On June 4, 2025, the streets of Frankfurt came alive with the energy and enthusiasm of thousands of participants in the 31st edition of the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge race. A total of 158 members of the workforce from the Europe Central Area Office of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints registered to walk and run the race through the city’s bustling streets, continuing a tradition that began nine years ago.
The bright green “FamilySearch” T-shirts they wore demonstrated the unity and teamwork that exists among the Church participants. This iconic event, known as the world’s largest corporate running series, brought together employees from various companies, businesses, and institutions for a 5.6-kilometer race that emphasized fitness, friendly competition, and celebrated community spirit and involvement.
Luis Santos, Area HR Manager for the Europe Central Area of the Church remarked that “it is just about the feeling of unity, about being gathered together in a non-work environment or work setting and just having fun. There were over 60,000 participants in this event and the energy was off the charts!”
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
This year, the event supported two significant charity organisations: Laureus Sport for Good, which harnesses the power of sport to support disadvantaged children and young people, and Deutsche Behindertensportjugend, the youth organisation of the German Disabled Sports Association, which is dedicated to promoting sports for people with disabilities.
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Latter-day Saint workforce team supports charity with energy, unity and fun. © 2025 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.When asked his thoughts about Church sponsorship of the race, Paul Hansen, Director of Temporal Affairs for the Europe Central Area of the Church, said “to bless the lives of disadvantaged children and families through sporting activities is a really good cause.” He added that “we are part of this community, have a good-sized workforce and we contribute in many ways.”
As the crowds “cheered on” the walkers and runners with chants, music and applause, the race provided the opportunity to support charity and strengthen team spirit.