Results/Photos

Date: Aug. 22, 2026 Participant: Shelly Mack #368 Race: 2026 Habanero Marathon Distance: 26.2 miles

Steady Second-Half Rally Secures Runner-Up Finish Shelly Mack completed the Marathon distance at the 2026 Habanero Hundred in 10:53:22, earning 2nd place in the Female division and 17th overall among 39 participants, at an average pace of 25:13 per mile across the race's 25.9-mile distance. The event, run on a single 10km loop repeated four times for the marathon, is designed so no runner is ever more than three miles from aid a notable feature given the brutal midday heat that defines this race. Mack's opening miles showed strong control, with three sub-18-minute splits (17:54, 17:03, 18:18) putting her among the top 3 in her division early. True to the Habanero's reputation the race deliberately starts at high noon so runners face peak heat while still fresh mile 4 nearly doubled to 24:23, and mile 5 stretched to 38:16, marking the toughest stretch of her day. From there, Mack settled into a more manageable rhythm, alternating between 19- and 35-minute miles for the remainder of the race. A strong push at mile 22 (20:37) briefly lifted her to 13th overall, and she closed with a solid 19:17 split on mile 25. The steep pace swing between miles 3 and 5 is worth flagging building in a more gradual transition through the heat of the day could help smooth out early splits in future efforts on similarly exposed courses. Overall, Mack's ability to recover and finish strong after a difficult middle stretch, ultimately securing 2nd in her division, reflects solid resilience on a course built to test exactly that.