ST. GEORGE — The St. George Police Department has a bike team.
Not to be confused with actual St. George Police officers on bicycle patrol, which it also has.
Captain Curtis Spragg told St. George News that the department likes to put together athletic teams outside work.
“We’ve had a handful of officers on the police department that wanted to build camaraderie among the officers,” Spragg said. “We’ve seen that cycling or running or doing physical activity as a group builds bonds and helps physical fitness.”
He said one of the officers suggested forming a team for the Kokopelli Relay, a yearly 531-mile bike race from Moab to Ivins held June 9-10.
“It’s one of those things that’s really challenging, but for officers, it relieves stress and anxiety and helps with camaraderie,” Spragg said. “It was something to draw us closer and build those friendships.”
Spragg and two other officers, Andy Mickelson and evidence technician Craig Terry, were onboard from the start but they needed a fourth rider for a full team.
“They asked me to be an honorary member,” Mark Mortensen, Support Services director for the city of St. George, told St. George News. An avid, year-round bike rider, Mortensen was eager to become the fourth member of the St. George Police Department team at Kokopelli.
The four-person unit had to have a rider in the saddle at all times during the race, which ended up taking the SGPD team 31 hours.
Team riders rotated through a series of legs over the course of the relay. Mortensen said each leg varied from 45 minutes to an hour and a half, covering 15-30 miles.
“I drew the shortest straw and always had the toughest climbing,” Mortensen joked.
In reality, all four shared the 20,000 feet or so of climbing over the course of the race, each rider showing incredible stamina and bike riding ability.
Following behind the riders in a motorhome was St. George Police officer Tiffany Mitchell, one of the so-called SAG members (support and gear) of the team.
Riders got to rest in the motorhome and gather strength but had to use the same rotation sequence as the race went on.
“It never stopped,” Mortensen said. “Every three or four hours you were next up, whether it was 2 a.m. and 38 degrees or not.”
Each rider completed six legs over the course of the journey, which featured some of the best scenery in the state of Utah.
The ride went from Moab to Monticello and then Blanding, then north to the Bicentennial Scenic Highway. Cyclists pedaled from there to Capitol Reef and Boulder and Bryce Canyon.
Without stopping, the race continued to Cedar Mountain and Duck Creek into the Cedar Breaks and down into Cedar. After that, the finishing legs went to Enterprise, Gunlock and Veyo before ending at Unity Park in Ivins.
“The most scenic views in the state of Utah,” Mortensen said. “Hardest thing I’ve done in a while with a group of people that I won’t soon forget.”
Mortensen said the SGPD team finished second in its category, the competitive four-man B division.
Officers spent their own money to fund their participation and used vacation time to participate.
“I’ve been in a lot of relays before and this one was really very special,” Spragg said, adding that the SGPD team hopes to field an eight-man squad at the Salt Lake to St. George relay in September.
Photo Gallery
A St. George Police Department rider in the Kokopelli Relay Race, Utah, June 10, 2023 | Photo St. George Police for St. George News
A St. George Police Department rider in the Kokopelli Relay Race, Utah, June 10, 2023 | Photo St. George Police for St. George News
Bikers and race officials at the Kokopelli Relay Race, Utah, June 10, 2023 | Photo St. George Police for St. George News
The St. George Police Department bike team at the finish line of the Kokopelli Relay Race, Moab, Utah, June 10, 2023 | Photo St. George Police for St. George News
The St. George Police Department bike team at the start line of the Kokopelli Relay Race, Moab, Utah, June 9, 2023 | Photo St. George Police for St. George News
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