Results/Photos

Date: Aug. 22, 2026 Participant: Genevieve Hessemer #360 Race: 2026 Habanero Marathon Distance: 26.2 miles

Early Pace-Setter Fights Through a Mid-Race Stall to Secure Podium Finish Genevieve Hessemer completed the marathon distance at the 2026 Habanero Hundred in 10:55:49, covering 25.9 miles at an average pace of 25:19 per mile, good for 3rd place in the women's field and 19th overall among 39 finishers. The result came on a course true to its billing as "Texas' hottest trail race," run on a single 10km loop through the 7IL Ranch under a high-noon start designed to expose runners to peak heat while they're still fresh rather than late in the race. Hessemer's race told a story of two distinct halves. She opened aggressively, leading the women's field outright through the first mile and holding 1st or 2nd place through the opening 22 miles of racing, with split paces mostly in the 18-26 minute range. The clear turning point came at mile 9, where her split time ballooned to 1:08:08 (a 68:08/mile pace), dropping her overall elapsed pace from 23:07 to 28:07 per mile. She responded well, clawing back into the overall standings and briefly reclaiming the women's lead at mile 16 before settling into 2nd-3rd place for the closing miles. The mile 9 split stands out as the single most impactful moment of the race without it, Hessemer's overall time and placement would likely have been notably stronger, given how consistently she held top-2 positioning both before and after that stretch. Going forward, identifying whatever caused that extended stop (whether a gear issue, aid station delay, or a rough physical patch) and building a strategy to minimize similar disruptions could translate directly into a stronger overall finish. The underlying fitness and pacing discipline shown in the other 24 splits suggest real podium potential once that mid-race gap is tightened up.