After work in sneakers for more than 3,500 business professionals

After the successful first edition of the B2B RUN race, which gathered more than a thousand runners in Zagreb last September, the race is expanding to four cities this year. The first host city this year will be Split, and the five-kilometer course will take competitors through some of the most beautiful parts of the city under Marjan.

The B2B RUN race represents Croatia’s response to the global trend of running as an increasingly popular form of physical activity and organizing races aimed at the business world. The initiator of the race, Dijana Vetturelli, emphasizes that this year they expect more than 3,500 competitors at the races that will be held in Split, Rijeka, Osijek, and Zagreb, who will not only participate in running but also have the opportunity to enjoy a unique form of socializing with colleagues.

How did you come up with the idea of organizing the first business race in Croatia?

Last year we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the company’s existence and we thought long about how we would mark it, what is an alternative to classic partying, and what we can offer to the business community that is related to our area of operation, which influences the improvement of organizational culture and internal communication.

At the same time, keeping in mind that employers around the world face the same questions – how to increase employee efficiency, initiate mutual communication, and build a sense of community, we found the solution in offering an incentive tool that will support them in facing these challenges. Since VETTURELLI is active in the B2B sector, the idea of an active After Work gathering in the form of B2B RUN was born.

Such races around the world gather thousands and thousands of business professionals; what kind of response do you expect in Croatia?

When we sat down last year with the team from RunTreka (the technical organizer of the race), we set ourselves the goal of gathering around 300 employees. Not even in our wildest dreams did we think that the interest would be so great and that we would close registrations before the deadline. A total of 1,040 participants from 80 companies and the indescribable positive atmosphere that prevailed in Maksimir last year exceeded all our expectations.

Given the announcements, we are confident that this year more than 3,500 people from the business world will run, but we also believe that in the coming years we will witness an even greater response. For example, JPMorgan Chase has been organizing such races around the world for nearly four decades. The number of participants continues to grow, with more than 70,000 business professionals participating in the race in Frankfurt. We are also familiar with numerous other initiatives that grow year after year.

How do you explain such interest in running among business professionals?

Running provides freedom in time and space, which is very important in today’s overloaded schedules. Whether we stay longer at work or are on the road, it is enough to bring our sneakers. It is also worth noting that running is the best exercise for improving brain functions, both for memory and learning, as well as for focusing and concentration. All of this directly affects productivity and individual satisfaction and helps prevent and delay various diseases, which is ultimately in the interest of companies.

However, it is crucial that companies increasingly recognize that promoting healthy lifestyle habits and creating team spirit is one of the priorities for long-term employee satisfaction, and running has proven to be an excellent tool that, both globally and locally, is experiencing a growing trend.

Who can apply to participate?

All companies from either the private or public sector that have at least three employees and are registered in Croatia can participate. Thanks to the race partner – Hrvatski Telekom, this year we are in four cities – Split, Rijeka, Osijek, and Zagreb. Since this is a business event, the B2B RUN takes place during the week, specifically on Thursdays after work, starting at 6 PM, and all interested parties can register via the www.b2brun.hr website.

The race is recognized as a great tool for internal communications within companies. Do you have data that supports increased satisfaction among employees who run, i.e., who engage in physical activity?

Physical activity positively affects every individual, and the specific benefits of running have been described in numerous studies. In the USA, companies have calculated the financial effects in terms of reduced sick leave resulting from exercise, as well as how a 1% increase in employee motivation affects revenue growth.

However, the phenomenon that is significantly more interesting from a B2B perspective is integrating such activities into internal communication to initiate mutual socializing based on common interests and topics outside of working hours. For example, in encouraging creative processes and innovations, where many companies desire greater engagement from their employees and more initiative, one of the basic assumptions is that there is positive and open communication both horizontally and vertically, which is achieved through similar initiatives. B2B is not the solution, but it certainly represents a tool and encouragement for companies to think about additional HR activities and internal marketing, as employees are indeed the greatest strength and engine of every company.