As much as many triathletes would hate to to admit it...triathlon is still a niche sport considered by many to be solely for those crazy enough to combine three endurance sports into one long day.
But that all changes when you add beer, hot dogs and little bit of politics.
Recently a small of group of triathletes from the Washington D.C. area decided to celebrate the end of the race season with a beer mile.
You probably know the concept. Run a lap around the track and drink a beer. To mix it up a bit they added a hot dog into the mix as in run a lap and drink a beer and run another lap and eat a hot dog.
As it happened their little end of the year party was crashed by Republican Sen. Dick Lugar of Indiana.
The senior Republican legislature happened to be at the track doing his weekly walking workout when he ran into the triathletes and their beer and dogs.
One thing led to another and before it was all over Sen. Lugar was the race's first-ever grand marshal.
According to U.S. News and World Report:
"Lugar, in his red running shorts and a T-shirt, appeared game, asking one of the organizers, Bethesda lawyer Lou Aronson, what was up. "He said, 'What are you guys doing?' " said Aronson, the winner of the four-lap race at 8:38. Aronson said that when told of the ceremonial race to end a season of summer races and marathons, Lugar smiled and said, "Wow, that's crazy. If I'm in the way, I'll get out of the way."
At that point, the racers paused and asked if the senator would like to act as the race's first-ever grand marshal. According to Aronson, Lugar said: "Sounds like fun. What do I have to do? I don't have to drink a beer, do I?"
Photo left to right: Len Forkas, Lou Aronson, Sen Richard Lugar, Scott Stewart, Lance Matthiesen, Mark Welch and George Galloway at the second annual Running of the Bull.
You can read the entire story HERE.
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