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Businesses on their marks for corporate Marathon challenge
Wednesday, 23rd Dec 2009 - 11:48am
Organisers of one of the UK’s top road races are urging businesses and organisations from across South Yorkshire to convert their competitive corporate edge into charity cash.
Companies in the region are being challenged to sign up for the 2010 SIG Insulations Sheffield Half Marathon.
A flurry of South Yorkshire organisations have already signed up for this year’s Corporate Challenge, including a team from Sheffield-based Lightwork Design Ltd – the world’s leading designers and developers of 3D visualization and simulation software.
Four team members from the company, located in Broomhill, are taking part in the event – product services director Graeme McCarthy (46), software engineer Gary Sheppard (26), managing director David Forrester (39) and software architect Tim Hammond (40).
Tim said: “The company has entered a team in the Sheffield Half Marathon for the last few years and it is a great way of team building and bringing out a bit of competitive spirit in people.
“I ran last year and have since taken part in a few other races and, although it was hard work, I wanted to get fit and do my bit to raise funds for some very worthy local causes.”
Companies can enter as teams in the Corporate Team Challenge with groups of four individuals from organisations that are not athletics clubs. All members of the team compete over the half marathon distance and the accumulated time of the three fastest runners comprises the team score.
Ian Thomas, entries coordinator for the Sheffield Half Marathon, said: “The Corporate Challenge is a great way for businesses and organisations to get involved in the race. Running and training with work colleagues can be a great way of team building and raising money for some fantastic local charities.
“We want to encourage other teams to take up the challenge and enter the 13.1 mile road race. The 2009 event had a record-breaking number of corporate challenge entries, so we are hoping to see another record broken in 2010!”
The 10 chosen charities for this year’s Sheffield Half Marathon are Sheffield Teenage Cancer Trust, Motor Neurone Disease Association South Yorkshire, Macmillan Cancer Support, Myasthenia Gravis Association, RSPCA Sheffield, Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre South Yorkshire, Sheffield Wildlife Trust, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind and Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice.
