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Running for a purpose

07 November 2019 ... min read

On a sunny Friday afternoon in late October, the final runner of ING’s Run for Youth 2019 crossed the finish line in downtown Dubai. It was 4.5 months after the first ING runner started in Germany. Indeed, this year’s run was a bit different.

For the first time since the first global run in 2014, the ING Run for Youth was a relay run. After the starting shot in Frankfurt, the orange baton travelled to no less than -17 countries, spanning five continents (see box-out). In total, 1,500 colleagues put on their ING running gear to participate.

What’s more, together these runners raised €71,000 for Power for Youth, the partnership between ING and UNICEF that aims to empower adolescents (10-19 years old) with 21st-century skills.

Running for a purpose

Joi Dutta-Chavan, digital communities specialist from Australia, said she was proud to “pull on an ING tee for a cause I believe in” when she ran on 20 June.

“Supporting the welfare of children and young adults is something I feel strongly about, whether it’s in health or education. Running for a purpose is better than just running.”

The Luxembourg edition took place on a hot summer’s evening on 24 June. “It was a great experience to lead off a sea of orange runners. Everybody united for a worthy cause. A super event,” said runner Richard Edwards.

Dana DiPeri from the US, who ran on 26 June, really liked the idea of connecting the countries through the baton. “It’s simply a great way to give back to the community and bond with colleagues.”

ING in Spain experimented with a 100 x 400 metre relay race on 17 September. For Haseeb Chaudhary, just returning from “a lazy summer hanging out on the beaches of Costa Brava”, the exercise came as some sort of a shock.

“But it’s definitely an alternative start to the working day and a great way to meet other colleagues; especially if you´re new to the firm,” he said.

The 16th edition

This year’s run was the 16th edition of the ING Run for Youth. The event was started by employees in 2003 in the Netherlands. It’s been raising funds for UNICEF since 2006 and went global in 2013. The money raised by employees is matched by ING and goes to programmes empowering adolescents in Vietnam, the Philippines, China, Kosovo and Montenegro to stay a step ahead in life and in their careers.

Passing the baton…

  • 12 June: Germany (Astrid Werschkull)
  • 20 June: Australia (Charlotte Ho)
  • 24 June: Luxembourg (Richard Edwards)
  • 26 June: US (Zinna Reelick)
  • 27 June: Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia (Henrique Andrade)
  • 1 August: Ukraine (Marina Frantsuz)
  • 10/11 August: Ireland(Shaun McCabe)
  • 30 August: Hong Kong (Stephanie Sun)
  • 11 September: Belgium (Emily Vandendael)
  • 17 September: Spain (Juan Rodriguez-Lafora)
  • 19 September: France (Guillaume Dumoulin)
  • 22 September: Philippines (Christopher Laman)
  • 23 September: The Netherlands (Pieter Scholte)
  • 13 October: Bulgaria (Cvetomir Uzunov)
  • 25 October: United Arab Emirates (Floris du Bois)

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