Results/Photos

Date: Aug. 22, 2026 Participant: Jill Makin #591 Race: 2026 Habanero 10K Distance: 6.2 miles

Early Pace Leader Holds On for Podium Finish Jill Makin claimed third place in her division at the 2026 Habanero Hundred's 10K, finishing in 1:34:25 (15:28/mile) among a field of 49 runners at TROT's notoriously punishing Texas heat event, billed as "Texas' hottest trail race." Makin's race started with strong positioning: she sat second among women through the first two miles, clocking a race-best split of 12:56 on mile two. By mile three, she'd moved into the female lead outright with a 14:33 split, a position she held through mile four despite a gradually lengthening pace (15:17). The closing miles shifted the outcome. A 14:30 fifth mile was followed by a 21:31 sixth mile nearly seven minutes slower than her fastest split and the steepest drop of her race which cost her the female lead, dropping her to third among women and 11th overall by the finish. That late fade lines up with something race organizers flag directly: most medical and performance issues at Habanero come not from the ultra distances but from shorter-distance runners going out too hot into the day's extreme conditions. With real-feel temperatures regularly exceeding 100 degrees on this course, a more conservative pace through the middle miles could help preserve position over the closing stretch in future starts here.