May 27, 2015

Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and Tom Cotton (R-TX) and Representatives Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) won individual congressional awards at the ACLI Capital Challenge 3 mile on Wednesday, May 20 in Washington DC's Anacostia Park.

Senator Ayotte ran 25:46 to gain another title as fastest female Senator, and Senator Cotton (19:12) took his first title as a Senator after previously being House champion. He remains the fastest member of Congress.

Representative Swalwell ran 19:57 and Representative Sinema 24:14.

Overall race winner Patrick Fernandez (15:05) of the US Coast Guard repeated his 2013 and 2014 victories. The overall female winner was Gina Slaby from the Navy, who ran 17:12. Shannon Smith of the State Department smashed the female sub-cabinet record with a speedy 19:46.

The event featured over 700 runners and raised enough funds for the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation to provide another life-changing guide dog and services to a blinded veteran.

Dathan Ritzenhein, three-time Olympian, first American and seventh overall at the Boston Marathon, was the celebrity runner (courtesy of John Hancock) for this year's event. Dathan was the official "whistle blower," starting the runners on their way before jumping in at the back of the pack.

Garnering the coveted James B. Kenin Worst Named Team award was Rep. Matt Cartwright's "Cartwright Before the Horse." The Best Named Team was the AARP's "Flock of Geez." The winner of the Richard G. Lugar overall fastest team went to the US Navy.

Among the guest runners was Brad Snyder (Lt., Navy retired), recipient of a Fidelco Guide Dog. Lt. Snyder was blinded by an IED in Afghanistan and is a para-Olympian Gold Medalist. He ran the race with ACLI President Dirk Kempthorne.

All teams had to be captained by a US 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 Guardian, Hannover Life Reassurance Company of America, John Hancock, MassMutual, Metlife, Nationwide, New York Life, One America Financial Partners, Inc., Prudential, RGA, Transamerica, USAA, Voya Financial, Western & Southern Financial Group and media sponsor CQ/Roll Call.

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

Note: Photos are available. Contact [email protected]