The Purple Tide: 600 Consultants, One Goal, and the Human Side of Performance
It is not often that I find myself wide awake at 7:00 AM on a Sunday, buzzing with adrenaline and preparing to head to the office. Usually, my mornings at Accenture involve analyzing complex data architectures or designing governance strategies for BBVA. However, this past Sunday was different. There were no laptops, no ETL pipelines to monitor, and no SQL queries to debug.
Instead, there was just the pavement of Madrid’s Paseo de la Castellana and a sea of purple shirts.
I participated in the “Carrera de las Empresas” (Corporate Run) on Sunday, 14 December 2025, an event organised by Quirónprevención. While the event itself is a massive gathering of professionals from across the city, for me, it was a moment of profound realisation about where I work and who I work with. Seeing over 600 of my Accenture colleagues flooding the streets—a true “Marea Morada” (Purple Tide)—was a visual representation of the strength and scale of our team. It was a reminder that behind every digital transformation project we deliver, there is a massive engine of human talent and shared energy.
More Than Just a Race: A Culture of Wellness
Why did I decide to sign up? Honestly, it wasn’t about setting a new personal best or competing for a medal. I signed up because I was genuinely impressed that my company fosters this kind of environment.
In the high-pressure world of Data Engineering and Governance, it is easy to get tunnel vision. We spend our days solving intricate problems, ensuring data integrity for millions of banking clients, and exploring the frontiers of Autonomous Agents. It is intellectual, sedentary work.
Accenture understands that to sustain high performance in the digital realm, we must take care of the physical realm. The company promotes the mental and physical well-being of its employees throughout the year via various initiatives, and this race was the culmination of that ethos. Standing there at the starting line, I realised that this wasn’t just a corporate branding exercise; it was a genuine investment in our health. Taking a break from the screen to feel the cold morning air and the physical exertion of the run is the ultimate “system reset” for a consultant’s brain.
Running with Peers: The Human Connection
One of the highlights of the day was sharing the tarmac with my colleague, Jero Llobeta. Jero and I started our journey at Accenture in the same intake group (“AGBG”). Over time, our professional paths have diverged into different projects and teams, meaning we don’t get to collaborate daily.
In a purely corporate environment, relationships like this can fade into the background of busy calendars and Teams calls. But on the road, the dynamic shifted back. We ran the entire course together. We didn’t compete against each other; we simply enjoyed the stride, the atmosphere, and the shared experience.
This, to me, perfectly encapsulates the best part of our company culture. We are surrounded by incredibly talented and agreeable people. Yet, due to the sheer size of our projects and the hybrid nature of modern work, we don’t always get the opportunity to connect personally. Events like this break down those silos. It reminded me that teamwork isn’t just about delivering a project on time; it’s about shared experiences and supporting one another, whether that is debugging a script or pushing through the final kilometre of a race.
Castellana 85: The “Vibes” and The After-Party
If the run was about discipline, what followed was purely about celebration.
The finish line was conveniently located just metres away from the Accenture headquarters at Castellana 85. The company had organised an incredible post-race event—a true celebration of our effort. Imagine the irony: enjoying the office environment on a Sunday more than on a Tuesday!
The atmosphere was electric. There was a DJ, food, drinks, and most importantly, a palpable sense of joy. I looked around and saw hundreds of colleagues—from junior analysts to senior managing directors—just being people. The “vibes” were immaculate. It was a rare opportunity to chat, laugh, and catch up with colleagues I hadn’t seen in months, all with the festive Christmas season approaching.
In a world that is becoming increasingly remote and transactional, these moments of physical presence are worth their weight in gold. Networking didn’t feel like “work”; it felt like a family gathering. It reinforced my sense of belonging to a team that knows how to work hard but also knows how to celebrate success and life.
Fuel for 2026: Let There Be Change
As I look back on the photos and the memories of that Sunday, I feel recharged. The motto of Accenture is “Let there be change,” and usually, I apply that to my client’s technical architecture. But today, I am applying it to myself.
This event has motivated me to carry this energy into the upcoming year. 2026 is on the horizon, and I plan to tackle it with the same endurance and spirit I felt during the race. I want the next year to be full of new challenges, high aspirations, and complex problems to solve.
Whether it is navigating the complexities of AI governance, implementing new data strategies for BBVA, or simply lacing up my running shoes for the next challenge, I am ready. The “Purple Tide” keeps moving forward, and I am proud to be running right in the middle of it.
Did you participate in the “Carrera de las Empresas”? Or do you have a specific way you disconnect from the data world to recharge your creativity? I’d love to hear about it. Follow me on LinkedIn for more insights on Data Governance, Life at Accenture, and the road to 2026. Feel free to send me a message—I’m always open to a chat!