Runners find their space at the start of 2004 race.

Sydney's growth surges;
cause hits home for winner
Official results | Photo gallery

Lucinda Chapman ran faster than her targeted pace to win.

SYDNEY, November 10, 2004 – The last of an event record 5,793 participants had crossed the finish line on a pristine evening in Centennial Park, and Olympic gold medalist and Grand Slam tennis champion Patrick Rafter stood on the awards stage. He was there with his sister Louise to accept a $30,000AUD check from JPMorgan on behalf of his eponymous charitable organization, the Patrick Rafter Cherish The Children Foundation.

This is the second consecutive year that the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge in this breathtaking New South Wales city had designated Rafter's organization as the primary beneficiary. And the choice resonated profoundly with the fastest participant among the field of entrants.

Paul Arthur, 38, is an ambulance driver for Calvary Health. He's worked in that job for approximately a year after spending nearly 20 years as a professional runner, representing Australia in various competitions including the World Cross Country Championships. His most notable victory was the 1994 Sydney City to Surf, one of the largest races in the world and a rite of passage event for Australia's running elite.

But after Arthur covered the 5.6-kilometer (3.5-mile) Centennial Park course to win his first ever JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge title, he suddenly had a new, favorite racing memory.

Most meaningful win because of Patrick Rafter

“This one may mean the most to me now because of Patrick Rafter,” Arthur began. “He is a man who really should be admired, because of what he has done with his fame as a tennis player to start his foundation. He's in a position to help a lot of kids who are at risk. I should know, I'm lucky to be here today.”

Arthur said his mother abandoned him and his two siblings when he was barely two years old. By the time he was nine, Arthur was placed in a Boys' Home and trouble was a constant companion when he was a teenager. “But then I found running,” said Arthur, “and that was my ticket to independence and happiness. I made it, but so many kids don't. That's why the work that Patrick Rafter does is so valuable.”

Rafter's foundation identifies and assists underfunded charities that bring hope and care to emotionally, mentally and physically challenged children 18 years of age and younger. With this donation from the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge, Cherish The Children will aid The Mirabel House in Sydney, an organization that aids children who have been orphaned or abandoned due to parental illicit drug use.

“What you have all done,” Louise Rafter told the participants in a post-race address, “is insure that all of the kids at Mirabel House will get a Christmas present this year. That's an enormous step forward for these kids.”

And Arthur was glad to do his part.

“I've never had a full-time job until this past year,” he said. “But I always knew about this race, and when I became eligible this year I got together three teammates from Calvary Health. It was great fun and better because it was for a great cause.”

Calvary Health looks to have won Mixed team title

And Arthur and his teammates Jeremy Horne, Renee Fortunato and Jo Rankin will get an extra benefit. They were the fastest mixed team on this night and have earned a trip to the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge Championship in New York City on October 1.

Lucinda Chapman, a litigation lawyer for Baker & McKenzie, was also a first-time winner on the women's side, coming home in 21:02, 23 seconds ahead of Calvary's Fortunato. Unlike Arthur, however, she is relatively new to competitive racing.

“This is all so surprising to me,” Chapman said with a radiant smile. “I ran the Sydney Marathon in three hours, 33 seconds and someone said to me, ‘Lucinda, you should start training more seriously, you're pretty good.' So I signed up for an online training program from (past JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge men's champion) Pat Carroll.”

Runners finish on a sunny Sydney day.

Carroll counseled Chapman that if she followed his training program, she could run a 21:30 at the Corporate Challenge. Student bested teacher by nearly a half-minute, aided perhaps by conditions ideally suited for racing – light breeze, mild, shirt-sleeve temperatures, no humidity.

“I figured if I could run around 22 minutes I'd have a chance to do well, based on last year's times here,” Chapman said. “I'm thrilled to win and I will tell Pat that I'm very happy!”

Chapman has been with the law firm for about a year and finds running an essential ingredient for balance in life.

“I took on a lot in the past year, and it's all been worth it,” she said.

Race growth surges 20% over 2003

Obviously many in Sydney's business community have caught the fitness bug. The 5,793 participants represented a 20-percent increase from 2003 and in the five years this event has been held in Centennial Park, it has grown 166% from 2,180 to its current figure. A total of 281 companies entered and 37 had good-size corporate marquees. It's not inconceivable to see 10-15,000 people at this festival of corporate competition in coming years.

“You've made this event part of the fitness and corporate landscape in Sydney,” Rob Priestly, Senior Country Manager for JPMorgan, said. “We couldn't be prouder to own an event that is so embraced.”

The positive profile of the event is what attracted approximately 80 employees from Australia Post. Some ran, some walked and all came decked out in new t-shirts designed to promote the postal service's new Impact Mail program.

“Impact Mail is brand new, a program that allows for creative mailing for odd-shaped packages,” said Paul Royston, Account Executive for Australia Post. “We want a lot of people to know about it, and we decided this was the perfect place to promote it. Where else in Sydney can you reach nearly 6,000 people and so many potential corporate customers? This event was perfect for us.”

Russell Brennan should get some positive exposure also after earning the men's Most Senior Executive title in 21:53, besting John Suter of ING by 38 seconds.

Sydney was the second event of the 2005 JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge, following our 2005 debut in Houston on October 25. The Series now takes a four-month break before resuming in Johannesburg, South Africa in March. Please check back to www.jpmorganchasecc.com regularly for our complete 2005 schedule of events.