KPMG have entered another strong team as they look to defend their title in the accountancy sector of the Standard Chartered Great City Race, with 30 staff set to line up for the 5km corporate running challenge on Thursday 14 July. They will face stiff competition from their closest rivals last year BDO LLP who have the strongest number of runners of all the legal firms with 37 staff entered for the event which sold out its places in record time for the third successive year.
Ernst & Young are also taking the race seriously this year, hot on the heels of BDO with 36 staff entered. With all the major accountancy firms due to take part, competition is set to be fierce for bragging rights of who can be the fastest. Now in its seventh year, the race invites companies to enter teams of four or more runners with their top quartet’s times combining to give their overall finishing time and ultimately deciding the winner. Other sectors taking part in the race are Banking, Legal, Insurance and the Media.
Runners are again being encouraged to help raise vital funds for the race’s designated initiative, Seeing is Believing, which tackles avoidable blindness around the world. There are 285 million people in the world, yet amazingly 80% of all cases could have been prevented. Standard Chartered Bank is giving every team a special incentive to help raise further funds by announcing that it will match all donations pound for pound.
This year’s race will see a number of new initiatives unveiled in the build up to the race and today sees the launch of the race’s own dedicated Facebook page ( www.facebook.com/standardcharteredgreatcityrace) where the public can interact with a wealth of entertaining and engaging information about the race and find out how to raise funds for Seeing is Believing. The new platform will also provide a forum for training and nutrition tips and an outlet for runners to share their experiences in the build up to the race.
Richard Holmes, Standard Chartered, CEO Europe said, “Every year the race continues to go from strength to strength and the fact that all of the places have been taken a full two months early is testament to its incredible popularity in the City. It’s a wonderful event which provides a unique platform to pull the City together for a common cause, and provides companies with the opportunity to bring their employees together in a fun and relaxed team environment.”
David Bedford, Race Directorsaid, “With demand for the race growing each year the event is firmly established as London’s premier corporate running challenge. Each year we work hard to give the participants a better experience and it’s hugely satisfying to see that City companies clearly value the whole event and are already looking forward to being part of it again this year.”
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