On July 22, 2003, Pam Reed, 42-year-old mother of five, won the Badwater Ultramarathon through Death Valley, California, completing the 135-mile course in 27 hours, 56 minutes. Temperatures reached 133 degrees(f). The fact that Reed beat a 73-person international field of men and women by nearly five hours lead some to believe that women are better suited than men for such severe endurance competitions.