Pahrump Prepares to Cheer Runners in 40th Annual Baker to Vegas Relay

Southern Nye County Search and Rescue volunteers lit the grills outside Green Valley Grocery at Highway 372 and S. Blagg Road at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 28, serving hot dogs, hamburgers, chili and chips to law-enforcement runners, support crews and spectators as the 40th annual Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay pushed through Pahrump on its 120-mile crossing from Baker, California to Las Vegas.

The relay, organized by the Los Angeles Police Revolver & Athletic Club, drew thousands of law-enforcement and public-safety runners from departments across California, Nevada and other states. In the Pahrump Valley, the course tracked along Highway 372 and Highway 160 before ascending Mountain Springs Pass toward Las Vegas, making Pahrump one of the race's most exposed desert transit points and concentrating checkpoint activity at several locations across town.

Drivers along both corridors faced temporary slowdowns throughout the weekend. Motorists were advised to follow directions from volunteers and law enforcement stationed at checkpoints and to give runners wide berth on highway shoulders. No formal road closures were announced, but traffic on the Highway 372 corridor near S. Blagg Road tightened Saturday afternoon as the SNCSAR booth drew athletes, support vehicles and spectators to the same intersection.

SNCSAR named its fundraising operation "Grilling for the Guardians," selling hot dogs, hamburgers, chili, chips, sports drinks and water at the booth. All proceeds support the organization's mission of searching for missing children and providing community safety education across Nye County. SNCSAR invited participating athletes, support teams and race spectators alike to stop at the booth.

Local runners added to the weekend's street-level presence, joining organized 7.4-mile solidarity legs timed to run alongside B2V teams as they cleared Pahrump. Community groups also set up cheering stations at multiple checkpoints across town, extending the race's footprint well beyond the Green Valley Grocery corridor.

The Baker to Vegas relay has run continuously since its inaugural edition; the 2026 race marked its 40th year. The event is among the largest law-enforcement athletic competitions in the American West. Spectators posted along Hwy. 160 near Mountain Springs Pass were advised to bring shade and water and stay clear of active running lanes throughout the weekend.