Results/Photos

Date: Aug. 22, 2026 Participant: Paige Halamicek #84 Race: 2026 Habanero 100 Mile Distance: 100.0 miles

Consistent Division Leadership Carries Runner Through Texas Heat and Sand Paige Halamicek covered 97.79 miles in 28:41:44 at the 2026 Habanero Hundred, held on a single 10km loop at 7IL Ranch where average real-feel temperatures exceed 100 degrees and the course cuts through deep sand. Halamicek finished 13th overall among 79 participants and 4th among female finishers, while holding 1st place in the F20-29 division for the overwhelming majority of the race a position she claimed in mile one and defended through nearly the entire effort. Her opening pace was notably even, clicking off six consecutive miles at 13:04-13:05 min/mile before the heat and terrain began to stretch her splits. From there, mile times gradually lengthened into the 14:30-16:00 range through the race's middle third (roughly miles 30-70), then extended further into the 16:30-24:00 range over the closing miles as cumulative fatigue set in a natural progression given the conditions. Several individual laps ballooned past 25 minutes, including a 40:30 split near mile 93, pointing to spots where aid-station time or terrain fatigue compounded. Interestingly, Halamicek's overall standing surged late, climbing as high as 4th overall around mile 89 during a strong push, before settling to 13th by the finish. That late volatility suggests room to smooth out mid-to-late race management tightening transition times at aid stations and maintaining a steadier effort through the back-third laps could convert those late surges into a more stable overall position. Her sustained hold on the F20-29 title across nearly 100 miles, on a course where only 198 total 100-mile finishes were recorded between 2015 and 2025, stands as the clear highlight of a well-executed run through one of the state's toughest ultra tests.