Pasadena Police Officers Complete 120-Mile Desert Relay Race

Twenty members of the Pasadena Police Department completed the grueling 120-mile Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay Race last weekend, finishing 163rd out of 243 teams in the annual law enforcement competition.

The two-day event, held April 5-6, 2025, drew more than 6,000 runners from various law enforcement agencies competing in different categories to test their endurance on a challenging desert course that spans from Baker, California, to Las Vegas, Nevada.

Led by team captains Officer John Severino and Officer Chrystian Bañuelos, the Pasadena officers participated in the yearly tradition focused on building teamwork, camaraderie, physical fitness and healthy competition among law enforcement personnel.

The race began at 10 a.m. Saturday on Highway 127, with runners taking off on the hour in a staggered start. Participants followed the desert roadway over Ibex Pass to Shoshone, California, before turning right onto Highway 178 and climbing into the mountains toward Pahrump, Nevada.

The course continued with another right turn onto Highway 160, taking participants up Mountain Springs Summit at an elevation of 5,600 feet, before descending to the Las Vegas strip where runners sprinted to the finish line.

The Pasadena team has already begun preparations for next year’s competition. More information about this fitness challenge can be found at https://bakervegas.net/