Members of the Pasadena Police Department hit the desert Saturday as part of the annual Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay, a 120-mile, 20-stage law enforcement foot race from the Mojave Desert to Las Vegas that is scheduled to wrap up today.
The Pasadena team — 18 sworn personnel, two professional staff members, four alternates, and roughly two dozen support staff — is among 276 teams competing in this year’s relay, which drew runners from agencies across the country, according to a City of Pasadena announcement. Officer John Severino and Detective Chrystian Bañuelos are serving as team captains for the second consecutive year.
The race, organized by the Los Angeles Police Revolver and Athletic Club, began about 7 a.m. Saturday along State Route 127, roughly 24 miles north of Baker, according to City News Service. Runners departed in staggered waves, with the fastest teams leaving later. The course crosses Ibex Pass and continues through Shoshone before climbing into Nevada toward Pahrump and up Mountain Springs Summit, which tops 5,600 feet in elevation, before descending to a finish at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas…