Results/Photos

Date: Aug. 22, 2026 Participant: Running Hot #739 Race: 2026 Habanero 100 Mile Relay Distance: 100.0 miles

Consistent Effort Fuels a Strong Late-Race Surge Through Punishing Heat At the 2026 Habanero Hundred a race with a cupless, mandatory-hydration format that starts at high noon in Texas heat specifically so runners face the worst conditions while still fresh this Willis, TX-based relay squad covered 97.79 miles in 21:20:52, good for 12th overall out of 25 teams and 7th in the men's field, at an overall pace of 13:05 per mile. The team opened fast and efficient, banking five straight miles at a 10:38 pace before settling into a sustainable rhythm through the middle miles, holding between 12:30 and 13:00 per mile from roughly mile 15 through mile 65. A rough patch emerged from miles 7092, where several splits stretched to 1419 minutes per mile, including a 22:53 split at mile 25 and a 19:49 split at mile 92 likely reflecting the compounding effects of heat and fatigue late in the effort. Notably, the team briefly surged into the overall top 5 twice, at mile 33 (5th overall, 3rd in division) and again at miles 9192, where they climbed as high as 2nd overall and 1st in their men's division before mile-to-mile relay exchange timing normalized their position. The final stretch showed real resilience, with the last five miles tightening back into the 12:0013:10 range and the team closing at 5th overall on the final split. Overall, this was a well-managed team pacing effort on a genuinely difficult course. The dip in pace through the 7090 mile stretch stands out as the primary area to target tightening those splits back toward the 12:3013:00 band that carried the team through the middle miles could meaningfully improve final placement. The strong finishing kick shows the fitness and depth were there; smoothing out the mid-late race lull would be the clearest path to a faster overall time next time out.