Mullets, knee socks and sheer determination: JP Morgan unearths archival pictures from the firm’s first Square Mile fun run in 1986
Fashion really has come a long way since the 80s. Activewear may be one of the trends that the City's financiers are following, but that wasn't always the case.
With JP Morgan's Corporate challenge celebrating its 30th birthday this year, folks at the firm unearthed a photo album and sent us retro pictures of one of the earliest examples of a bank hosting a City race.
The London race started in 1986, with just 500 competitors from 400 companies. Since then, the corporate fun run has gone from strength to strength. Last year's slog around the capital attracted nearly 30,000 workers from the financial and business sectors.
It's not just the US investment bank flying the flag for fitness. Apart from J.P. Morgan, HSBC has been in the top five by numbers of runners for the past five years. In 2015, HSBC, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America and BNP Paribas all had over 500 runners.
When it comes to winning, it's mid-level employees leading the way. The average age of the men’s winners the last 16 years is 28 and a half, and the average age of the women’s winner is 29. Sadly, fashion disasters know no age boundaries.
With JP Morgan's next challenge just three months away, bankers better start planning their fun run outfits now…