Results/Photos

Date: Aug. 22, 2026 Participant: Mad Dogs & Englishmen #243 Race: 2026 Habanero 100K Relay Distance: 62.0 miles

Resilient Pacing Rebounds After Midday Heat Slump The Mad Dogs & Englishmen mixed relay team completed the 100K distance at the 2026 Habanero Hundred in 15:08:14, covering 61.19 miles at an average pace of 14:50 min/mile, good for 11th of 15 teams overall and 7th in the mixed division. Notably, this event is run on a single 10km loop with a brutal high-noon start, designed so racers absorb the Texas heat while fresh rather than at the end of an ultra a defining quirk of the race. The splits tell a story of two distinct phases. Through the first 20 miles, the team held a remarkably tight rhythm, running between 14:49 and 15:19 min/mile with almost no variance loop to loop. That consistency broke down during the afternoon heat, with splits ballooning to 17:06, 19:00, 18:50, and 19:35 min/mile between miles 2126 likely the hottest stretch of the event. The team answered strongly once temperatures dropped, posting some of their fastest miles of the day from mile 27 to 33, including splits of 13:16, 12:54, 12:21, 11:58, and a race-best 11:21 min/mile. The final third of the race settled into a steady 1216 min/mile band through the 61-mile finish, with the team's overall placement fluctuating between 6th and 12th before closing at 11th. The overnight surge after the midday slowdown shows strong depth and the ability to recover pace once conditions eased. Given that a stalled loop can result in a full team DNF under relay rules, the mid-afternoon dip (miles 2126) is worth examining building a more deliberate pacing or exchange strategy for the hottest hours could help flatten that dip and preserve the strong tempo shown both before and after it.