Race through the heart of Marunouchi! Participation report: “Bloomberg Square Mile Relay Tokyo”
Hello! This is Kawamura from the PR Group.
Teams participated in groups of 10 per company. The relay-style running event “Bloomberg Square Mile Relay Tokyo,” where teams work together to pass the baton, was held again this year in Marunouchi, Tokyo!!!
This event is held in 11 cities worldwide and was first held in Tokyo in 2017. Following last year, this is the second time SUNNY SIDE UP has been responsible for production, operations, and PR.
Runners dressed in running gear sprint a full 1 mile (1.6 km) through Marunouchi Naka-dori, where businesspeople in suits usually stride briskly!
This year’s participation increased even more than last year, with a total of 61 teams. More than 600 people took part.
When we arrived at the venue, many people had already changed into their gear and were fully prepared.
The huge gate set up on Naka-dori really builds excitement!
Some teams were carefully checking the course…
It was also striking how many participants of various nationalities there were.
And this year as well, three teams from SUNNY SIDE UP competed!
We took on the race as a mixed team, including executives, mid-level staff, new employees, and members from our group companies.
By the time the runners gathered at the starting line, the lighting illuminated the course, creating a perfect atmosphere!
“3, 2, 1, race start!!”
Everyone at the venue joined in the countdown, and the first runners burst off the line all at once!
Even members who do not often have the chance to talk cheered each other on without any barriers today.
They watched the race with serious expressions.
From senior staff to new graduates,
from new graduates to executives,
the baton was passed on one after another…
And the finish!!
The overall winner was “Barclays_1” (time: 53:22),
and the winner of the mixed-gender division was “ICU_wolves” (time: 1:02:19).
The winning team received 10 bottles of the renowned sake “Kido” from Heiwa Shuzo, and the mixed-gender winning team received 10 facility-use vouchers from Tipness Marunouchi Style.
In addition, Yosuke Fukushima, the first runner for “Barclays 1,” who posted a time of 4:03 for 1 mile and became the fastest runner of the event, was awarded a hotel stay voucher from The Peninsula Tokyo!
The SUNNY SIDE UP teams, incredibly…
achieved a best finish of 10th out of 61 teams—far better than expected!!!
Everyone passed the baton for the team, and all three teams successfully finished the race!
“Sweating together after work feels different—in a good way!”
“I thought 1.6 km would be easy, but it was surprisingly long…”
Various comments were exchanged, and in the end everyone was smiling.
Tanaka, a new graduate who was the only female member on the top-performing in-house team, said:
“I’ve only just joined the company, so I don’t often get to interact with some colleagues, but it was fun to cheer each other on with high-fives and encouragement that day!! Hearing the cheers from along the course gave me even more energy!” She looked relaxed, with no sign of pressure about running for the team that had high expectations. (A future star in the making…)
We hope everyone will apply what they learned here—the importance of accomplishing something together with others—in their work going forward.
It was also announced that the first “Extra Mile” project would be held in Tokyo on Saturday, June 9!
Launched this year as an opportunity for social contribution through sports, “Extra Mile” is an initiative aimed at solving social issues in each city, selected through online public voting by race participants and others.
In Japan,
• “Support for natural disaster victims”
• “Support for a more equal society”
• “Support for women’s empowerment”
Based on the theme selected from these three, various projects will be carried out continuously to address these issues. It is said that US$25,000 (approx. ¥2.8 million) from the event participation fees will be donated to fund Extra Mile projects.
By participating in this event, you can not only build your team but also contribute to society.
After the race came the after-party!
Cheers with “Heiwa Craft,” a craft beer produced by Wakayama Prefecture’s Heiwa Shuzo, known for the renowned sake “Kido”! Beer after a race tastes exceptional.
Team members talked about the race and deepened friendships with runners from other companies.
As the SUNNY SIDE UP family continues to grow day by day, both participants and those who came to cheer them on made it a day of excitement for the entire company!
Taking part in the “Bloomberg Square Mile Relay Tokyo” and enjoying the experience of aiming for the finish together across departmental and age boundaries will surely benefit our everyday work as well.
SUNNY SIDE UP, now connected by even stronger bonds through this event, will continue to evolve!
“Bloomberg Square Mile Relay Tokyo”
Check the event details via the link below!
https://squaremilerelay.com/ja/
