Results/Photos

Date: Aug. 22, 2026 Participant: Kyle Ruder #63 Race: 2026 Habanero 100 Mile Distance: 100.0 miles

Steady Start Gives Way to a Gritty Fight to the Cutoff Kyle Ruder opened his 100-mile effort at the Habanero Hundred with remarkable consistency, clicking off the first six miles at an even 12:0112:02 min/mile pace and sitting 8th in the men's field. That opening rhythm held through roughly mile 12, with splits mostly in the 1215 min/mile range as he moved through the ranch's 10km loops. From mile 13 onward, the Texas heat and deep sand took their toll, and Ruder's per-mile splits grew steadily longer stretching into the low-20s and eventually the 2535 min/mile range during several later loops, including a 35:42 split at mile 32 and a 31:44 split at mile 44. His overall pace climbed from 12:01 min/mile through the first six miles to 17:55 min/mile by the finish, reflecting the grinding nature of the back half. Despite the fade, he showed repeated bursts of renewed effort, briefly climbing as high as 1st overall (mile 87) and 4th overall (miles 68, 8183, 88) during scattered late-race surges. Ruder ultimately covered 97.79 of the 100 miles in 29:12:12, finishing 16th overall out of 79 starters, 11th among men, and 3rd in the competitive M20-29 division a result made more notable given the Habanero Hundred's brutal history, where only 198 total 100-mile finishes have been recorded across the event's first decade. Finishing inside the 30-hour cutoff on a course run in triple-digit heat with mandatory personal hydration and no cups on course is itself a mark of toughness. Going forward, building pacing strategies to better manage the mid-to-late race slowdown particularly in the 13-35 mile stretch where splits nearly tripled could help convert early speed into a stronger overall finishing time.