CORONA DEL MAR TODAY

NBPD Running Team Places First in Baker to Vegas Relay

The Newport Beach Police Department’s running team has place first in their category for the eight straight year in the Baker to Vegas 120-Mile Challenge Cup Relay, according to a police statement.

The28th annual relay, held April Saturday and Sunday, included teams from about 270 law enforcement agencies around the world, the statement said. The NBPD team place first in the 150 Division and 16th overall, and the NBPD team has place first in its category ten times in the past 12 years.

The team included 20 runners, five alternates and 20 support personnel in a race that climbed more than 5,000 feet it elevation and wound throughout back roads of the Mojave Desert. The race began 24 miles outside Baker at 5 p.m. Saturday and ended in Las Vegas about 8 am. Sunday, and at times the temperature reached 110 degrees.

The team completed the event in 15 hours, 5 minutes — five minutes faster than last year’s time.

Chief Jay Johnson praised the racers for their representation of Newport Beach.

“Not only did you display your outstanding physical abilities, but more importantly you showed your mental toughness by enduring the 110 degree heat during the day and strong headwinds at night,” he said, according to the statement. “This mental toughness translates into your exceptional abilities to handle the physical and mental challenges of your jobs as police officers.”