Area police agencies compete in ‘Baker to Vegas’ relay event

Glendale and Burbank police both placed in the top 10 in their respective categories this year for the annual Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay, in which they competed against other law enforcement agencies.

Glendale’s team, made up of 20 officers including the police chief, placed second among other law-enforcement agencies with between 150 and 300 sworn officers. The team completed the two-day, 120-mile race in 15 hours and 54 minutes.

“Everybody beat what they thought they could do, so they pushed hard,” said Glendale Police Chief Robert Castro.

Glendale finished just 24 seconds ahead of the Fontana Police Department, which placed third. The Torrance Police Department finished first in that category.

“It’s amazing that you can run a 120-mile race that takes you over 15 hours and you’re still only 24 seconds from your opponent,” said Glendale Police Lt. Tim Feeley, who ran an uphill portion of the race this year.

When the relay started, it was almost 100 degrees outside, Castro said.

One Glendale officer was unable to complete his leg due to heat exhaustion, so the team tapped one of its three alternate runners to finish that portion. The penalty was an extra 10 minutes added to the team’s overall time.

Throughout the race, team members were feeding live updates to one another. So, when Castro started the final leg of the race around 7 a.m., he knew Glendale was in second place.

With the sun in his eyes, his goal was to not let anyone behind him pass him up. In his 13 years of participation — though it was his first time running with Glendale — he said this was the toughest race yet.

Meanwhile, Burbank’s team placed sixth among teams with fewer than 500 police department employees, completing the relay in 17 hours, 16 minutes and 39 seconds. In that category, the San Bernardino Police Department placed first.

Members from both agencies said the race fosters camaraderie and teamwork among co-workers.

“When it’s all said and done and you do well, that makes the family, that makes the department what it is,” said Burbank Police Lt. John Dilibert, who was team captain. While he didn’t run this year, Dilibert has 20 races under his belt.

Next year will mark Burbank’s 25th year participating in the race.

“We watched members of the department grow up in that race,” Dilibert said.