Results/Photos

Date: Aug. 22, 2026 Participant: THOMAS PERKINS #451 Race: 2026 Habanero Half Marathon Distance: 13.1 miles

Masters Class Champion Battles Texas Heat for Strong Finish Thomas Perkins claimed the Masters (M50-59) division title at the 2026 Habanero Hundred Half Marathon, crossing the line in 2:46:07 for an overall pace of 12:35 min/mile. Racing on a course notorious for real-feel temperatures exceeding 100 degrees, Perkins finished 6th overall and 5th among all men out of 110 total participants a strong showing on ground built entirely from repeating 10km loops through deep Texas sand. Perkins opened fast, clocking a 10:08 mile-one split good for 7th overall, before settling into a rhythm that hovered between 4th and 9th place through the middle miles. His quickest split of the day came at mile 6 (10:02 min/mile), pushing him to 5th overall at that point. As the race progressed into the heat, his pace understandably lengthened miles 7 through 13 ranged from 11:45 to a race-high 18:05 in the final mile, a common pattern on a course where organizers intentionally start runners at high noon so athletes absorb heat exposure while still fresh rather than late in the race. Despite the late slowdown, Perkins' positioning remained remarkably stable, finishing inside the top 6 overall for nine of his thirteen splits and never falling outside 4th in his Masters bracket after mile 8. The final-mile fade nearly six minutes slower than his opening pace suggests room to build heat-specific pacing strategy for the back half of similar races, particularly given the event's reputation for brutal humidity and sand underfoot. Still, the Masters division win, paired with a sub-2:47 finish in such conditions, reflects a well-executed race overall. Perkins' effort places him among a select group navigating one of the more physically demanding half marathon courses in Texas.