The Nation’s TriathlonParticipants in the 2011 Nation’s Triathlon to Benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.Paul D. Ryan may not have finished a marathon quite as fast as he initially recounted. But Timothy F. Geithner can point to a respectable time for his latest triathlon.
Mr. Geithner, the Treasury secretary, participated in the 7th annual Nation’s Triathlon to Benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society on Sunday, swimming, biking and running his way through the nation’s capital. The race involved a 1.5-kilometer swim in the Potomac River, a 40-kilometer bike ride through the city and a 10-kilometer run.
And Mr. Geithner, 51, can boast of a pretty good finish to his race, completing the course in 2:33:07. He placed ninth in his division, men aged 50 to 54, according to the race’s Web site. Individually, he completed the swim in 29:10, the bike ride in 1:13:52 and the run in 45:51.
According to The Reliable Source blog on The Washington Post’s Web site, Mr. Geithner didn’t even notify race organizers that he was in the triathlon. He has competed in a few races before, including a triathlon in Reston, Va., and a half-marathon in California, according to the blog.
A Treasury spokesman confirmed that Mr. Geithner competed in the race.
He isn’t the only financial regulator with a passion for athletics. But the Treasury Secretary is well known for being something of a fitness nut. DealBook’s Andrew Ross Sorkin noted in “Too Big to Fail” that for years, Mr. Geithner and other colleagues would go to Nick Bollettieri’s famous tennis camp in Florida. (For what it’s worth, the secretary is also described as having “six-pack abs.”)
And he’s demonstrated a relish for sports like basketball — despite standing five foot eight, he was praised as a “credible” player with good ball-handling skills — and snowboarding.