The Death Race: You May Die Trying
The grueling test of physical and mental strength lasts more than 24 hours.
June 23, 2011 -- On Friday, 38-year-old Lisa Madden, an architect from New York City, takes on death for the second consecutive year. Madden is competing in the "Death Race" in Pittsfield, Vt., a grueling event that lasts more than 24 hours.
"This endurance race is comprised of mud runs, obstacle racing, trail racing, physical challenges and mental challenges," says the "Death Race" website. "Ninety percent of you will not complete this endurance race. Please only consider this adventure-style race if you have lived a full life to date."
Last year it took Madden 35 hours and 23 minutes to finish the race -- that time was good enough for a ninth-place finish.
"'The Death Race' appealed to me because of its mix of physical demands -- carrying heavy loads, crawling through swamps under barbed wire, and whatever else the organizers had devised -- and mental challenges like having to memorize a list of names while exhausted and sleep deprived, or translating a Greek sentence," Madden wrote in her post-race report from last year.
Madden said pacing is the most difficult aspect of the race, because the end is an "unknown quantity" and it is impossible to known exactly how close the finish line is. Although she is one of the few women to compete in the race, Madden said she did not feel at a disadvantage in taking on the men.
"I find that in endurance races that I've done that women often hold their own as well as men if not better," Madden told ABC News. "Mentally, [women] are a bit more patient and less likely to get frustrated. I think having that patience helps with this race."
Watch "The Conversation" with Lisa Madden to see how she trains and prepares for the "Death Race"
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