$1 Million Milestone for Financial Education

This year’s ACLI Capital Challenge was one for the record books. The 44th running of the race brought 700 participants to Anacostia Park, where leaders from the three branches of the federal government and the Washington press corps ran, walked, and volunteered for financial education – and helped us reach a historic milestone.

Why We Race

The race on Wednesday, May 6, marked a major milestone in a greater cause. The 2026 ACLI Capital Challenge raised a record $250,000 for Junior Achievement, pushing the event’s cumulative total to $1 million raised since 2019. Expanding financial literacy in students helps empower them for financial resilience and success in the future. The ACLI Capital Challenge garners bipartisan support each year to advance this mission – and this event is just one way that ACLI does so as part of our years-long engagement with Junior Achievement.

Race Results

Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) was the front-running member of Congress, with Sen. John Hickenlooper’s (D-Colo.) team joining the Senate. Some participants marked longtime participation milestones – including Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh marking his 14th race and NPR’s Marc Silver marking his 30^th race. Thrivent came in first among ACLI members. Celebrity runner Kara Goucher helped kick off the race before joining participants on the course. In addition to the runners and volunteers, the 2026 ACLI Capital Challenge was supported by 46 sponsoring life insurance companies along with Invariant, CQ/Roll Call, and Phronesis DC.

About Junior Achievement

Junior Achievement reaches 4.8 million students in all 50 states. Its programs provide relevant hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship.

The life insurance industry’s partnership with Junior Achievement extends beyond our race. From meetings with Members of Congress, to ACLI members supporting local JA chapters, we’re proud to celebrate this milestone in our partnership with JA and committed to helping JA provide financial education to more students every year.

Whitney Dunn

Whitney Dunn is Assistant Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Government Relations at the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI), where she serves as race director for the ACLI Capital Challenge.