Standard Chartered runs for a reason
13 January 2012
This month sees the start of Standard Chartered’s run of sponsored marathons for 2012.
First out of the blocks is India, with over 40,000 people taking part! One of the 650 Standard Chartered employees running is Vinay Asthana, Senior Audit Manager. Despite admitting he is not a ‘’super runner’’, Vinay will compete in the blistering heat in the hope of raising USD 21,000 for Seeing is Believing.
“Running on home turf already makes the Mumbai marathon very special to me but it is the money raised for such a worthwhile cause that makes the hard work worth it” he says.
Running one marathon is impressive but this is only part of Vinay’s story. In his quest to run seven marathons across seven continents, he has battled the elements in freezing cold Antarctica, raising USD 7,500 towards his target. Following that he also successfully completed the Standard Chartered Jersey marathon in October 2011 adding a further USD 1,200 to his total. The Mumbai Marathon will be his fifth, with Marathon Des Sables in The Sahara to follow in April and the Australian Outback Marathon in July this year.
Marathon Mania
Standard Chartered hosts nine marathons around the world.* The marathons are major annual sporting events in each country and through them, the Bank strongly supports and drives local fundraising.
Gold medal support
The marathons attract a diverse range of runners from first-timers to seasoned veterans such as Henry Wanyoike and his sighted guide Joseph Kibunja. This year, they’ll take part in the Standard Chartered marathons in Dubai, Kenya, Hong Kong and Malaysia. Henry is a world track champion, paralympic gold medalist and a Goodwill Ambassador for Seeing is Believing. By running in these marathons, Henry and Joseph help to raise great awareness of visual impairment.
With the Bank matching every dollar raised by dedicated runners like Vinay and others, together we can meet our target of raising USD100million by 2020 to build sustainable eye-care services across the world.
*Dates for 2012 Standard Chartered Marathons:
India 15 January
Dubai 27 January
Hong Kong 5 February
Singapore 2 December
Kenya 28 October
Thailand 12 February
Malaysia 24 June
Jersey 7 October
Falkland Islands 18 March
