Thursday, April 21, 2011

J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge Run

I have not run since secondary school in the mid-eighties, and definitely not since I tore my left knee ACL and meniscus in 1989. But when my NetApp colleagues suggested that we form a team for the 8th annual J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge in the Lion City, I decided to give it a shot with a disclaimer - that I would be (brisk) walking. So 11 of us formed Team NetApp.

Race day - what a great atmosphere! A record 13,233 participants from 403 companies were flagged off in a cool but humid evening. I was at the back of the pack, and the queue was so long that I only started about 20 minutes after the elite runners started.

Surprisingly, perhaps because of the atmosphere, my run/jog/walk was not as painful as feared. I managed to jog most of the 5.6 km street course, and walked through a couple of bottle necks.

I finished 7903th position in 49:38 minutes ... and with no reference point, I thought this was a good finish. It was certainly the longest I have run for over 25 years!


A few of us adjourned to Durty Nelly's Irish Pub for drinks to celebrate the completion of a great event. Great company, no injury or major pain - I would probably do it again next year.

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