Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/164142
They do run, run By Nikki Kallio Employees step out of their comfort zones, join the Fox Cities Marathon Volunteers cheer on runners from Kimberly-Clark in a Fox Cities Marathon event. Kimberly-Clark also participates in My Team Triumph, which pairs a runner with a disabled participant throughout the race. Organizers of the Fox Cities Marathon expect about 7,500 athletes this year. N o, you don't have to run 26.2 miles to participate. That's one of the first things organizers of the Fox Cities Marathon want you to know, and what participating companies tell their prospective team members to encourage them to join in. "I think one of the big pushes that we have this year is reinvigorating the business challenge," says Stephen Zich, the executive director of the Community First Fox Cities Marathon presented by Kimberly-Clark. "We're going out to a lot of companies in the area, tapping into their wellness programs and trying to piggyback what they already have going on." Lots of area companies are doing just that. Last year, the marathon events had 6,800 participants and organizers are planning for 7,500 this year – many of those runners participating in teams that have been formed by area companies. In August, 46 companies had signed on and marathon organizers hoped for 50, Zich says. Last year, the marathon donated more than $50,000 to 17 area schools and nonprofit organizations, and it has raised more than $500,000 so far in its 23-year history. w w w. i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m Zich has been conducting lunchn-learn sessions to help encourage companies to participate – and help them get over that initial, jarring word. "I think first off, hearing that word 'marathon' scares a lot of them away, they're like, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa, you want me to run 26 miles?'" Zich says. But employees also can form teams of five for the marathon, or they can run in a half marathon or in a 5K, he says. "Our overall name is 'Fox Cities Marathon' but at the end of the day, we're doing a whole series of events, for every body type, every [continued] » S e p t e m b e r 2 013 • Insight | 45