EXECUTIVE ORDERS
Each team must include either one member of Congress, the Cabinet, the Vice President, Sub-Cabinet Agency Head or equivalent, Federal Judge, on-air radio or TV journalist, or print journalist.
Gender Goals
Teams must have five runners, at least one of the five must be a woman. All five count in scoring.
TEAM GUIDELINES
Legislative (periodically) Branch
Team Captain must be a member of Congress, with other team members chosen from congressional staff or immediate family of Representative or Senator. Since there are separate but equal Senate and House awards, all legislative branch team members must come from their Captain’s side of the Hill. This means Senators use Senate staff and Representatives are limited to House staff.
No more than one competitor on any Legislative team may come from Staff of Capitol Police, Clerk’s Office, Sergeant at Arms, etc. Teams with members that do not comply with rules above or below leave themselves open to censure.
Executive Branch
Team Captain must either be an elected Executive branch official, Cabinet member, US Ambassador, or Sub-Cabinet Appointee or Agency Head or equivalent, with other team members chosen from agency staff of Captain. That is, Transportation uses Transportation staff; NSA uses its staff while listening to your staff; and TSA (unless precheck) can run but team has to take off its shoes before entering starting area.
Judicial Branch
Team Captain must be Federal Judge (presidentially appointed, Senate confirmed), with other team members chosen from the Judge’s respective court staff.
Media
Team Captain (or to win first journalist award*) must be either on-air radio or television journalist or a professional print journalist with bylines or editor with a magazine, newspaper, website, etc. (Publisher cannot be a captain.) Other team members MUST be chosen from the fair and balanced regular staff of the individual radio, TV, newspaper (younger runners ask your team captain what they are), website, or magazine. The Media division has two categories, print including web (net neutrality), and electronic (TV, radio, podcast) including real news failing and fake news media. No category mixing please.
THERE IS A LIMIT
Race limited to first 145 teams that enter. The number of teams from any one government entity or corporation (media) is strictly limited. If you are considering fielding multiple teams, inquire about limitations before entering.
Special Orders
Senators and Representatives who are unable to field teams may enter unattached (without teams) and are eligible for individual awards.
Cancel Culture
Eligibility rules for captains are strictly enforced. No eligible captain, no team. Please read the regulations and abide by them. We do run background checks. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
A Team Name Contest will be held for three Best and three Worst Named Teams.
HOMELAND SECURITY
Baby strollers are prohibited in accordance with safety guidelines. We strongly recommend against the use of an iPod or similar devices. Race officals reserve the right to remove any runner from the course for medical, political or any other valid reason. Any entrant attempting to run with a dog (or a cat for that matter) will be removed from the race.
TRANSPARENCY
Race Director reserves the right to be generally arbitrary and capricious in rule interpretation, if it conflicts with his or the race’s best interests. Any team seeking special favors or sympathetic rule interpretation is reminded that the likelihood of an answer you want is greatly decreased by how close the request is to the race date and whether you have been helpful to the race director in the past. Hint: Ask Early.
All your entry fees are donated to Junior Achievement USA (none are used for T-shirts or other race expenses). And thanks to ACLI, Akin Gump, Allianz, Boston Mutual, Brighthouse Financial, Canada Life Reinsurance, Corebridge Financial, Global Atlantic, Guardian, Hannover Life Reassurance Company of America, Invariant, Jackson National, John Hancock, MetLife, Nationwide, New York Life, Northwestern Mutual, OneAmerica, Pacific Life, Penn Mutual, Primerica, Principal Financial Group, Protective, Prudential, RGA, Sammons Financial, Security Benefit, Swiss Re, Thrivent, Transamerica Corporation, Unum, USAA, Voya Financial and Roll Call, an additional donation (unfunded mandate) will also be added to your fees.
