STANDARD CHARTERED’S GREATEST RACE ON EARTH - MUMBAI MARATHON CHAMPION 2008
Standard Chartered presents The Greatest Race on Earth
The Greatest Race on Earth (GROE) is the world’s only marathon team relay series, run across four of the most exotic cities on the planet. Created and sponsored by Standard Chartered since 2004, it is now entering its fourth successful series, with prize money of USD 1.08 million on offer to the teams taking part – the largest guaranteed prize pool in world athletics.
Each year GROE transforms the traditionally individual sport of marathon-running into a team event. Some of the world’s quickest marathon athletes compete in teams of four, running one marathon each – their eyes firmly set on working together to achieve a faster cumulative time than their rivals and gaining a significant slice of the prize pool.
The 2007/08 series sees the competition concentrate for the first time solely on the Nations Challenge, purely for teams representing their country. With a record number of teams taking part from over 30 countries, GROE has become the closest thing to a World Cup of Marathons. The Nations Challenge is split into a men’s and women’s competition, with equal prize money for each.
Competitors will face some of the most challenging environments in the world - including the high altitude of Nairobi, the humidity in Singapore, the heat of Mumbai and the uphill terrain in Hong Kong.
- The ‘highest race,’ at over 1,600m, in Nairobi – 28 October 2007
- The ‘island race’ around Singapore – 2 December 2007
- The ‘historic race’ through Mumbai – 20 January 2008
- The ‘harbour race’ across Hong Kong – 17 February 2008
Partnership, teamwork, trust and courage, all of which are Standard Chartered core values, will be key factors in determining the winners.
The Race Prize Categories
The Nations Challenge Prize pool of USD 520,000 each for both the men’s and women’s competitions – fastest men’s and women’s team win a first prize of USD 100,000 each. Teams are also divided into 6 regions – Africa, South
East Asia, North East Asia, Americas, Europe & Oceania, and South Asia & Middle East – with prizes for teams who finish in the top three in each region.
Performance Awards Bonus pool of USD 40,000 has been set aside for special achievement awards. These are awarded to national teams that have made a significant improvement on their previous GROE times, and teams that have demonstrated commitment, endeavour and determination in competing in The Greatest Race on Earth.
The Greatest Race on Earth: Race For a Living Planet – The Environment Challenge
The Environment Challenge is a new element of GROE introduced for the 2007/08 series. It encourages people to select and undertake up to eight environmental pledges suggested on www.thegreatestrace.com, and then nominate the GROE nation they wish their pledge(s) to support. Standard Chartered, working in partnership with WWF, will donate USD 1 million to support vital environmental conservation projects that will benefit the three nations that generate the most environmental pledges per capita. The nation that attracts the highest number of environmental
pledges per capita will receive USD 500,000; the second highest will receive USD 350,000; and the third highest receives USD 150,000. The results will be announced following the final GROE Marathon in Hong Kong on Monday 18 February 2008.
Once the top three countries have been identified at the completion of GROE on 17 February 2008, Standard Chartered will work with WWF, its Environment Challenge partner, to identify a shortlist of projects that require funding in those countries. Either a project within the winning country at the time of the award, or a project that has a resonance or direct affect on that country will be considered and selected by Standard Chartered.
The Pledges
Standard Chartered has introduced the Environment Challenge as a key component of its global sustainability strategy and approach to the environment. By adding the Environment Challenge to the Greatest Race on Earth, Standard Chartered are asking employees, customers and the public to consider the simple steps they can make to help reduce the long term effects of air pollution and climate change, deforestation as well as land and freshwater degradation.
These aspects, along with a separate Education (Learn More) theme, make up the four key themes of the campaign. Each theme will have two pledges associated with it, for people to select and commit to. They are:
Water
- I won’t leave the tap running while I am brushing my teeth
- I will spend one less minute in the shower each day
Education
- I will measure my carbon footprint by using the online Carbon Calculator
- I will visit the “My Environment” tour to learn more about the actions I take
Land and Forestry
- I will reuse or refuse a plastic bag at least 3 times a week
- If I have to print, I will print 2 pages to a sheet or print double sided
Air Pollution and Climate Change
- I will alter my room temperature by one degree depending on the season
- I will turn off the lights when I leave the room
The Standard Chartered Carbon Calculator
Developed by the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management, along with website design company Factonomy, the Carbon Calculator can be used to quantify the C02 emissions from the user’s household and travel activities.
Hosted on www.thegreatestrace.com, this unique and powerful carbon calculator is able to quantify the carbon footprint (C02 emissions) of households across the more than 50 countries that make up the Standard Chartered network. The sophistication of the calculator makes it one of the first of its kind, giving people the chance to identify their ‘personal carbon footprint’ using measures relevant to their country.
Standard Chartered – leading the way in Asia, Africa and the Middle East
Standard Chartered PLC, listed on both the London Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, ranks among the top 25 companies in the FTSE-100 by market capitalisation. The London-headquartered group has operated for over 150 years in some of the world’s most dynamic markets, leading the way in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Its income and the number of employees have more than doubled over the last five years primarily as a result of organic growth and supplemented by acquisitions.
Standard Chartered aspires to be the best international bank in its markets by being the right partner for its stakeholders and leading by example. The group now employs over 65,000 people, representing some 100 nationalities, in more than 1,400 branches located in over 50 countries. The bank generates more than 90 per cent of its profits from Asia, Africa and the Middle East, with balanced income derived from both Wholesale and Consumer Banking.
The group is committed to building a sustainable business over the long term and is trusted worldwide for upholding high standards of corporate governance, social responsibility, environmental protection and employee diversity. For more information, please visit: www.standardchartered.com.
WWF
- Established in 1961, WWF operates in more than 100 countries working to conserve the natural world by building a future in which humans live in harmony with nature
- WWF works with people, business and governments to:
- conserve biodiversity and address threats to the environment
- ensure that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable
- promote the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption
WWF is now known simply by its initials and the panda logo.