Going the Distance
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Deputy Casey Calloway runs his segment of the race through the desert.
Cooperation, endurance and handling stress under difficult circumstances are part of the job for the County’s law enforcement departments. Those traits all came in to play for the Sheriff, Probation and District Attorney teams who ran in the strenuous 2015 Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay desert run.
The 31st annual 120-mile race was held the weekend of March 28-29, started in the town of Baker and passed through the scorching desert to Las Vegas. Law enforcement teams from all over the world participate, including teams from Australia, Canada, and Germany.
Probation ran in the Mixed category and the Sheriff’s and DA teams competed in the Invitational Mixed category. The Mixed category means that of the 20 runners, five have to be women and all are sworn officers. The Invitational Mixed means that two runners must be non-sworn personnel.
Three of the teams started at 4 p.m. The Sheriff team came in at 15 hours, 18 minutes, and 27 seconds; Probation finished at 15 hours, 23 minutes and 48 seconds; and the District Attorney team crossed the finish line at 16 hours, 1 minute and 18 seconds. A second District Attorney team, with many running for the first time in a race, started at 10 a.m. and came in at 20 hours, 19 minutes and 1 second.
Thirteen of the 20 team members and Undersheriff Ed Prendergast and Assistant Sheriff Mark Elvin celebrating the run afterward.The Sheriff’s team was among 52 teams in their category and placed 19th overall of 276 teams.
“It was our fastest team ever and the first time the Sheriff’s Department came in first in our division ever at Baker to Vegas,” said Sheriff team captain Denese Deal.
Probation finished 22nd overall.
“Our department has competed in this race over 17 times and this year we once again proved that we are the fastest Probation team in the U.S./International race. We won the Mixed division category for the fourth time,” said Probation Chief Mack Jenkins, who ran as an alternate for part of a leg. “In the more than 30-year history of the race, we are the only Probation Department to ever win a category. That’s a credit not only to the athletic talent of our runners but also of the ability of our team and support staff to work hard and work together to make it happen.”
The San Diego County Probation Team accepting their plaque on stage for Baker to Vegas.Team captain Linda Yoakum-Latimer, who retired after the race, said, “I finished up my last year as captain of the fastest probation team in the world in the 31st annual race, on team 31, and with 31 plus years of service to the County of San Diego.”
The first District Attorney’s Office first team finished 7th in their division and placed 46th overall. The DA’s Office has competed in the race for more than 20 years.
“I am so proud of all our runners for persevering through the 100-degree heat and the various challenges we had during the race. Our team stayed committed and focused; and we still came away with a top-10 finish in our division,” said DA team captain Roy Lai. “We started two teams last year because having multiple teams allowed different members of our office to compete and have fun without fear that they were not fast enough.”