Results/Photos

Date: Aug. 22, 2026 Participant: Josue Garcia #247 Race: 2026 Habanero 100K Distance: 62.0 miles

Iron Division Leadership Fades Late as Heat Takes Its Toll Over 100K Josue Garcia completed the 100K distance at the 2026 Habanero Hundred in 15:35:38, finishing 11th overall out of 75 participants, 6th among men, and 2nd in the M30-39 division. Run entirely on TROT's signature 10km loop a course designed so no runner is ever more than three miles from aid the race began at high noon under the event's trademark extreme heat, a deliberate choice to expose runners while fresh rather than late in the race. Garcia opened efficiently, clicking off the first six miles at a consistent 13:52 min/mile pace and climbing into the top 20 overall by mile 8. His strongest overall positioning came around mile 27, where he sat 8th overall. From mile 19 through mile 53 roughly 34 miles of the race Garcia held the top spot in the M30-39 division outright, a testament to sustained positional strength deep into the event. Pace naturally decelerated as loops accumulated, moving from sub-14:00 min/mile splits early to the mid-14s through the middle miles. The closing quarter of the race told a tougher story: splits in the final 10 laps regularly climbed into the 17-to-22-minute range, including an 18:38, an 18:19, a 17:23, and a 22:44 split at mile 55 the slowest of the day before Garcia dropped to 2nd in his division over the final laps. Given the demanding heat and cumulative fatigue inherent to a race run in Texas August conditions, this late fade is understandable, but it also suggests an opportunity to work on maintaining loop consistency in the second half. Building strategies to manage pacing decay after mile 40 whether through pacing discipline earlier or targeted heat-management training could help preserve position in future long efforts on similarly challenging courses.