Results/Photos

Date: Aug. 22, 2026 Participant: Henry Files #483 Race: 2026 Habanero Half Marathon Distance: 13.1 miles

Fast Start Builds Early Lead Before Late-Race Fade Secures Age Group Title Henry Files, 18, of Austin, finished the Half Marathon at the 2026 Habanero Hundred in 2:31:14, an 11:27/mile pace, placing 4th overall and 4th among men out of 110 participants while claiming the Under-20 division title. The race, run in Texas' notorious August heat over deep sand at the 7IL Ranch, is known for average real-feel temperatures exceeding 100 degrees, making Henry's early pace management notable in this year's field. Henry opened conservatively, sitting 5th overall through mile 1 (10:00 pace) before surging into 2nd by mile 2 with a 9:54 split. By mile 4, he had taken the overall lead and held 1st place through mile 9, anchored by a strong 9:29 split at mile 6. However, the back half told a different story: splits slowed progressively from 11:19 at mile 9 to a 16:10 final mile, dropping him from 1st to 4th overall between miles 9 and 13. This late fade cost him the overall podium but wasn't enough to unseat his age-group win. Henry's front-loaded strategy shows strong raw speed and confidence, evident in his ability to seize the overall lead by the midpoint. Moving forward, building durability to sustain that early pace deeper into the race particularly miles 9 through 13, where the largest slowdowns occurred could convert early leads into finishing positions. Given the demanding conditions of this course, his ability to lead for five consecutive miles is a strong foundation to build on for pacing strategy in future long-distance efforts.