The traditional battle between the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches will be waged in Washington D.C.'s Anacostia Park on Wednesday, May 7th. The SGMA Capital Challenge, a bi-partisan three-mile road race, has become one of the Capital's most enduring sports traditions, attracting hundreds of competitors for the invitational team event. The 2003 race will again be run on the Anacostia Park riverfront, out and back, flat, fast course.

The event attracts more than 700 runners, and in the past teams have been captained by the likes of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, Foreign Relations Chair Dick Lugar, Finance Chair Charles Grassley, as well as OMB Chief Mitch Daniels, and HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson. In addition, many more members of Congress, political appointees, Federal Judges, and noted print and electronic team captains take part. Competition is limited to teams led by Senators, Representatives, cabinet or sub-cabinet appointees, agency heads, federal judges, or TV, radio and print journalists. (Team captains must actually complete the course for their team to count.)

Senators John Ensign and Kay Bailey Hutchison (photo left), as well as the fastest man in Congress, Bart Gordon, will return to defend their division titles, as well as winning 2002 House and Senate teams led by Representative Jim Ryun and Senator Dick Lugar respectively. The race, which benefits the District of Columbia Special Olympics, has as title sponsor SGMA International (SGMA). SGMA has as its primary mission the promotion of sports, recreation, and fitness. This makes for a perfect fit for an event designed to highlight the fitness of many of the Capital's busiest leaders and which tries to answer the question which branch of government is the fittest. Supporting sponsors are Fannie Mae (the nation's largest source of funding for home mortgages), McDonald Bradley (an information technology services company), Roll Call newspaper, and Running Times magazine. All entry fees, along with an additional contribution from the sponsors, go to D.C. Special Olympics.

The SGMA Capital Challenge not only recognizes the swiftest participants with awards for the fastest Senator, Representative, independent agency head, sub-cabinet appointee, federal judge, and journalist in male and female categories, but also rewards teams with the Best and Worst Names and Best Spirit. There are also team awards in Senate, House, Executive Branch, Judicial, and Media categories (both electronic and print).

Qualified teams may obtain entry forms and information from Jeff Darman, Director, SGMA Capital Challenge, 110 East State Street, Suite 15, Kennett Square, PA 19348, (610) 925-1976. Entries are also available at the race Web site. Entries close April 21st.