On May 26^th, Molex once again participated in the 35^th running of the J.P. Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge. With 27,037 participants from 683 companies, this race represented the largest number of entrants for a single-night U.S. event in the 40-year history of the Corporate Challenge Series. Running the race before a long holiday weekend gave me a chance to reflect on our involvement in this terrific race and its impact on the unique Molex health and fitness culture.

In 1995, Molex participated in its first Corporate Challenge.  That year, five employees signed on, and I was one of them.  While it was certainly a running event, it also created an opportunity for a few of us build a relationship based on a love of running. We ran during lunch or after work. Rain or shine. Over the years, we participated in the corporate challenge and other races.  As a result, many more employees showed interest in the sport – so much so that we came together and formed the Molex Running Team soon after.

Gene Callaghan, Dan Klein, Mike Picini and Martin Slark in 2006; 4 early adopters of fitness and health at Molex

10 years later, they are still running strong at the 2016 Chase Corporate Challenge

Through the years, tremendous interest was growing for fitness and health in our culture – and definitely at Molex.  Molex built the first fitness center on the Molex campus in 1987. The vision outlined early on was that the center would be a welcoming place for everyone from committed athletes to beginners looking to improve their fitness levels.  The recently renovated Molex Fitness Center now has 780 members; about half of which use the facility three to five times a week.  The Fitness Center team regularly conduct “lunch and learn” sessions on fitness, nutrition, and sport, blood pressure screenings, flu shots, and other programs designed to educate and inspire.

Our culture of wellness transcends our Illinois headquarters through fitness programs at Molex facilities across the globe.  These include biking events, walking programs, subsidized fitness memberships and more.

Molex shuttled 314 employees to Chicago to run, jog or walk the Chase Corporate Challenge.  Molex was one of the top 5 companies to bring more than 200 employees to the event this year. Many of our participants will also be running in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in October.  2016 is the second year Molex is sponsoring the event as a way to further represent our terrific corporate culture.  We anticipate more than 350 Molex employees from across the globe running the marathon.  We hope to see you there!

Photos courtesy of the J.P. Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge