Results/Photos

Date: Aug. 22, 2026 Participant: Nancy Gutierrez #192 Race: 2026 Habanero 100K Distance: 62.0 miles

Steady Grind Through Texas Heat Nets Runner-Up Masters Finish Nancy Gutierrez opened the 2026 Habanero Hundred's 100K distance briskly, clicking off the first five miles at an 11:00 min/mile pace and sitting 9th overall and 3rd in the women's field through mile 5. That early rhythm held into the "Hot Tamales" stretch, with elapsed pace still under 13:00 min/mile through the 24-mile mark, a testament to disciplined early management on a course where average real-feel temperatures climb past 100 degrees. The back half told the story of the heat's toll split times that opened at 1114 minutes per mile stretched into the high teens and, at points, the 20s and even 27:41 for one lap, as fatigue and conditions compounded across the loop-based 10K format. Despite the slowdown, Gutierrez held 1st place in the Women's Masters division from roughly mile 13 through mile 48, a 35-mile stretch of sustained positional strength even as overall elapsed pace drifted from 13:44 to 16:00 min/mile. Gutierrez crossed the 100K finish in 16:55:02, an overall elapsed pace of 16:35 min/mile, placing 14th overall among 75 finishers, 7th among women, and 2nd in the Women's Masters division. The final 13 miles saw a slip from 1st to 2nd in the Masters standings as splits lengthened into the 1830 minute range, suggesting that reserving a bit more cushion in the mid-race miles particularly during the tough 4450 mile stretch, which included a 30:43 split could help preserve position deeper into future long efforts on this notoriously punishing, cupless, self-supported course.