Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema made a brief detour from political life on Patriots Day, taking on all 26.2 miles of the Boston Marathon.
It wasn’t her first time competing in the acclaimed road case. The independent senator blended in with the hordes of athletes she ran alongside during the marathon on Monday, largely evading the attention of spectators, the press — or even impassioned activists protesting her agenda.
Unlike most notable runners, Sinema didn’t make her participation known before the race. But on Tuesday, she shared a series of photos on her Instagram story about her experience.
Along with a fellow runner she appeared to be running with — Sinema and the other athlete wore pink camouflage tanks with the words “Unicorn Squad” on the front — she hugged and planted a kiss on the cheeks of a few spectators in what’s known as the Wellesley “Scream Tunnel” in Marathon lore.
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An avid athlete with a stacked résumé of feats that includes several Ironman triathlons, ultramarathons, and full marathons, Sinema finished the race in a time of 3:57:27.
She qualified to run in 2021 but had to miss the race due to a broken foot. Sinema watched as an attendee that year, with activists from her home state following her to Boston to protest her refusal to support the Biden administration’s Build Back Better plan.
After finishing the race last year, she called it an accomplishment that took a “long road” to reach.
“Couldn’t be more grateful to have 2 strong feet and 1 happy heart this Boston Marathon!” Sinema tweeted.
Shannon Larson can be reached at shannon.larson@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @shannonlarson98.