The Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay is regarded as the largest law enforcement event of its kind in the world with running teams from Australia, England, Canada, and the Navajo Nation as well as throughout the United States participating.
Well over 5,000 runners, in relay form, challenge the course leading from 20 miles North of Baker California on Highway 127 to Shoshone; turning northeast on California Highway 178, cross the State Line to Nevada on Highway 372 into Pahrump Nevada. Then they head southeast on Nevada Highway 160 and finish at the corner of Sunset and Dean Martin Drive in Las Vegas. The CVPD Baker to Vegas Relay Team recently completed an extremely successful 2007 campaign having placed 4th (out of 18 teams) in the 300 Division. CVPD ran the race in 15 hours, 40 minutes. Only 13 minutes separated Chula Vista from the first place team (Huntington Beach, PD) and the 5th place team came in 13 minutes after us.
To give an idea of how competitive our time was, if one were to compare the finishing time in each division, CVPD would have placed 1st in 4 divisions, 2nd in 2 divisions, 3rd in 2 divisions, 4th in 3 divisions, 6th in 1 division and 11th in 1 division.
Overall, CVPD placed 31st out of 235 teams, a significant improvement on our 56th overall placing in 2006. All of the runners suffered through a rigorous training program throughout the year and their dedication was apparent during the competition.
Listed below is each runner and the length of their corresponding leg:
| Leg #: | Distance: | Runner: |
| Leg 1 | 6.6 miles | Chris Kelly |
| Leg 2 | 5.6 miles | Elmon Gashymov |
| Leg 3 | 8.2 miles | Jerry Armstrong |
| Leg 4 | 5.1 miles | Leonard Miranda |
| Leg 5 | 6.0 miles | Alicia Chudy |
| Leg 6 | 6.1 miles | Leo Banales |
| Leg 7 | 6.2 miles | Scott Adkins |
| Leg 8 | 7.3 miles | Francisco Dominguez |
| Leg 9 | 6.8 miles | Joe Page (Team Captain) |
| Leg 10 | 5.8 miles | Stanley Schwarz |
| Leg 11 | 5.3 miles | Buddy Magor |
| Leg 12 | 4.7 miles | Martin Brady |
| Leg 13 | 7.0 miles | Brian Maddox |
| Leg 14 | 5.4 miles | Steve Szymczak |
| Leg 15 | 5.2 miles | James Petray |
| Leg 16 | 5.5 miles | Jason Deaner |
| Leg 17 | 6.8 miles | Tim Biffle |
| Leg 18 | 7.0 miles | Edward Tugashov |
| Leg 19 | 5.9 miles | Bruce Theisen |
| Leg 20 | 3.5 miles | Rick Emerson |
| Alternate Runner | | Ken Dyke |
On a humorous note, about 5 hours before the start of the race, we received word that Officer Jerry Armstrong was just leaving his home in San Diego for Baker. Needless to say, retired Captain Ken Dyke (the team’s only alternate runner) was a bit stressed knowing that Jerry runs the toughest leg of the race. While at the pre-race staging area (20 minutes before the start of the race), we were advised that Officer Armstrong arrived at the start of his leg. Captain Dyke’s sigh of relief could be heard all the way to Las Vegas.
Of course, the success enjoyed by the runners could not be had without the assistance of the support crew. Agent Glenn Isaaks and Dispatch Supervisor Tina Jones were instrumental in making arrangements for a smooth race, making sure all of the runners’ equipment and supplies made it out to the desert. Issak’s went as far as publishing a “Race Book” which detailed the race rules, shuttle and follow vehicle assignments and runner/support responsibilities. The book was our Bible and provided answers to any question or situation imaginable.
Agent Issak’s and Dispatcher Jones also made arrangements for team meetings (both for runners and support team) and the team breakfast. As for the rest of the support team, many members of the agency and their families attended the race and volunteered their time to ensure that the runners arrived at their designated start areas on time and had transportation back to their respective hotels. They also provided time gap information to the follow vehicle via handheld radio. Bernadette Chudy (Officer Alicia Chudy’s mom) provided snacks for the follow vehicle as well as all 7 of the shuttle vehicles while Latent Fingerprint Specialist Rodrigo Viesca and Tara Venn drove up and down the race course all night long, taking photos of the runners and support team members.
This year’s race has given the team satisfaction in knowing that we are one of the elite teams in the field and can compete with the best. We are only a few minutes away from our ultimate goal, 1st place. With this in mind, everyone is fired up to begin the process for next year (April 18, 2008) and all members are hungry for even more success.
