Former prep phenom puts Stamps
of approval on two NYC victories
Official results are posted | The race in photos

Like female winner Julia Stamps, male champion Mike Guastella actually won two awards - his overall title and Fortune Magazine Financial Fitness Award. Congratulating Guastella on the post-race stage were, from left: Fred Bromberg of JPMorgan Chase; Kathleen Paprocki of Tiffany's; and Peter Granath of Fortune Magazine.

NEW YORK, June 25, 2003 – Julia Stamps of Bear Stearns is back where she belongs -- in the winner’s circle.

“I was talking to my boyfriend the other day and he said ‘I’ve never seen you so happy before’,” Stamps was saying. “I told him it was because he had never seen me in my racing mode. I love being competitive.”

Not too long ago Stamps, 24, was considered the “It girl” in American running. A four-year high school phenomenon at Santa Rosa (California) High, she earned a full-scholarship to Stanford and was excelling in cross country and the 1500 and 3000 for The Cardinal. But a horrific skateboarding accident near the end of her junior year shattered her left leg and Olympic aspirations.

“I was the California girl, a skateboarder, and I had an accident,” Stamps said. “I was at the wrong place at the wrong time you could say, but ironically it was the best place because it led me here.”

And the here and now is a second consecutive first-place women’s finish at the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge in New York. She ran a 20:20 over the 3.5-mile Central Park course for her first triumph on June 3, and followed up on this steamy night with a 20:39 effort. She bested past champion Stephanie Hodge of the United Nations by 61 seconds.

“This was an anniversary present to me,” smiled Stamps. “I’ve been in New York now for one year and one day. I’m enjoying my work at Bear Stearns, and finding that balance between running and work. I’m eager to get back into competitive running again and who knows; maybe a marathon future is in store. This is a great start.”

Monroe, Frazier add to anniversary atmosphere

The anniversary theme was prevalent throughout the evening. On hand as celebrity starters were NBA Hall of Famers Walt “Clyde” Frazier and Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, on the occasion of the 30th Anniversary of the New York Knicks’ last NBA championship. The former backcourt mates lit up the event with their charisma, greeting a majority of the 14,924 participants at the finish line with megawatt smiles.

“I love this, particularly the cool breeze of all these runners going by,” said Frazier, noting the 93-degree race time temperatures, easily the hottest weather for any JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge event this year.

Race organizers briefly considered turning the event into a “fun run” with no clocks for team or individual champions, but low humidity and light breezes in the early evening made for acceptable conditions. And men’s champion Mike Guastella of TD Waterhouse was pleased with that development.

Men's champion turns the tables on tough competitor

“I’m glad it was run with the clocks,” said Guastella, 32, a Managing Vice President for TD Waterhouse. “It was our last chance to score for the (JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge Championship) in October. It was definitely an adjustment running in this heat after the cool weather we’ve had, but I loaded up with fluids and felt strong.”

Guastella got some revenge on three-time Corporate Challenge champion Phillipe Rolly of New York Presbyterian. Rolly had bested Guastella by 22 seconds in the first Central Park race this year on May 14. This time, Guastella crossed in 17:48, downing Rolly by a comfortable 21 seconds.

Runners smile and wave as they cross the starting line.

Guastella and Stamps also earned the Fortune Magazine Financial Fitness Award for being the first finishers from a financial services company.

“Running and fitness is important to me,” said Guastella. “Your day is almost not complete until you do some physical activity. It’s like waking up and brushing your teeth. It’s something you have to do.”

Joe Mangan of SBI & Company earned the New York Times Most Senior Executive men’s title in 21:31. Margaret Riley of Invesco earned the women’s Most Senior Executive title in 35:08.

A total of 622 companies took part in the event, which benefited the Central Park Conservancy. The field was fairly well split with 8,118 men and 6,806 women and while the weather did slow the times a bit, the camaraderie of the event was in full gear, particularly due to the presence of Frazier and Monroe.

“I was thrilled to meet guys I used to watch when I was a kid. It made me feel young again,” said Rich Lescoe, a securities lending trader for Paloma Partners. “They are real gentlemen, friendly and outgoing. I just watched a game of theirs from 30 years ago on ESPN Classic and now I meet them.”

List of year's celebrity starters features variety of sports

Frazier and Monroe extended a “Hall of Fame” theme for the 2003 JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge Series. Champion athletes in a variety of different sports have served or will serve as celebrity starters at several Corporate Challenge events this year, including Grete Waitz (distance running), Jim Kelly (football), Whitey Ford (baseball), Colin Jackson (track and field), Pat LaFontaine (hockey), and Patrick Rafter (tennis).

“It’s just a phenomenal participatory client event in the truest sense of the word, and having these types of celebrities only enhances it,” said Todd Maclin, Executive Vice President and Head of Middle Market for JPMorgan Chase. “(Frazier and Monroe) are my generation. I grew up watching them and they are heroes of mine. I’m a Texan, but I watched the New York teams and was really into basketball even before it came to my hometown in San Antonio professionally. Having them here was a thrill for me and, I’m sure, all the runners.”

Count David Lynch, from the stock loan desk at UBS, as one of those enthused about meeting the legends.

Central Park Conservancy benefits from NYC races

“I enjoyed this very much,” Lynch said. “In an environment like this, it just adds to it when you can meet someone like Walt Frazier or Earl Monroe.”

The three New York events this year on the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge Series drew approximately 45,000 participants, meaning a significant contribution to the Central Park Conservancy, the organization on the point for commemorating the 150th Anniversary of Central Park.

The 27th season of the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge now takes a brief summer respite before resuming overseas on July 9-10 with a pair of events in London’s Battersea Park. More than 25,000 runners are expected on the two nights, with Great Britain’s celebrated Olympic sprinter Colin Jackson set to serve as the celebrity starter.