase did a great job representing what this event was all about and how it would benefit our city. And, as a runner, it was a first-class race.”

The Corporate Challenge benefited charities supporting the arts, education and civic improvements – the Arts District Friends, the Rise Schools of Dallas and Fort Worth, and Dallas Civic Ventures. The Arts District donation will help underwrite the organization’s educational offering for children; The Rise Schools are nationally-accredited schools serving children with development disabilities; and the Civic Ventures donation will be ear-marked to enhance improvements to public parks and open spaces downtown.

"It’s a great combination,” said Cragg, the men’s winner. “Running is a very primal activity, an honest activity that everyone can feel accomplishment in doing.”

Cragg’s accomplishment on this night was notable. Problems with muscle cramping in his hamstrings and quads had prevented him from training on the roads for over a week. He took to the pool for his cardio work and then hoped for the best when he took the starting line. The result was a 33-second victory over the second-place men’s finisher, Ernesto Caballero of the Dallas County Community College District. Alvaro Palacios of American Airlines, the 2001 champ, finished fourth despite running a time 16 seconds faster than last year.

Palacios likely will have another opportunity to run under the JPMorgan Chase banners this year. Two of his female teammates – Ronnerman and third-place finisher Louise McKee (22:35) give AA the leg up on winning the coed team title. Please check back to http://www.jpmorganchasecc.com in the coming days for final team results to see who qualified for the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge Championship event in New York City, set for October 4.

You’ll likely be hearing more on Ronnerman before that date. She plans on taking part in the August 7 JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge in Chicago. “I’m just starting my speed work now for the 5K and 10K events I run in the summer,” she said. “And this is my favorite event of all of them. I just love collecting these blue Tiffany boxes (containing the first-place awards).”

American also had the largest team on this night, with 250 total entrants. But illustrating how vital this event has become, a first-time participating company, Centex Construction, had 185 runners. That type of turnout bodes well for future dramatic growth in Dallas.

To put “Corporate Challenge fever” in the right context, note that Dallas in its third year had more participants than New York, San Francisco and Frankfurt, Germany had in their third years. Combined, the three cities had more than 110,000 total participants in 2002.

" This event has come so far,” said Elaine Agather, Chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase in Dallas. “It makes us proud to host something that is clearly becoming the corporate social and sporting event of the season.”

The 27th season of the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge Series continues on Wednesday, May 14 with the first of three events in New York City’s Central Park.