Presidents Race

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Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln sprint to the finish of the Washington Nationals presidents race.

The Presidents Race is a promotional event, sponsored by GEICO, held at every Washington Nationals home game at Nationals Park during the fourth inning. The event was previously held when the Nats held their home games at RFK Stadium; similar races include the Milwaukee Brewers' Sausage Race, where people dressed as sausages race along the field. The Presidents' Race features four former Presidents of the United States, namely those found on Mount Rushmore: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Theodore Roosevelt; their nicknames per the race graphics are George, Abe, Tom, and Teddy. The Presidents are dressed in period costumes and topped with giant foam caricature heads. Occasionally, they are dressed in Nationals jerseys with the number on the jersey reflecting what number president they were (Number 1 for George Washington, Number 3 for Thomas Jefferson, etc.)

[edit] Race standings

[edit] The origin of the race

The Presidents' Race was introduced in the 2005 season as computer-generated event shown on the stadium's giant video board. Each section of the stadium was assigned to root for a certain President. The four Presidents would then race along a highway through a cartoon Washington, DC and avoid obstacles such as traffic cones, open manholes, and street closures. Though the event generated some applause each game, the event did not become an exciting tradition until the introduction of live "Presidents" midway through the 2006 season.

[edit] Live-action racing

Tom, George, Teddy, and Abe, a few days after their live debut at RFK Stadium in 2006.

After the team's purchase by Ted Lerner before the 2006 season, the new owner announced changes for the stadium and a "grand re-opening" of RFK Stadium after the All-Star Break. One of the changes to the stadium was the Presidents' Race becoming a live event. The first live race was held on July 21, 2006.

The race still began as a computer-generated sequence on the video board; the four presidents dashed through a cartoonish Washington, DC and headed towards RFK Stadium. Immediately after disappearing from the screen, the costumed live-action Presidents emerged from the right field corner as ten-foot tall men with large caricature foam heads. The presidents bolted out from right field and down the first base line, past the visitors' dugout, and to the finish line by home plate.

Beginning in the 2007 season, instead of the computer-generated versions at the start of the race, the caricature-headed presidents appeared on the video board at a "real" location in Washington D.C. The presidents started at the White House and ran around historical landmarks of the Nation's Capital, until they headed towards RFK Stadium and emerged from the right field corner of the stadium. The 2007 season's promotional schedule included popular 7.5-inch bobblehead giveaways for each of the four Racing Presidents.

A total of 120 total races were run through the 2007 season at RFK Stadium; however three wins were not reflected in the standings due to two unofficial extra-innings races held in the 13th inning in the 2007 season and due to a disqualification of Teddy in the final race of the 2006 season.

On March 30, 2008, George Washington became the first winner in the Nationals new stadium, Nationals Park. In the new park, instead of starting on the video board at the White House, the Presidents start at center field of the new ballpark, entering from a fence entrance, and proceed to race clockwise by first base foul pole and down the first base line towards the finish line near the Nationals' dugout.

[edit] Teddy's losses

The running joke of the 2006 season was Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt's inability to win a race. The reasons for Teddy's failures varied, ranging from tripping, to confusion, to striking up conversations with fans and forgetting to run. In one infamous incident, Teddy cheated and drove a golf cart around his competitors; he crossed the finish line well ahead of the others, but was disqualified for his tactics. He has also been disqualified for emerging from the visitors' dugout, instead of running the length of the first base line.

Teddy's shutout continued through the 2007 season; his antics continued though, as he was disqualified early in the season for zip-lining into the infield from the top of the stadium. He was also disqualified in September for riding in a rickshaw pulled by a bicycle.

The 2007 season's promotional Presidential bobbleheads generated anticipation that Teddy would see his first victory. Through July and August, George, Tom, and Abe each won the race on their respective day, and they were escorted by the "Secret Service" to guarantee the runaway victory. Teddy's bobblehead giveaway was September 1st, and he was carried in on a throne while the "Secret Service" held back the other three racers. Halfway home, Teddy asked to be lowered and was dropped; while his escort was helping him to his feet, the other racers got around the blockade and George won the race by a couple feet.

On September 23, 2007, in the final game at RFK Stadium, Teddy was heavily anticipated to finally win. When the race started, the Nationals bullpen held George, Tom, and Abe back to help Teddy to victory. But Teddy never showed up; he was later displayed on the big screen at the unfinished Nationals Park.

The losing streak for Teddy continued as Nationals moved to their new stadium, Nationals Park, in 2008. During the unofficial Presidents Races for exhibition games played on March 22 and March 29, 2008, Teddy was unable to capture the victory. On March 30, 2008, the stadium's inaugural game, Teddy ran off-course across the outfield and was distracted by members of the opposing team as George took the victory.

Similar to a 2006 race in which Teddy finished first but was disqualified for taking too long, on April 25th, 2008, Teddy defeated the rest of the Presidents, but was disqualified for cutting the corner and not staying within bounds on the warning track.

[edit] External links

• Washington Nationals Presidents Race Page
• Official "Let Teddy Win" Blog including facts, videos, and current standings