JPMorgan Chase & Co. Corporate Challenge

The Chicago Corporate Challenge had another death in 2016. Approximately 20% to 25% of the 3.5 mile Corporate Challenge event in Chicago is spent in an enclosed «tunnel-​like» area (the whole north end of the race course), where the air does not circulate. The weather for the 2016 race in Chicago was especially hot, and it was even hotter in the enclosed tunnel area. Also, there is always hot air from adjacent building air conditioners blowing onto runners while they are in the tunnel area, making it even more unpleasant.
It is absolutely ridiculous to have 27,000 people running on a course so poorly designed. The Chicago race has set itself up for failure. The course needs to be redesigned so that runners are out in the open the whole way, where the air actually circulates. Further, the race coordinators should do like they do in New York, City, and have three separate events, on different nights. It would be much more manageable to have 9,000 or 10,000 people in an event, rather than 27,000. Wake up Corporate Challenge — we do not need anymore deaths at this event!

To echo Christine S.‘s 2013 review: «If you actually want to run, don’t come do this race… If you want 9 gazillion walkers getting in your way, this ones for you!»
2016 was my second time running this 3.5 mile challenge and while I like the camaraderie of bonding with co-​workers, and the community donations Chase does around this National 3.5 mile challenge, it’s just a big clusterbomb of a «race».
Start the race earlier– We’re all coming directly from work. 27,000 people are running this with their workplaces. Make it 6pm start.
Change the course– We’ve got miles and miles of Lakefront, but this run route goes underneath an exhaust-​fueled car overpass, and also gets exhaust from food restaurants on the Riverwalk. It tightly winds between miles 1 – 2 with three tight 180 turns.
Walk on the Right policy and awareness– Chase should tell those wanting to walk, stick to the right. Same goes for those wanting to stop running cold. Get to your right.
The positives– they give out a great stylish race shirt every year– the kind that breathes in heat too. And the community donations aspect deserves a kudos.

Did it for the first time this year. Overall, a fun and well run event. However it is BIG and CROWDED like the Shamrock Shuffle. Not sure if they did corrals or not. Seemed like after the Elites, all other runners were started as one massive group, which made it crazy. I ran the entire race and was still rudely elbowed by a lot of people who just couldn’t find a polite way to pass. Never quite experienced anything like that!
I really liked the route as well as the shirt (which I was not expecting!)
I would do it again; however, I may have to throw a few elbows myself, though!!! :0p

If you actually want to run, don’t come do this race.
If you want 9 gazillion walkers getting in your way, this ones for you!
Luckily I ran with 4 tough chicks and we elbowed the ones that got in our way and dodged through the crowd like there a riot taking place.
This was my first and probably last time doing this one.

This race has gotten better because of the loose starting coral system they are using now. Your company captain will be given some red/​low numbers for the fastest runners and with one you can get into the front. Years past it was a train wreck passing people/​walkers. This year I was able to get just a couple people from the front, and could have been in the very front row, but I was hiding from the cold north wind!
So it’s a very nice event to go race in a work context. Because of the several turn-​arounds on the course, you get to see friends/​co-​workers on course quite a bit, which is cool.
They only report results based on overall times, and for company teams of four runner groups– so there’s no age group/​gender results if that’s your thing. But in general, a great race to look forward to for bragging rights around the office.
–1 star for the weird 3.5 mile distance– this should just be a 5k, but it’s not!

Wish I could give this 3.5 stars, but I guess I’ll round up, and I’ll tell you why in a second. This is the second-​time I did the Chase Corp challenge, and the reason I’m rating this higher is because I do see improvements of the race since the last time I did it, which was two-​years ago so they are listening to people and trying to improve the experience overall. The race had a LOT more water stations then last time and a lot of people. They estimated about 20,000 people which regardless of what the event is, is pretty commendable in terms of organizing and making sure everything was good. That alone deserves a some stars as quite frankly, with the recent events of the world, it is tough to make sure all is coordinate and safe (Boston Strong!)
The race itself was OK. The runners ranged from super-​crazy-​serious people, to walkers. I was somewhere in the middle. The only gripe I had was that you would think it would be common sense for people who are walkers to walk on the right-​side. The race was officially 3.5 miles, but I think I ran close to 4 (that .5 extra mile is a lot for a non-​runner like myself) from weaving around people walking, sometimes the people walking was 6-​people across, which is ridiculous.
Most of the course was sheltered; it was lower wacker and lower michigan ave. The weather was in the 50s which is perfect for me, but I wonder how it was like when it was 90degrees, like last year. I decided not to run that year because of the heat and judging from the people I talked to, they complained about the lack of ventilation while running in lower michigan. I can say, even when I ran, the constant lingering smell of BO was there.
Also, the one pretty cool thing they started doing was that once you crossed the finish line, in a matter of minutes you were emailed your time and pace, which I thought was pretty cool. All-​in-​all, fun event and pretty well-​organized. Wish it wasn’t that crowded — its amazing so many people would signup to run — but I guess its so many people because this is one of the better races out there. The cool temps definitely did not seem to deter people from showing up.
BATHROOM REVIEW — typical porta-​potties that I actually avoided, due to the crowds. But I don’t think I would be far off to give this a «Squat» rating.

I think this is my 3^rd or 4^th time participating in this event. It’s a fun event if you like hanging out with your job peeps (good thing that I do). Just get a little frustrated at the start times. I would like the event to start earlier since I’m in the slow group and it’s usually dark by the time I get back to the tent for dinner and drinks.
The other negative is that there are 25,000 people and although they want to make us go out in corrals, its still a cluster f***. They try though… One of these years I’m sure it’ll get better.
I’ll keep going as long as my company participates since I am a team
player.

Firs time running the Chase Corporate Challenge and I didn’t realize the crowd would be that huge. It was almost like the annual Shamrock Shuffle except that the SS race is much more professionally organized. Corporate tents are all over the area and I first had difficulty locating my company’s tent to get my bib for the race. I couldn’t find a single race official to ask for directions. Saw a group of young men who were all wearing the same orange tshirt that says «Official JP Morgan». They didn’t look like runners so I assumed they were volunteers but they had no idea where the B Tents where and told me to go the Information booth. Luckily I got directions from there.
Participants are assigned to different color bibs based on whether they are elites/​competitive, runners, joggers, and walkers. Folks, this is simple race etiquette that if you are going to be walking please start at your appropriate corral. Many of us runners had to suddenly go around some walkers and we hadn’t even passed the Mile 1 marker yet.
Our race tshirts were given out right after we crossed the finish line which is usually not the case for other races where tshirts are handed out prior to the race. For post race goodies, there were bananas, Propel water, and fruit cup.
The course was very pleasant and pretty flat so if anyone is looking to set a personal best, this race is good for that. The timing of the race is odd though at 7:10pm.

The JPM Corp Challenge is one of many races I’ve had completed in the last two years. Unfortunately this one will probably be my last one (no repeats in the future).
It was the most unorganized race I have ever completed: lack of water stations, no guidance on how to reach corporate tents, no starting corrals based on time/​pace.
Every timed race I have completed was more organized than this one.
I hope that some improvements are made to ensure a safe, and fun race

A serious running event with serious Midwest hotties.
Bushes just as good for pre-​race unloading; port-​a-​potty lines too long.
Brief starting-​line entertainment.
Over before you know it; easy race but prep for possibly hot weather if visiting.
Plenty water, bananas, and souvenir tees.

Running the Chase has become a new tradition for my friend and I. It is 23K strong on a regular basis with participation by more than 600 business across the Chicagoland. A 5K run or walk it affords anyone the chance to partake in this evening event that passes under Wacker and along the Lake. Each year the proceeds are donated to a single charity while companies are able to encourage their employees to have fun together with their respective colleagues and friends!
An atypical run in that the pre– and post-​race festivities are limited to that which your company provides or doesn’t and its one of the few «evening» races!
Laid back and lots of fun either way! Always the Thursday before Memorial Day so it’s a nice kick-​off to a relaxing holiday weekend.

Ran this race for my company, I’m an avid 5k runner so this was an easy event for me to say yes to! It was cold yet it was my best 5k time of the year, I took a bus with some fellow coworkers so I got to meet new friends (since I work for a major company, there are always new people to meet). Good food, drinks and conversations after with my fellow coworkers made the cold run well worth it! I will be doing this race again next year!

This was my first large-​scale Chicago race. I opted to participate this year to show support for the organizers at my company and benefit Chicago’s food banks. The fact that I essentially got two t-​shirts for the price of admission (race tee and my company designed tee) also sweetened the deal. I’ll admit that I’m not an avid runner– I can do three miles on the treadmill at best. My strategy for this race was to walk/​jog/​sprint at various points as the spirit (s) moved me. Note that I say spirits, as the company’s hospitality tent was well stocked with a selection of CVS’s finest offerings and I wanted to get back there as quickly as possible.
This review is primarily for the event’s organization and logistics. In general, things could have been more clearly marked as it was difficult to locate a map of the tent locations. Due to unseasonably cool temperatures, the crowd was probably thinned out compared to what it could have been, but still fairly sizable. Even so, the start of the race seemed like a running of the bulls. The start times were ‘seeded’, with walkers at the back of the pack which should have made the thing more orderly; however, I felt that I was in the midst of a stampede when starting out (side note to people: if you signed up to be in the walking group, then walk or jog, and if you wanted to run, you should have signed on for that group!) Things improved as the race progressed, even though I was ready for it to be over well into mile 2 of this 3.5 mile course. Overall, a fun event and kickoff to the Memorial Day holiday.

This was my first race with a LOT of people, so I didn’t know what to expect, but as a runner, I have a few gripes.
First, people, if you are going to walk, and you know you are going to walk, please follow a few simple guidelines. Start in the back of the pack with the other walkers. I don’t know why I was passing walkers three minutes into the race (about 30 seconds after I got started!). It was ridiculous. You are in the way of faster people behind you.
Which brings me to my second point, if you are going to walk, or if you were running and then you start walking, stay on the right side of the road, out of the way of faster people so they can pass you on the left. It’s simple common courtesy. I don’t know how many times I ran into a wall of walkers yesterday. It was crazy.
Do not cheat on the course. On the first hairpin turn, people were going through holes in the fence as a shortcut. Running on the left, I had no choice but to go with them, I would have been fighting my way through the crowd.
I guess I should be thankful it wasn’t as crowded as it could have been. There were supposed to be 23,000 people racing yesterday, but only 17,000 showed up. That means 6,000 people got laid off on their way to Grant Park.
I don’t know who planned the course, but a fair chunk of it was covered (Randolph and Wacker). And there was. Zero. Air. Flow. In. There. It felt like it was a thousand degrees.
There was no water until almost the end of the race, which was fine with me, because by the time I got to the water, I took a sip and thought I was going to puke.
On the plus side, there was water and bananas at the finish line, and Grant Park is the perfect setting for the event.

This was my first 5k of the season!
I did this race last year and liked it so much I did it again. I’m not an avid runner, and seem to only run races since it’s more motivating.
This race starts in Grant park and involves many corporations as a way to get everyone a healthy kick start to the summer. But it also supports the food banks in Chicago. There was a truck there full of food for families that can’t afford it. I think it’s great, so many people out there running, and helping people in need to.