SINGAPORE, February 23, 2024 – It’s time to gather all your colleagues – racers, joggers and walkers of all age groups and titles – for the annual running of the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge Singapore, which is expected to host a sold-out crowd of more than 10,000 people. 

Registration is now open for the 3.5-mile (5.6km) team road race, scheduled for Thursday, April 11. The starting horn will sound at 5 p.m., with the race course starting and finishing at the F1 Pit Building.

Since its 2004 debut in Singapore, the Corporate Challenge has earned its reputation as one of the most coveted after-work social events in the business community. Owned and operated by J.P. Morgan, it is an all-inclusive event, welcoming large and small businesses and entrants of all skill levels.

Most importantly, the world’s largest corporate race has proven to be a meaningful and healthy bonding experience for many looking to build camaraderie with their colleagues and teams through fitness, fun and food.

Yi Shan Seah, HR Program Analyst, was one of the more than 650 J.P. Morgan employees at the Marina Bay starting line last April and plans to be running again this year for what will be her third Corporate Challenge.

“I joined the first time (2022) because I was new to the firm and wanted to be as involved as possible to get to know more people,” Seah explained. “I found it so fun that I decided to join the second and third time. We really enjoy the party and band afterwards as a team.”

The post-race scene, in fact, is what separates the Corporate Challenge from all other road races in Singapore. Every company has the opportunity to reserve hospitality space, which provides for a personalized experience with food and beverage of choice, with access to live music.

Travis Loke, Local Control Manager for J.P. Morgan, signed up right away for the 2024 Corporate Challenge.

“I’m an avid cyclist, not a runner,” Loke said. “I joined the firm in December 2022 and last year saw everybody breaking into groups to prepare for the run. Then post-race everyone was talking about it, so I think I should at least experience it for myself this year.”

Loke’s preliminary plan is to walk the 5.6km distance, and he won’t be alone choosing that pace. At many of the 16 Corporate Challenges held globally, up to half of the entrants choose to walk or lightly jog.

For Aaron Yu, APAC Liquidity Product Manager in the Payments team for J.P. Morgan, running is a passion.

His running journey began about 10 years ago, at around the same time he joined the firm and when his daughter was only a year old. He wanted to set an example for her by taking up a sport that cultivates perseverance and discipline.

These days, he trains at least three times a week, and has clocked 300 km in January, in preparation for a marathon in March in Wuxi, China. Last march, he ran the Tokyo marathon, a month after undergoing a keyhole surgery to remove his appendix – made possible because of the encouragement and training that he has received from joining a running group.

“Running is a community, we look after one another and help one another’s dreams come true,” Yu said.

“I’ve benefitted from the running group,” Yu said. “I get inspiration from running, and hope that all my colleagues will get the same thrill from participating in the Corporate Challenge as a firm.”

Singapore will be the second stop of the 2024 J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge Series, which is scheduled to visit 16 cities in eight countries on six continents, including a first-time event in Hong Kong. This will be the 48^th consecutive year of operation for the Series dating back to 1977. The Series enjoyed tremendous success in 2023, increasing its total participation by a whopping 74% to 193,612 participants from 6,288 companies.