Results/Photos

Date: Aug. 21, 2026 Participant: Preston Grossling #36 Race: 2026 Habanero Habanero 135 Distance: 0.0 miles

Early Frontrunner Holds Firm Through a Grueling Fade to Finish Third Preston Grossling covered 132.6 miles in 37:30:36 at the inaugural running of the Habanero 135 a new distance added to the 2026 Habanero Hundred specifically for veteran ultrarunners chasing more than 100 miles. Grossling finished 3rd in the men's field and 4th overall among 39 total participants, a strong showing in a race where the fresh 135-mile option requires proven ultra experience just to enter. Grossling's opening miles were sharp, clicking off sub-9:10 pace over the first two miles and holding under 10:00 min/mile pace through roughly the marathon mark. That effort put him into the outright race lead by mile 16, and he traded 1st and 2nd overall repeatedly through the 40-mile mark before extending a lead that carried him into the top spot as late as mile 95 nearly 79 miles into the event. The second half told a different story. Split times that had hovered near 10-12 minutes per mile through the first 50 miles stretched into the 15-25 minute range by mile 70, then ballooned further overnight, including a 68-minute split at mile 84 and a 45-minute split at mile 78 signs of the heat, sand, and distance compounding late. Despite the fade, Grossling steadied into a consistent 16-22 minute pace band for the final 40 miles, holding position among the overall top four from mile 100 onward. He closed with a notable surge, dropping his final split to 9:18 min/mile his fastest mile since the opening quarter of the race to secure the finish. For future 135 attempts, targeting a more even pacing strategy through miles 50-90 could help preserve more of the early speed for the closing stretch.