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The 2004 JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge Championship will be the most global and competitive in history. The best corporate runners from six countries on five continents will compete on Saturday, October 2 on New York's famous Park Avenue. This is one of a series of features about teams training for the Championship. You'll want to visit all the stops on the Road to the Championship to read about the participants who have found the perfect blend of workplace productivity and race course swiftness. |
3rd STOP: CHICAGO
With Buckingham Fountain, the Sears Tower, and CNA's Home Office headquarters (red building) behind them, members of CNA's champion Female team train in Grant Park. From left are: Angelina Anliker, Christine Martello, Katherine McCauley, and Anusha Pillay. (Photo by Jeffrey Vorreyer.)
At CNA, GE company support
fuels a culture of team success
Members of GE's Mixed team posed in Grant Park after winning their title in June. From left are: Amy Horst, Ellen Alkiewicz, Pat Finerty, and Ben Mulvaney. |
Chicago, August 30, 2004 – Chicago 's participation in the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge Championship is a tale of two teams that reflects much of the best about the world's premier corporate running series.
Through the support of their companies, a community of training and racing partners, and events such as October's season-ending Championship in New York, 2004 Chicago team champions CNA and General Electric have developed work-place systems that fill some critical needs for post-collegiate runners.
“It's a lot of fun being in a team environment,” said Angelina Anliker, a member of CNA's champion winning Female team. “There isn't much opportunity once graduating from school to have a group that trains together and works for the same goal. It's great that we have this type of support from our employer.”
Amy Horst, company captain for GE and a member of its winning Mixed team, also says that she came into an ideal situation when she joined a company with GE's tradition of support for physical fitness and running.
“Every runner has personal goals on what time they want to run in a race,” she said, “but more important to me is that I stay competitive while establishing my career and keeping my life ‘in-check.' I've only been out of college for two years and have managed to work full-time at GE while earning my masters degree and running respectable times on the GE track team. That's an accomplishment for me. I'm really inspired by all the runners who are doing very well all around – they work full time, have families, and still find time to be fast. I want to still be at that point in 10, even 20 years.”
Finding that balance is, in essence, what the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge is all about. Here's a closer look at two companies whose support has helped bring team championships, but, more importantly, fostered a culture that encourages, even inspires, physical activity.
CNA - Balance was its key to victory
When you look at the results making up of Chicago 's winning Female team, what jumps out is, in a word, balance. Unlike many winning teams in the Series, there is no “super fast” runner on the CNA team. Anliker led the way in 22:42, very good, but not the sub-20-minute time of the leaders of many teams coming to New York. Then, however, you see the team's wonderful balance. Christine Martello was next in 23:42, followed by Katherine McCauley ( 23:58 ), and Anusha Pillay (24:05).
That 1 minute, 23 second gap from first to fourth is remarkable in a field as large as Chicago 's, and it resulted in a more than two-minute victory over Sears, Roebuck and Co. It also was no accident, said team captain Jeffrey Vorreyer.
“These women know how to race as a team,” said Vorreyer. “In training, they feed off of each other and they make each other stronger. They know where they should be in relation to one another at all times during a race. And, we're not just talking about the top four women. The women go as much as eight deep before we see a real separation in consistency.”
It starts, added Vorreyer, with the supportive culture CNA has created.
“CNA doesn't need to be reminded what the Corporate Challenge means,” he said. “We run competitively year round, but the Corporate Challenge is the focus. The race is always on the minds of the runners in some form … even if it's just a five-mile run in the snow in February. … The company is very supportive. We stress that the event is open to both competitive runners and walkers as well. Being an insurance company, we recognize the benefits to everyone.”
Encouragement by manager landed McCauley on team
Team member McCauley gives some insight into just how a supportive company culture can make a difference.
“During my first week at CNA, a senior manager who had seen a copy of my resume indicating that I ran cross country in college stopped by my desk around 11:30 a.m. every day for a week and invited me to go for a run with the group,” McCauley said. “I declined several times, but finally, because he was so persistent, I joined the group at lunch during my second week at CNA. That's how I became a member of the team.
“After I graduated from college, I knew I would continue to run, but I never thought I would improve as a runner while making a difference on a team. The women I run with are not only amazing athletes, but dedicated to their jobs. I love running and working for a company that supports my passion. We are so grateful to CNA.”
Support helped her become a serious runner
For team member Martello, CNA's supportive culture literally changed her life.
“It has been a pleasure representing CNA,” Martello said. “What means the most to me is being able to train with a large group of people … not only the three other women traveling to New York, but all of the other CNA men and women that participate. I was not a serious runner before joining CNA, but the more serious runners have taught me how to be competitive in the sport and now it is a very important part of my life.”
Currently, two members of the team are training for the Chicago Marathon, the week after the Championship. Three of the team members are based in the home office, which towers over the Grant Park Corporate Challenge race course. They train a couple of times a week together, and members also do some interval workouts and weekly long runs together.
After finishing 6th in 2003 Championship, CNA looks stronger in '04
It has all paid off. Last year, CNA finished sixth overall at the Championship and was less than four minutes from being the top American team.
“I'm extremely excited to face the best corporate runners from all over the world in New York,” said McCauley. “I ran in college and faced some tough competition, but I was never on a winning team, so this time I am facing the best and I am on a team of dedicated runners with high expectations and the ability to be competitive.”
“They are much faster than they were in 2003,” said Vorreyer, “and they take this competition very seriously.”
They also have the ability to work as a team going for them. It has taken them a long way already.
General Electric - Two teams qualify
Tim Donahugh (8069) and Joe Herington (8072) lead GE's Male team to victory in Chicago with times of 18:08. |
GE actually qualified two teams for the Championship in the Chicago race – its Male and Mixed teams. The results highlighted what has become a growing trend for GE at Chicago – winning.
“When I was warming up for the Chicago race with Ellen (Alkiewicz, a member of GE's Mixed team), we were running against a number of people walking into the event area,” said GE Company Captain Amy Horst. “We were both sporting our GE t-shirt and someone made the comment, ‘Look, there goes GE off to win again.' Ellen and I smiled at each other and said, ‘Yes, we sure are!' Now that we did, we're both so psyched for New York as this will be our first time running there.”
As with CNA, success is measured by more than just victories, however, and it doesn't come from out of the blue.
“GE is a great supporter of our running efforts,” said Horst. “People love to do the Chicago event, whether they are trying to qualify for New York or just go for a 3.5-mile run on a Thursday evening in Chicago, for so many reasons. It's a great opportunity for those from our Milwaukee/Waukesha business to make it down to the “big city,” a great time to meet other people from our businesses, as we have so many all around the area and they wouldn't interact on a regular basis.”
At Chicago 's June race, Horst ( 23:10 ) and Alkiewicz ( 23:14 ) teamed with Ben Mulvaney ( 17:52 ) and Pat Finerty ( 20:24 ) to win the Mixed title. Meanwhile, Joe Herington and Tim Donahugh paced each other to 18:08 finishes to lead GE's victorious Male team. Mark Rutledge ( 18:45 ) and Kyle Zeller ( 23:34 ) made up the rest of the Male team.
Feeling of 'team' pervades GE's running program
As with CNA, the training bonds and camaraderie among team members is clear.
“Joe, Tim and I have trained, traveled and raced together over the last couple of years … and we still like each other,” said Rutledge.
“Hell, I probably would have quit if it wasn't for these guys,” joked Donahugh.
Not only have they not quit, they've gotten better. GE's Male team placed sixth at the Championship last year in a quick 1:14:15. And this year, GE has the bonus of also having its Mixed team in the running from Chicago. That Mixed team comes in with a time of 1:24:40, just outside the top 10 times for the year.
“The Mixed team is very excited about the Championship,” said Horst. “All of the runners have been training over the summer to improve on their performances from this spring. We are going to reach for all that we've got! Our men's team is also gearing up the Championship and shooting for a top combined performance.
“We are all motivated to keep running because of the team,” added Horst. “I know that had I not hooked up with this team, my efforts after college would have dropped drastically. It is motivation to keep at it, knowing there are other people on your team working hard – you want to give your best efforts for them also.
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