Friday, April 19, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.
Motorists using highways between Baker, Calif., and Las Vegas this weekend can gain a healthy perspective on law enforcement.
Runners from over 170 teams will be competing in a 128-mile Challenge Cup Relay, sponsored by the Los Angeles Police Revolver and Athletic Club.
It's the largest law enforcement athletic event in the nation, according to spokesman Lew Snow.
For the most part, the annual event will maintain tradition by starting in Baker and finishing at the Hacienda hotel on Las Vegas Boulevard South. One significant change, though, is improving traffic flow between Interstate 15 and the greater Death Valley area.
Highway 127 between Baker and Shoshone, Calif., which in past years has been closed to traffic, will stay open on Saturday.
"We realize that closing the road last year put a burden on our host communities," said LAPD Officer Chuck Foote, a race coordinator. "This year, in cooperation with the California Highway Patrol, the highway will remain open to ensure this vital link is unbroken."
Motorists using Highway 127 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on race day are advised to exercise caution due to the heavy volume of slow race vehicles and runners on the roadway, especially during dusk and nighttime hours when visibility is at its worst.
Additional roads affected include: Highway 178/372 from Shoshone to Pahrump from 5 p.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday, and Highway 160 from Pahrump to Las Vegas from 9:30 p.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday.
Runners should begin to cross the finish line under the Hacienda's marquee about 2 a.m. Sunday morning, Snow said.
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