Shanghai returns to Corporate Challenge in November following three-year absence
For the first time since 2019, the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge Series will visit Shanghai.
The 10th running of the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge Shanghai is scheduled for Thursday, November 16, with the 3.5-mile (5.6km) road race starting and finishing at the SPD Bank Oriental Sports Center.
Shanghai, the first city in China to host a Corporate Challenge, made its Series debut in October, 2011. In-person races were held each year between 2011-19, with an impressive crowd of 5,664 runners and walkers from 213 companies gathering at the last Corporate Challenge, on November 14, 2019.
Appropriate safety precautions due to the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the cancellation of the Shanghai races in 2020, 2021 and 2022. The wait will create additional enthusiasm for this November’s celebration of workplace fitness and camaraderie.
“We never had a doubt that the Corporate Challenge would come back in Shanghai,” said Mark Leung, CEO of J.P. Morgan China. “We are very excited that the Corporate Challenge has become one of Shanghai’s most popular after-work events in the past years. With the return of this signature live event, we are looking forward to a very successful reunion on the race course with the Shanghai business community and our colleagues to celebrate healthy competition and teamwork spirit.”
The Corporate Challenge is an all-inclusive event, welcoming racers, joggers, walkers, and disabled participants. Registration for the November 16 after-work race is open now and businesses of all sizes are welcome. Companies must register a minimum of four employees, with no maximum. Registration fee is RMB 255 per entrant.
Pre- and post-race hospitality at the SPD Bank Oriental Sports Center will be available, with registration opening on August 29. Reserving hospitality is the perfect opportunity to turn the road race into a memorable company outing, with various options available for space, food and beverage.
Shanghai is scheduled to be the 15th and final event in the 2023 J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge Series, with eight total countries on six continents scheduled to be visited. The Series has proven to be highly successful this year, attracting 168,115 entrants (18,679 average attendance) through the first nine events.
The 2019 J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge Shanghai had a full-capacity crowd, with CIFM Asset Management registering the largest team with 510 total entrants. Eaton was the second largest with 361 entrants, followed by owner and operator J.P. Morgan (317), Bosch (240), Disney (181), and EY Hua Ming (119).
The pace at the front of the pack was set by two runners from Disney. Jun Lin Li broke the tape first in the men’s division with a time of 18:52, with colleague Yingli Jiang capturing the women’s title with a time of 22:32. Joe Burnett of AECOM holds the all-time fastest finish for this event, 18:09, while Sarah Edson of English First has the women’s record, 21:25 – both set in 2012.
The J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge will continue its long-standing tradition of supporting charities in countries where its events are held. In 2019, the firm donated on behalf of each entrant to the China Social Entrepreneur Foundation (YouChange Foundation), specifically supporting the Power Up Women program, aiming at helping underprivileged women to achieve financial independency and supporting the development of rural communities. The 2023 beneficiary will be announced prior to the race night.
For Shanghai registration support, please contact shanghai@corpchallenge.jpmorgan.com or 400 8200 421.