The Culver City Police Department sent a team of 20 runners to compete in the 30th Annual Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay, where by posting an outstanding time of 16 hours and 1 minute, Culver City finished first in the 99-Team Division.
Each runner runs a relay leg of 4.0 to 10.7 miles, depending on the difficulty of the leg. The race started in the City of Baker, California on Saturday, March 23 and ended in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday, March 24.
With teams coming from as far away as Europe, this 120-mile relay race is recognized as the largest law-enforcement sporting event of its kind in the world.
The race starts during the daytime desert heat and lasts through the night, where the temperatures may drop to freezing, as the runners reach the summit of the Mountain Springs Pass (5,600 feet).
More than 220 law enforcement teams participated in this year’s very competitive event, which promotes camaraderie and discipline among law enforcement officers. The top finishers in each division are awarded a highly coveted winner’s “Mug”.
This team effort that could not have been accomplished without the help of local donors, support personnel, and the officers, including reserves, who remained behind to keep our city safe.