Kx Summer Wellness:
JP Morgan Corporate Challenge

Introduction

A couple of weeks ago, Kx kicked off Wellness Month by participating in the London JP Morgan Corporate Challenge 2023. An event held every year across the world in 7 countries with over 7,000 companies competing. At the same time, we raised money for our charity partner Inspire, who provide resources for children in boroughs across London to develop their workplace skills for their futures. This event speaks to Kx’s commitment to promoting wellness at the firm and to helping others in need in the wider community.

What is the JP Morgan Event?

Founded in 1977, the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge is a prestigious and highly anticipated annual event, bringing together professionals from companies worldwide, uniting them under the banner of camaraderie, athleticism, and corporate social responsibility. Starting with a single race in New York City with 200 runners from 50 companies, it has now grown to 13 races held in 7 countries across 5 continents, with a total of ~250,000 entrants. The Kx team was eager to get involved and entered the London race held in Battersea Park. It was the perfect location, not far from our London office and a picturesque setting to observe both personal and collective achievement.

A day out in Battersea

The team was eager to set a solid time for our debut for the London race. A mostly flat 5.6km long course, we were confident our training had set us up for a fun evening out with colleagues in the professional services world. The weather did not disappoint that day, with warm summer sun and a calm breeze.
En route to the race, the bustling streets of London were transformed into a vibrant tapestry of color, with thousands of runners wearing their corporate attire. The camaraderie amongst colleagues, and competitiveness between teams became apparent when we arrived. The atmosphere was upbeat and positive as the motivational music and chatter of thousands of entrants filled the park.
The race organizers ensured a seamless event, with a well-organized race HQ, water stations and race volunteers readily available to cater to all the athletes’ needs. The Kx team got some pre-race photos before we all headed down to the start pens for the much-anticipated start. Throughout the route, there were cheers and applause from enthusiastic spectators and the endless stream of runners meant everyone was encouraged to push their boundaries and achieve personal bests.

Not even the false finish, where athletes had to run past the finish and complete another ~750m before looping round to finish the race could deter the Kx team’s spirit. The Kx team had a strong finish and averaged ~31:00 minutes across the team, coming 498th out of >4,000 across the world. The team was delighted to have finished with such a strong time (top 10%!). Not to mention that we were able to raise £300 for our corporate charity at the same time.

As the sun set over the trees in Battersea Park, the Kx team assembled in our luminous green race “finisher” shirts after the run to share our experiences jostling for position with other runners, and reflecting how much fun we had that evening. After an exciting evening at Battersea Park, the team enjoyed refreshing cold beverages, marking a fantastic kick off to the Wellness Month at Kx. The ambiance and camaraderie made the experience even more memorable, setting the tone for a month filled with health and well-being initiatives.

Conclusion

We thoroughly enjoyed participating in the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge and were very happy that the Kx Leadership supports promoting wellness for all employees. We would like to thank all the Kx London employees who took part and the Kx Giving team for organizing a great event for the team. We’re proud to be able to support and donate to our charity partner Inspire, who do incredible work for the local community and we look forward to contributing further to their success in the future. At Kx, we value the work-life balance of our employees and we’re committed to our employees physical and mental well-being.
Kx is looking forward to participating in similar events in the future. See you soon JP Morgan Corporate Challenge!

Ollie Rees – Kx Giving and Fun Committee