Results/Photos

Date: Aug. 22, 2026 Participant: Hard R Runners #766 Race: 2026 Habanero 100K Relay Distance: 62.0 miles

Blistering Start, Even Better Finish Secures Runner-Up Team Finish The Hard R Runners covered 61.19 miles at the 2026 Habanero Hundred's 100K Relay in 14:49:19 (14:32 min/mile pace), placing 10th overall out of 15 and 2nd in the women's division. The race itself is built on a single 10km loop repeated ten times for this distance, a layout designed so runners are never more than three miles from an aid station a notable safeguard given TROT's infamous high-noon start and triple-digit real-feel Texas heat. The team opened with remarkable consistency, holding a rock-steady 13:5813:59 min/mile pace through the first six miles and sitting 1st in the women's division through mile 8. A middle stretch from roughly mile 16 to mile 24 saw splits balloon into the 1820 min/mile range, dropping the team to 2nd place, where they largely remained for the rest of the event (briefly reclaiming 1st at mile 34 before settling back). From mile 38 onward, however, the squad turned in the strongest running of their day a long stretch of splits in the 1013 min/mile range, including several sub-11-minute miles late in the race (mile 39: 10:50, mile 48: 10:09, mile 54: 9:59), a genuine negative-split finish over the closing 20+ miles. That late surge is the standout takeaway: whichever runner(s) handled the closing legs ran markedly faster than the race's midpoint, which speaks well to leg planning and closing strength. The mid-race dip between miles 1624 is worth reviewing whether it reflects a tougher rotation, tougher loop conditions, or fatigue on a particular leg, tightening that segment could be the difference between 2nd and 1st in the women's division next time. Overall, a well-managed relay effort on one of the toughest courses in Texas ultrarunning.