The American Council of Life Insurers brought Democrats, Republicans, independents and others to Anacostia Park in Washington on Wednesday for its 39th annual ACLI Capital Challenge footrace.
Nicholas Posada — a U.S. Supreme Court aide who was a member of the track team at the University of Michigan — won the 3-mile race, running it in just 14 minutes and 24 seconds.
Aisha Woodward, an aide to Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, was the fastest woman in the race, with a time of 18 minutes and 58 seconds. She competed in track and field events and cross-country races while at Bowdoin College.
Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., was the fastest member of Congress in the race, with a time of 18 minutes and 28 seconds. Gallagher served in the Marine Corps from 2006 through 2013. He was part of intelligence and counterintelligence operations in Iraq and in other parts of the Middle East and Central Asia.
Rep. Kathleen Rice, D-N.Y., was the female member of Congress with the best time: 28 minutes and 8 seconds. Details of her running career were not immediately available.
The list of participants also included Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz.
The House was represented by Woodward’s boss, Jared Golden, and by Reps. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn.; Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa.; and Conor Lamb, D-Pa.
The History
The ACLI is a Washington-based group that represents 280 life insurers. It began organizing the Capital Challenge races in 1981.
Race managers invite teams from Congress, the executive branch, the courts and the media to participate. Entry fees go to the Junior Achievement USA financial literacy education program.
The latest race attracted about 300 runners.
The ACLI uses cash from sponsors to pay the race expenses. This year, the list of sponsors included Akin Gump, a law firm; Roll Call, a publication; and many insurers.
The event gives the ACLI a low-key way to promote bipartisanship. One press release billed the race as a “Bipartisan Effort at Reconciliation.”
The ACLI held this year’s race as members of Congress were clashing over a $1 trillion infrastructure bill, a $3.5 trillion social welfare programs bill and efforts to raise the federal debt ceiling.
Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis. (Photo: Gallagher)