Larry Zimpleman is getting more of his colleagues at Principal Financial Group Inc. to lace up their running shoes and hit the streets. As part of a companywide wellness challenge this spring, Principal’s president and CEO is encouraging employees to train and compete in a road race in 2012, whether it’s a 5-kilometer run or a marathon.

About 1,300 Principal employees – around 10 percent of the Des Moines financial services company’s global work force – have accepted the challenge. Besides getting in better shape, they each get a free Nike Dri-FIT running shirt out of the deal.

It’s one thing to say you’re going to run more, but signing up for a race demonstrates a higher level of commitment, Zimpleman noted.

Since the initiative was announced, Principal has organized monthly run/walks over the lunch hour, with routes that incorporate optional turnaround points to allow participants to customize the distance to their goals and abilities. The company is also providing multiweek training plans and weekly coach-led workouts.

Zimpleman, 60, began running in his mid-30s when he was working his way up through the company’s ranks and was frequently traveling. A past participant in the Boston Marathon, Zimpleman competed in Des Moines’ Dam to Dam race earlier this year and has signed up for the IMT Des Moines Half Marathon in October.  

Principal has had an active running group at its downtown headquarters for a number of years, Zimpleman said. For some employees, the new wellness challenge has provided an opportunity to step up to longer races, even marathons. More importantly, it’s gotten other people started.

 “We wanted to put a little peer pressure around it, and it’s been amazing to see the reaction around it,” he said. “A lot of people are saying, ‘This is exactly the kick in the butt I needed.’”