Adirondack Sports & Fitness: GHI Workforce Team Challenge

The course is set for the GHI Workforce Team Challenge to pass a significant milestone this year. On May 19, at the end of the workday, thousands of runners and walkers will converge on the streets of downtown Albany to participate in the 25th anniversary of this exhilarating road race.

A popular rite-of-spring tradition, the 3.5-mile race has grown to become the largest annual road race in the Capital Region — and the largest road race between Utica and New York City. Area employers have embraced the event as an opportunity to promote health and fitness amongst their employees in a fun and camaraderie-building setting.

Although the name of the race has changed a few times over the past 25 years, its appeal and ability to transcend demographics remains the same. CEOs and the newest hires from corporations, government agencies, non-profits and growing Tech Valley companies still compete side by side on the course. Last year’s race attracted a record turnout of 4,339 runners and 292 participating companies/organizations.

The Race
Staged on streets that date back to the late 1600s, the race has been held in historic downtown Albany since its inception. Prior to the start, teams line up at the bottom of Madison Avenue. The bang of the starter’s gun signals the 6:25 p.m. start of the race and launches a colorful sea of runners up the Madison Avenue hill. Running shoulder to shoulder, teams representing the Capital Region’s workforce run through Albany’s streets and scenic Washington Park — the crown jewel of downtown — and loop back to a breathtaking downhill finish in front of the dramatic Empire State Plaza.

After the race, participants are presented with T-shirts and finishers’ medals. Music fills the air and refreshments abound while exuberant teammates report their times, share their feats with colleagues and await the awards. After the awards, teams often complete the evening at one of the city’s many fine dining establishments.

The Team Aspect
Hence the name, the GHI Workforce Team Challenge is a team event. As such, a couple basic rules apply. All team members must be employed by the company, agency or organization they’re registered with. A company can have multiple teams, but it must field at least one complete team. A complete team requires at least four men for a men’s team, four women for a women’s team, or two men and two women for a mixed team.

To help keep things organized, each team should designate one member to act as team captain to order, distribute and mail entry forms, organize informational meetings and report running times after the race. Each runner self-reports his or her own time to the captain on the honor system, and team scoring is done by adding the finishing times of the team members. Team awards are given to five teams in each division with the lowest total points.

History of the Challenge
Since its inception, the Hudson-Mohawk Road Runners Club (HMRRC) has hosted and organized the Albany edition of the race, formerly known as the Corporate Challenge. The event serves as the major fundraiser for the Hudson-Mohawk Road Runners Club, which has a roster of 2,000 members throughout the Capital Region.
Similar races are held in 17 cities across the United States, as well as in Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia, as part of the well-known international series of Corporate Challenge races. In 2002, GHI became the major sponsor of the Albany race, retaining a local flavor that makes it unique among series races.

New for This Year
For the second consecutive year, an honorary chair has been appointed to help guide the race and foster collaboration with the corporate community. The 2005 chair is John Gray, WXXA TV-23 anchor.

Race officials have also selected a “Charity of Choice” for those participants who wish to make charitable contributions. This year’s beneficiary is Vanderheyden Hall, a 200-year-old child and family services agency based in Troy.

To broaden the base of participating organizations, a different sector of the workforce has been recognized and honored the past two years. This year’s race will serve as a tribute to educators.

New Technology, Old Values
In the heart of Tech Valley, where industries like nanotechnology were unheard of only a few years ago, change is the norm. As with other regions of growth around the country, many aspects of our work relationships are also changing, as enterprises emerge, grow and reinvent themselves.

In today’s fast-paced business setting, it’s a common complaint that there is less time to enjoy one another’s company after work in leisure or recreational activities — less time to generate the “social glue” that strengthens our working relationships.

The vision of the GHI Workforce Team Challenge is to create an event that provides both the time and place for all working people to celebrate their commonalities and shared experiences outside of work. What better way to do that than to run — or walk — through the park on a beautiful spring evening with your co-workers.

To learn more about the GHI Workforce Team Challenge, visit www.ghiwtc.com. The site contains all the information needed to form workplace teams and register for this year’s race, along with many other helpful hints and information about the event. The entry deadline for this year’s event is May 13.

Jim Gilmer is a longtime participant in the GHI Workforce Team Challenge and past president of the Hudson-Mohawk Road Runners Club. He lives in Glenmont and enjoys all forms of running, from 5Ks to trail runs to marathons.