Hi, I'm Pam Reed and I've been directing this race since 1995. This year will be our 13th Annual Tucson Marathon. The race has grown from a small local marathon to a mid-size international marathon. The growth of this event has paralleled my own personal running as I started running ultra marathons about 16 years ago. I, too, have grown from both experiences. It seems the older I've gotten the better I've become which also parallels the race's history. With more experience and input, the race continues to improve.
The last four years of my running career have been very exciting. I've been fortunate enough to win the Badwater Ultra Marathon twice as the overall winner, set an American record in the 24-Hour track run and ran in the Netherlands with the U.S. Team in 2004, in France in 2005 and invited to run in Taiwan in 2006. I was honored by Competitor Magazine as "Runner of the Year" and have had many opportunitites to share my story with many runners in the U.S. and overseas. The reason I'm telling my story is to show that you don't have to give into your age, you can continue to improve the same as races such as our marathon has the last 12 years.
My success hasn't come easy. I've raised a family, having three boys and a dog, which has included supporting the boys in their sports, school activities, working and trying to fit in my training to accomplish these goals. If you're interested in how I've been able to bring all this together, you can read my book The Extra Mile.
My personal goal is to motivate people of all speeds and ages to do something for themselves and set a fitness goal that will encourage a healthier lifestyle. That's why I put on this marathon, half marathon and relay to offer a venue for people to do this.
I look forward to meeting you personally. Come and enjoy Tucson and Oro Valley and what our marathon has to offer.
Purchase Pam Reed’s book
The Extra Mile: One Woman's Personal Journey
to Ultrarunning Greatness
By Pam Reed, Mitch Sisskind
The story of the woman who shocked the running world in 2002 when she won the sport's most grueling race—135 miles from Death Valley to Mount Whitney—beating her closest competitor by 5 hours!
As this inspiring memoir proves, her athletic accomplishments are only half the story. In The Extra Mile we watch this ultramarathon champion seek balance in her life as a wife, mother, athlete, and entrepreneur. With astonishing candor she tells of her 15-year-long battle with anorexia. And she helps us to understand her passion for ultrarunning—to discover how far the human body can be pushed. Reed's TV appearances have demonstrated the public's fascination with this growing sport. Reed's book will be an inspiration to women everywhere.
