Pasadena Police Officers Run 120-Mile Desert Relay to Las Vegas

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.

Chief of Police Eugene Harris announced the department’s participation in the relay, which he described as a tradition that promotes teamwork, camaraderie, physical fitness, and friendly competition among law enforcement agencies, according to the City of Pasadena’s weekly newsletter published March 26.

The relay has been held annually since 1985, with the exception of 2020 and 2021, when it was suspended because of COVID-19. A total of 276 teams signed up this year, according to City News Service. Temperatures at the start line Saturday morning were forecast in the mid-50s with clear skies, warming into the upper 80s by early afternoon; in Las Vegas, the mercury was expected to peak at 95.

In last year’s race, held April 5–6, a Pasadena team of 20 runners finished 163rd out of 243 teams. The overall winner was the California Highway Patrol “Elite” unit, which completed the course in 12 hours, 31 minutes and 55 seconds. This year’s field is larger, with 276 teams entered compared with 243 last year.

Corporal Grant Hagaard, Detective Bañuelos, and Officer Enrique Delgado are among the Pasadena runners identified in the City’s announcement.

Official results for the 2026 race are scheduled to be posted by 4 p.m. today, according to the race’s website, bakervegas.net.

“Regardless of the final standings, Pasadena’s officers take pride in continuing this tradition of endurance, teamwork, and commitment to excellence both on and off duty,” the City of Pasadena stated.