Foreign Relations Committee Chair to Compete for 25th Straight Year

The annual ACLI Capital Challenge returns on Wednesday, May 3 at 8:00 am in Washington, DC's Anacostia Park, and this year participants will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the unique Washington event.

Perhaps better known for its irreverence and political humor than its athletic prowess, the three-mile race is attracting the usual VIP cast. Last year at the 2005 ACLI Capital Challenge, 29 members of Congress led teams and completed the race, along with scores of high-ranking political appointees, television correspondents, print reporters, and other Washington VIPs.

Teams are captained by U.S. Senators, Representatives, Cabinet Members, Sub-Cabinet appointees, Federal Judges, On-Air personalities and professional print journalists. Each captain has to finish for his or her team to count. This invitational team competition started in 1981 and continues to spotlight the fitness of many of the country's busiest leaders. Senate Foreign Relations Chair Richard Lugar has never missed finishing this race and will be leading his team for the 25th time.

The race is sponsored by ACLI (American Council of Life Insurers), a Washington, DC-based trade association. Its nearly 400 member companies offer life insurance, annuities, pensions, long-term care insurance, disability income insurance, reinsurance, and other retirement and financial protection products. The ACLI Capital Challenge annually settles the question of which branch of the federal Government is the fittest. Or will the media end up on top?

On hand to help celebrate the 25th anniversary will be 2006 celebrity runner Kenny Moore. Moore was a long-time senior writer for Sports Illustrated, starred with Mariel Hemingway in Robert Towne's "Personal Best," and has appeared in other films. He is a former American Marathon record holder, 4th in the '72 Olympic Marathon and won the first Marine Corps Marathon.

Our motto continues to be "No congressman left behind," says Race Director Jeff Darman. "As founder of the race, I have fought term limits successfully," said Darman, who has directed the race since 1981.

Spirited competition is being waged in the battle for Best and Worst Named Team awards. Some early contenders and captains include:

	TEAMS				CAPTAINS

Burns Belly-busters			Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT)
The Road-Dents			Representative Charles Dent (R-PA)
Coalition of the Swilling		Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR)
Feeney's Weenies			Representative Tom Feeney (R-FL)
Federal Tread Commission		Thomas J. Rosch (FTC Commissioner)
Commerce Claws 			David Spooner (Asst. Secretary of Commerce)
Affirmative Traction		Sara Lipka (Chronicle of Higher Education)
Gladys Knight and the Scripps	David Nielsen (Scripps Howard News Service)
The Eyes Have It			Jim Axelrod (CBS News)

The riverfront course is out and back in Anacostia Park (just over the Souza Bridge--Pennsylvania Avenue). After the race, runners will have a catered continental breakfast, compliments of Qwest Communications. Sponsors, in addition to ACLI and Qwest Communications, include ING, Northwestern Mutual, The Principal Financial Group, Swiss Re, Roll Call, and Running Times.

Qualified teams may obtain information from Jeff Darman, Director, ACLI Capital Challenge, 110 East State Street, Suite 15, Kennett Square, PA, 19348, 610-925-1976 or from www.capitalchallenge.com.

Entries close April 17.