Results/Photos

Date: Aug. 22, 2026 Participant: Charles Turco #235 Race: 2026 Habanero 100K Distance: 62.0 miles

Fast Start Fuels Late-Race Battle for a Top-Six Finish Charles Turco opened his 100K at the 2026 Habanero Hundred like a man unaware of the Texas heat, ripping off five straight miles at an 8:46 pace to sit in the overall lead through the first 5 miles. That early speed came on a course built entirely from a single 10km loop repeated ten times for the 100K distance designed so no runner is ever more than three miles from aid, a cushion Turco would lean on as the day wore on. The back half of his race told a different story, with splits gradually stretching from the 11-13 minute range into the 15-21 minute range as the heat and mileage accumulated. Notably, Turco showed real fight in the later stages: after slipping to 6th overall and 3rd in his gender division for much of the middle miles, he surged back to 1st place in the men's field at mile 34, a sign of strong mental resilience even as his pace continued to soften late. Turco crossed the finish line in 15:09:10 for the full 61.19 miles, good for 6th overall and 3rd in his gender division out of 75 total participants. Given how aggressively he started, a more even effort in the opening loops could help him hold position deeper into the race next time but the ability to claw back to the front of his division past the 30-mile mark, in conditions this event bills as some of the harshest in Texas trail running, speaks well to his endurance base.