May 30, 2014

Senators Kay Hagan (D-NC) and Rob Portman (R-OH) and Representatives Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) won individual congressional awards at the ACLI Capital Challenge 3 mile on Wednesday, May 21 in Washington DC’s Anacostia Park.

Senator Hagan ran 35:17 to gain her first title as fastest female Senator, and Senator Portman (25:04) took his second title and led his team to victory in the Senate division.

Representative Cotton took the title of fastest member of Congress with his 18:29, but Red, White and Blumenauer, captained by Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), won the House team title.

Overall race winner Patrick Fernandez (14:59) of the U.S. Coast Guard repeated his 2013 victory. The overall female winner was Erin Taylor from GSA, who ran 17:43. Judge Nina Pillard of the U.S. Court of Appeals (DC Circuit) broke the female Judge record with a time of 23:20.

The event featured over 700 runners and raised $45,000 for the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, which will be used to provide a life-changing guide dog and services to a blinded veteran.

American record holder Shalane Flanagan, who is an Olympic Bronze Medalist in the 10,000 and who recently ran the fastest American time ever, 2:22:02, at the 2014 Boston Marathon, was the celebrity runner (courtesy of John Hancock) for this year’s event. Shalane was the official “whistle blower” and started the runners on their way, then jumped into the back of the pack.

Garnering the coveted James B. Kenin Worst Named Team award was WUSA’s “News Your Daddy.” Best Named Team was the Census Bureau’s “No Census Running When Jogging Allowed.” The winner of the Richard G. Lugar Overall Fastest Team award went to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Among the guest runners was blind Bronze Star medal winner SSgt Michael Malarsie, recipient of a Fidelco Guide Dog. Sargent Malarsie ran the race with ACLI President Dirk Kempthorne.

All teams had to be captained by a U.S. Senator, Representative, Cabinet member or Sub-Cabinet Presidential appointee, Federal Judge, On-air media personality or professional journalist.

The event is designed to highlight the fitness of many of the Capital’s busiest leaders and tries to answer the question: which branch of government is the fittest? Supporting sponsors are Allianz Life, Guardian, Hannover Life Reassurance Company of America, ING, John Hancock, MassMutual, Metlife, Nationwide, New York Life, OneAmerica Financial Partners, Prudential Insurance, RGA, Transamerica, USAA, Western & Southern Financial Group and CQ/Roll Call.

For full results visit: https://www.capitalchallenge.com/2001_cabinet/history2001.html 

Note: Photos are available. Contact [email protected]