Employee Health, Wellness, and Fun Are All Part of Corporate 4-Miler

On Thursday, June 4th, thousands of people will descend on Innsbrook for one of Richmond’s most exciting events. But they aren’t coming for ZZ Top or the Beach Boys; no, they’re turning out in their running shoes and team shirts for the sixth-annual Connects Federal Credit Union Corporate 4-Miler (also known as Richmond’s Biggest Office Party).

Participants will represent some of Richmond’s largest companies in an event that serves as a great opportunity to promote the message of employee health and wellness. As the growing list of Active RVA Certified organizations shows, workplace wellness and a culture of physical activity are important elements for companies throughout RVA, and the Corporate 4-Miler is a great way to share the excitement of active workplaces. And with a post-race party featuring music, food, and drinks, the Corporate 4-Miler encourages co-workers to bond after business hours in a unique atmosphere.

“Our employees love the social connection they have with their colleagues at this event!” said Heather Sadowski, Assistant Director of Wellness at the University of Richmond. “It’s wonderful to see each other in a different setting and share laughs, smiles, and a great run together!”

This will be the third year that the University of Richmond’s faculty and staff have taken part in the event, and with 178 team members signed up, it’s clear that they see the event as a great physical and social wellness event. Sadowski says it is a great way for team members to motivate each other and to promote a healthy lifestyle.

“We have the ability to help educate employees to see the vital impacts of healthy behaviors so they can live healthier lives,” said Sadowski. Through their ‘UR Well Employee’ initiative, the university has designed a culture around eight dimensions of wellness, one of which is physical activity. One aspect of the program includes free membership to the on-campus Weinstein Center for Recreation and Wellness for full-time employees, so they are encouraged to use the facility and take part in the many fitness classes that are offered.

And you can bet that UR’s team will be ready to run on June 4th since they took part in several prep sessions put on by Fleet Feet Sports that focused on running form and muscle maintenance.

With their distinctive gear, the UR crew will be easy to spot on race day. “We’ll be wearing a team shirt with the ‘We are UR!’ slogan on the front and our UR Well EMPLOYEE logo on the back!”

And along with 5,000 other runners and walkers, they’ll be out celebrating employee wellness and an active lifestyle on what promises to be another great night at Innsbrook.

Online registration for the Connects Federal Credit Union Corporate 4-Miler is available until 11:59pm on Thursday, May 28. Walk-up registration will also be available on site on June 3 and 4.