Professional and financial services firm KPMG will be going for gold after entering FOUR teams into the 2016 Great Birmingham Run Business Challenge.

As many as 18 runners from the audit department at KPMG’s city centre office, at One Snowhill, will be donning their trainers for the UK’s second largest half marathon on Sunday, October 16.

The company is bidding to improve on last year’s performance when they won the ‘Large Business Female’ title and finished third in the ‘Large Business Mixed’ category.

Around 20,000 runners are expected to enter this year’s Great Birmingham Run.

Entries are still open for the Business Challenge, supported by The Birmingham Post, which pits companies against each other to see which teams can record the fastest times to win trophies.

Taking part in the 2015 Great Birmingham Run Business Challenge from KPMG Enterprise are (from left) Gareth Wainwright, Lucy Fairclough and Stuart Smith
Taking part in the 2015 Great Birmingham Run Business Challenge from KPMG Enterprise are (from left) Gareth Wainwright, Lucy Fairclough and Stuart Smith

Any business entering 12 or more runners automatically gets a trophy in the name of the company’s fastest finisher and all businesses feature in a special-edition magazine.

KPMG has already crunched the numbers to determine the finishing times they think will lead them to success.

“We’ve got a broad range of abilities taking part, including a few beginners,” said team leader Megan Cherrington.

“We’ve also got some really strong runners. The men’s team are trying to finish together in 1:30hr and the women in 1:50hr.

“Entering the Business Challenge is great for building team spirit within the office. We’ve got staff members running who thought they’d never be able to complete a half marathon.”

KPMG are using the 13.1-mile challenge to raise money for Cure Leukaemia and St Basil’s.

More than 300 runners have now signed up for the Business Challenge.

Highlights from the Great Birmingham Run below

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Other companies taking part include

ATSG Compliance

Charter Court Financial Services

Davies Group

Delcam

Highways England

HSBC

JW Hinks LLP

Lambert Smith Hampton

Lion Picture Framing

Mainstay Residential

Mazars LLP

Peers Hardy UK

Sigma Components

Squire Patton Boggs

Tata Motors European Tech Centre

West Brom Building Society

The 1st female runner completes the Great Birmingham 10k Run 2016
The 1st female runner completes the Great Birmingham 10k Run 2016

How you can join KPMG

To enter the Great Birmingham Run Business Challenge, visit: greatrun.org/business-challenge.

Around 13,000 individual runners have already signed up for the Great Birmingham Run. To sign up, visit here