CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. — For the first time since 2019, the Corporate Challenge is back to an in-person race.
Thousands of people participate at Delaware Park, but it wasn't always like that. This Women's History Month, we are taking a look back at the first Corporate Challenge held in 1981 with one of the women on the first-place team that year.
"This is the first year. That's the first place," said Pam Bouquin as she showed us her medals.
Bouquin made history in 1981 in the first Corporate Challenge. Her team representing Westwood Pharmaceuticals finished first in the Women's Division, and she finished second overall.
"So that's the one that you're wearing in the picture from the paper," said 2 On Your Side's Kelly Dudzik.
"That's the one in the picture, only I cut the sleeves off," said Bouquin.
Bouquin had just started at Westwood that spring.
"The day they shot Reagan, I always remember that as the day I started working there, and they said we were wondering, do you want to run this, and I'm like, yeah, why not. And it was $2 to register. I remember that, but they paid for it because it was the company," said Bouquin.
The Corporate Challenge was done in two parts that the first year, with a second race in August. Bouquin's team got the silver in that one.
But that first race in July didn't look like what we're used to seeing now.
"I ran and I came in second and I was like, okay cool, and nobody was there, nobody thought and it was like, oh yeah, whatever, and a lot of runners that we knew were there watching us. Nobody really thought anything of it," said Bouquin.
"Pam is absolutely right. That first year in Buffalo in 1981 was exceptionally modest," recalls Alan Tieuli.
Tieuli started doing public relations for the Corporate Challenge in 1990.
Now in its 40th year, Buffalo is the model for Corporate Challenge cities across the globe, especially after what happened here in 1984.
"One particular company had the bright idea to bring a picnic table, and a couple of six-packs of beer, and some sandwiches to the race, and after running the race just sitting down, and having a little bit of their own little party," said Tieuli.
And things have also changed when it comes to who is running.
Tieuli says as recently as 1992, 70% of the runners were men. Now the majority are women.
"I ran my first marathon in 79. I didn't run in high school," said Bouquin.
"How did you get into running?" asked Dudzik.
"I just started running because I wanted to keep in shape, so I just started doing it, and then I, you know, people challenged, oh, you can't run a marathon. Oh, yes I can. So I ran twelve marathons and broke my leg during one. I stress fractured my femur," explained Bouquin.
But she kept going and kept earning medals.
"We would make sure there were women on the trophies when we were running because they'd sometimes give you guys and we were like, we don't want men on our trophies," Bouquin said.
And she says it was also tough to find women's running gear. It just wasn't in stores yet.
"Nothing comfortable. It was sweaty, and cotton, and T-Shirts," said Bouquin.
Bouquin ended up wearing men's running shoes in a lot of her races and wore them to run right past the men.
"I had a couple of races where I ran and a guy goes, I can't let a woman beat me. I said, well go. What are you standing around for? And I ran by him, and I took off. Not my fault you can't run faster than me. I train every day. I mean, I would run every morning. I'd get up and run before work. I'd go out, and I'd run in the dark. I'd train on ice in the winter. Now, no, I wouldn't do that. Rain. Snow. We did it all. We'd run in everything," said Bouquin.
While breaking her leg didn't end her running career, breaking her foot did. But Bouquin didn't slow down. She has done every Ride for Roswell, plans on doing it this year, and walks five to ten miles every day.
It's something she encourages everyone to do.
"You start, walk a block. Ok, we walked the block. Tomorrow, walk two. Walk three. And you want to run? Start shuffling. Just move," says Bouquin. "So it's like go out, do it, live your life."
Registration for this year's Corporate Challenge opened up on Wednesday. The race is on June 16, 2022, at Delaware Park at 6:25 p.m.
And, new this year, folks have the option of registering as non-binary, be appropriately identified in the Series Leaderboard, and eligible to score in a company’s mixed team results.