On Wednesday night, I ran the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge with 14,999 other runners and walkers. While I’ve heard about the event for years, this was my first time participating. While I had a blast running with Meaghan and Ashley, this event unfortunately lived up to the rumors I’ve heard for years.
- Too crowded
- Takes forever to cross the starting line
- Chaos in Central Park with people EVERYWHERE
The race started at 7pm but we didn’t cross the starting line until 7:17, even though we were in one of the closer corrals. I have no idea how corrals were decided though it seemed that they were based on company versus pace so people could spend time with their co-workers while they waited for the race to begin.
The 3.2 mile course was the bottom loop, starting right at the Loeb Boathouse and finishing on the west side of the park, avoiding the park’s largest hills. Regardless of the wonderful course, this is not a PR course due to the huge crowds and the fact that many of the participants are first time racers. I loved seeing the people of all shapes and sizes out their with their co-workers but when people were walking in the first few minutes of the course – five people across – it made things pretty crowded and cramped.
Luckily, our plan for the race was to chat and enjoy ourselves. I knew that my legs would be tired from running the Brooks 5k just 12 hours earlier after a month long running hiatus. Due to the crowds in our corrals and on the course, we were only able to keep around a 10-minute pace. As we dodged people we passed the time by laughing at team t-shirts, taking in the sights and enjoying a warm, Summer evening in Central Park.
We finished in 31:05 (9:42 mins/mile) – a far cry from a PR or even typical pace for me pre-injury. But, as you can see from the picture below, the crazy course crowds didn’t stop us from having fun together!
If you’re trying to decide whether to run this race with your company, I would suggest that you do so but know what to expect. Focus on the time with colleagues more than the workout or race pace and you should have a great time! Some companies rented out area bars or restaurants for after parties which sounds like the ingredients for a perfect evening – a run in Central Park followed by beers!
Thank you to JPMorgan for the complimentary bib and VIP wrist band. All experiences and thoughts are my own.
I was supposed to run this race with my company but had to pull out at the last minute due to an injury. I think I will try to run it next year. Thank you for all of the info!