Amy Palmiero-Winters Defies Death, Finishes 2014 Spartan Death Race

67 Hours of Nonstop Punishment Puts Amy to the Ultimate Human Endurance Test

There are millions of running races, thousands of marathons, hundreds of triathlons and dozens of ultramarathons, but there is only one Death Race. Held annually since 2005 in the small town of Pittsfield, VT, the 2014 Death Race was held from June 27th through June 30th, with just sixty-five out of 300 elite endurance athletes finishing. The obstacle and challenge-driven race required competitors to complete numerous grueling mental and physical challenges throughout a 40-mile course in the Vermont woods. Unlike other endurance races that offer a detailed map, Death Racers have no idea what to expect next as the course map and list of challenges are kept secret.

Amy Palmiero-Winters can be considered a veteran of the Death Race, having completed the grueling course in 2013. Her entrance – and finish – in the race was unique, as she was the first amputee to participate in the history of the race. In spite of the challenges the race presented – such a chopping wood for hours and carrying fifty pounds of hay during the race – Amy persevered and was among the 10% of starters who finished the race.

Amy was very excited to enter the 2014 Death Race – themed as “The Year of the Explorer.” This year’s tasks included carrying an sixty pound bag of concrete about 5 miles up a forty to sixty degree incline through a rock ravine and racing 120 miles with a sixty-five pound backpack. The physical rigors of the race were so extreme that Amy’s prosthetic leg broke at one point, and she was forced to run four miles on a dirt trail on the damaged prosthesis.

Surprisingly enough, Amy says that one of the hardest parts was when the competitors all had to take a written test thirty hours into the race featuring famous explorers. A single mistake on the test resulted in that racer being disqualified from the race. In the end, Amy raced for sixty-seven hours before being awarded a coveted “Finisher Skull” for her remarkable achievement.

Some photos courtesy of Peak Races.