Results/Photos

Date: Aug. 22, 2026 Participant: Karen Ellis #275 Race: 2026 Habanero 50K Distance: 31.0 miles

Blistering Early Pace Holds On for a Podium Finish Karen Ellis completed the 50K distance at the 2026 Habanero Hundred in 7:59:05, finishing 19th overall and 3rd in both the women's field and her age division among 71 total participants. The race, run at the 7IL Ranch under a high-noon start with average real-feel temperatures exceeding 100 degrees, is designed to expose runners to peak heat while fresh a defining and deliberately brutal feature of the event. Ellis opened strongly, covering the first five miles at a consistent 10:43 min/mile pace and sitting 2nd in her gender division through that stretch. The heat and terrain took their toll as the race progressed: by mile 15, her pace had settled to 13:10 min/mile, and by the final miles she was running in the 17-24 min/mile range, including a 24:01 split at mile 26. Despite this gradual slowing a common and expected pattern in extreme-heat ultras she maintained her position within the top three of her division for nearly the entire back half of the race, a testament to steady, controlled effort rather than a dramatic fade. Going forward, Ellis may benefit from a more conservative opening pace to preserve energy for the back half, where the largest time losses occurred between miles 20 and 30. Given the demonstrated fitness in her early splits, incorporating heat-specific training and pacing strategy for the second half of long efforts could help her convert that early speed into a more even overall split and potentially improve on this podium-contending finish.