Home Leisure Time Start the year with Manchester Marathon preparation

Start the year with Manchester Marathon preparation

With the dawn of a New Year and the party season well and truly over, employers in the North of England are being urged to try new ways of encouraging team spirit in the workplace and boosting employee wellbeing.

Companies including Manchester-based online travel agent On the Beach and fleet management firm Microlise have signed up teams to the ASICS Greater Manchester Marathon Corporate Clash which takes place on 8th April 2018. Organisers Xtra Mile Events launched the Corporate Clash, which is supported by athletic apparel brand ASICS, with the aim of helping to improve health, productivity and teamwork in the workplace, and are urging local businesses to get involved.

The ASICS Greater Manchester Marathon Corporate Clash welcomes teams of two or four to run the marathon as a relay, and compete against other corporate challengers, with prizes available for the top three fastest teams.

Nick Rusling, CEO of the ASICS Greater Manchester Marathon and Manchester Half Marathon, said: “The Corporate Clash is a great way for businesses in the North to encourage staff to work together and achieve great things. The research on the benefits of promoting fitness in the workplace is clear – not only does Corporate Clash offer individuals the chance to get fit for the New Year, it also delivers real benefits to employers such as improved productivity and reduced days off due to illness or stress.
“Businesses of all sizes are welcome to take part in the battle to be crowned the winners of the ASICS Greater Manchester Marathon Corporate Clash 2018.”


Cathy McGinnis, UK and Ireland Marketing Manager, said: “We are very excited to be part of the Corporate Clash as it supports our I MOVE ME campaign, which celebrates movement and being active. As part of the Corporate Clash, any team entering with 20 or more people are eligible to have an ASICS technical representative visit the business to help educate employees taking part in the relay race. If there are fewer team members, an online Q&A session is also available to help answer any questions. Look out on the event’s social media channels for updates.”

Stephen Satterthwaite, Sales Agent at On the Beach, said the company fielded a staff team called the Otbees last year and are doing it again this year.

He said: “The Otbees were a mix of staff, friends and families at online travel agent On the Beach, and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience of running our first ever half marathon. As a team, we trained incredibly hard and we were delighted to raise more than £4,000 for the Manchester terror attack victims and families. Sponsored by our employers On the Beach once again, we look forward to taking part in the full marathon in April and hope to raise even more money for charity.”

Leigh Turner, Senior Business Analyst from Microlise, said: “As part the company’s fundraising activities supporting Transaid, the charity we support, Microlise entered a team into the Nottingham Half Marathon Corporate Challenge – which we won! The marathon distance at the Manchester Corporate Clash makes it a great event and one we wanted to test ourselves on, whilst still of course promoting and supporting Transaid for whom eight of the Microlise team will head to Zambia later this year for the Cycle Zambia challenge.”

The ASICS Greater Manchester Marathon is organised by Xtra Mile Events in partnership with Trafford Council. Other event partners include Optimum Nutrition, Emirates Old Trafford, Lancashire County Cricket Club, Hilton Garden Inn, Erdinger Alkoholfrei, Official National Charities such as Cancer Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society, JustGiving, and local charities including The Christie’s & Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.

For more information on the ASICS Greater Manchester Marathon Corporate Clash visit www.greatermanchestermarathon.com/athlete-info/corporate-clash.

To find out more on ASICS I MOVE ME please visit.   www.asics.com/gb/en-gb/imoveme#vision.