The Grant Thornton 5K Team Challenge is back again in 2017 with dates in Cork and Belfast in June and in Dublin’s Docklands area in the first week of September.
The race is one of Athletics Ireland and Athletics Northern Ireland’s main events for the business community and is now entering it’s sixth year in Dublin and it’s third in Cork.
This is the first year that the race will take place in Belfast.
The Dublin race is the largest with over 5,000 runners taking part in the four person team event. Team members’ times are combined to determine the winner in each category. There are three categories; male, female & mixed.
The Staff Relay Series, boasting similar numbers but taking place in a more social setting of the Phoenix Park with tents for teams and supporters, food, drink and other entertainment, is sponsored this time for the first year by PwC.
It will cater for a similar number of 5,000 runners covering the race as a relay and takes place in the Park on May 25th.
Staff Relay Series Takes Off with PwC
The Defence Forces won the mixed and men’s race last year with Davy taking the women’s category. Deloitte, Bank of Ireland, Glanbia and Irish Life were among the others to shine. In total there were 136 companies that entered the race.
“We are delighted to be hosting the 5k Corporate Challenge Series again in 2017,” said Paul McCann, Managing Partner with Grant Thornton.
“As a team event, these runs offer a great opportunity to build team spirit and generate some healthy competition.”
“The Grant Thornton Corporate 5K Team Challenge is a great way of encouraging people within the workplace to get or keep fit,” added event ambassador, International Athlete Mark Christie.
“Each year the event is made up of runners from those who run regularly to complete beginners. The team element adds a sense of fun and camaraderie amongst work colleagues.”
“As an association one of our core strategic objectives is to promote health and fitness in the population as a whole,” said John Foley, CEO of Athletics Ireland.
“This event enables us to reach beyond our core membership into the business community by encouraging them to focus on a fitness programme which targets a 5k run; a good starter point for novice runners.”
“Grant Thornton’s sponsorship of this event allows for it to be a revenue earner for the association with profits generated channelled into our Junior High Performance Athletics programmes. These programmes provide support and expertise to close to 100 of our emerging young athletes to help them to fulfil their potential.”
The locations and dates for 2017 are The Mall, Cork on Wednesday 14th June, Belfast City Airport on Thursday 22nd June 2017, the flagship event, Dublin Docklands will take place on Wednesday 6th September.
Team entries can be made at www.grantthorntoncorporatechallenge.ie
Team entries for the PwC Staff relay Series can be made at www.staffrelayseries.com
