Results/Photos

Date: Aug. 22, 2026 Participant: Carlos Vences Jr #286 Race: 2026 Habanero 50K Distance: 31.0 miles

Late-Race Surge Fuels Runner-Up Finish in Sweltering 50K Carlos Vences Jr. closed out the 2026 Habanero Hundred's 50K in 5:50:19 (11:24/mile pace) across 30.69 miles, good for 2nd overall and 2nd in the men's field out of 71 total finishers. The result came on a course that lives up to its billing as "Texas' hottest trail race" a high-noon start deliberately designed to expose runners to peak heat while still fresh, over deep sand and triple-digit real-feel temperatures at the 7IL Ranch. Vences opened conservatively, holding a steady 10:3110:32/mile pace through the first five miles while sitting 11th overall. A rough patch followed between miles 613, with splits stretching to 14:1515:07/mile and his position slipping as low as 14th overall. From there, the race turned: starting at mile 17, Vences began climbing steadily, moving from 9th to 7th to 4th within three miles, then cracking the podium at mile 23 (3rd overall) and mile 25 (2nd overall) a position he held for the remainder of the race. The closing miles were the strongest of the day. Vences ran a 9:16/mile split over his final mile, the fastest of the race, capping a back half that saw his overall pace tighten from 11:38 to 11:26/mile despite accumulating fatigue and heat exposure. The mid-race lull in miles 613 stands as the clearest opportunity for improvement tightening that stretch could have meant contesting for the win rather than settling into 2nd. Overall, a well-executed negative-split performance on one of the more physically demanding courses in Texas ultra racing.