Sharon Tillotson is congratulated by her Saucony teammates. |
Boston, June 2, 2004 - A few hours before the start of the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge, Boston 's skies opened up with a torrent of thunder and rain. An hour before the race, the dark clouds and rain returned.
Didn't matter.
From all corners of the historic Boston Common runners kept arriving, many carrying umbrellas and rain gear. It would take more than a storm to prevent The Hub's runners from enjoying the 21st annual edition of the Corporate Challenge.
And, enjoy is the right word. Some 12,812 participants from 593 companies once again made the Corporate Challenge the second most popular running event in Boston behind its venerable marathon.
A team with a new name - Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale and Dorr LLP - illustrated why.
"We merged yesterday, so this is a big day for us," said team captain Liz MacKinnon. "We're very excited."
Wearing shirts that said, "Merging for all the right reasons," the team reached its limit of 30 official runners almost immediately after MacKinnon put out a memo about entering this year's race.
"It absolutely was not hard to recruit our team," she said. "We have senior partners, junior partners, staff and interns running. It's so nice to be able to relax and do something with someone that you might just send an email to or talk to briefly in a meeting. It's just a great event for us and it fits into our philosophy of encouraging staff and attorneys to get together."
Team spirit evident on Boston Common
That spirit was echoed by many other groups gathered in Boston Common.
Members of Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale and Dorr LLP gather for a pre-race photo |
"We have 50 runners," said Tracy Egleston, captain for office supply giant Staples. "We could have had a lot more because we filled up almost immediately, but had to turn people away because we reached our limit. This is just a fun night, with a lot of esprit de corps. We're heading out to celebrate together afterward."
One of the cradles of running in America, Boston embraces the Corporate Challenge with a true community spirit. Each year, its limit is reached well before race day. That's no accident, said Boston 's most famous male runner, Bill Rodgers, who served as the event spokesperson.
"Everything builds together to make this such a neat event," said Rodgers. "The great running community, the camaraderie on the teams, the setting - everything works."
And, of course, part of the Boston scenario is that it annually features some of the top runners in the Series. This race was no exception.
For the men, John Mortimer blazed to the second fastest time of the 2004 season, winning easily in 16:29. Running for Boston College, where he has been an assistant track/cross country coach for three years, Mortimer said he used the Corporate Challenge for two reasons.
"I used it to prepare for the Olympic Trials," said Mortimer, the third-ranked steeplechaser in America with a best of 8:27 and a top contender to make the U.S. team that will go to Athens this summer. "But it was also great because it brought together officials, teachers, and staff who normally wouldn't be involved in a running event. It's a lot of fun."
Saucony seeks Mixed title at Championship
Meanwhile, Sharon Tillotson helped put together a strong Saucony team, then won the female title in a quick 20:32. She was part of a Mixed team that likely will once again contend for top honors in October's Series Championship in New York.
"Two years ago, we were third, and last year we were second," said Tillotson, who credited the encouraging atmosphere at Saucony with helping her claim her first post-collegiate victory. "This year, we want to win it all. We want to bring back that gold to Saucony and make everyone proud.
"We want to show that were a running company that's true to our sport. We do take it to heart that people who work at Saucony are true runners, so this event is perfect for us. JPMorgan Chase gives us the opportunity to run here, and again in October at the Championships. It's a wonderful event for us."
And, for thousands of other Boston area runners.
The 2004 JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge now moves to Chicago for a June 3rd race on the scenic course near Lake Michigan.
