Results/Photos

Date: Aug. 22, 2026 Participant: Keri Dawson #581 Race: 2026 Habanero 10K Distance: 6.2 miles

Division Title Claimed Despite a Midrace Fade Keri Dawson, 56, of Abilene, Texas, won the Female 50-59 division at the 2026 Habanero Hundred 10K, crossing the line in 1:58:35 good for 25th overall and 13th among all women in a field of 49 finishers. Notably, the Habanero Hundred is known for its deliberately brutal high-noon start, designed so runners face the Texas heat while still fresh rather than late in the race, and Dawson's performance held up well within that format to secure the division win. Dawson's mile splits told the story of a race with one significant rough patch. She opened strong, covering the first two miles in 16:29 and 15:57 paces that had her sitting inside the top 15 overall and in the top two of her division. Mile 3 proved the outlier, ballooning to 26:19 and dropping her division ranking, likely a reflection of the course's deep sand and rising heat. She rebounded well over the back half, running mile 5 in 16:14 her second-fastest split of the day and reclaiming the overall division lead, which she held through the finish. Overall, Dawson's pacing ranged from a brisk 15:57 to a taxing 26:19 per mile, an over 10-minute swing that highlights an opportunity to build more consistent pacing across a full effort, particularly through the middle miles where conditions on this course historically take their toll. Given her strong closing kick and division-winning result, targeted work on mid-race pacing and heat management could translate a solid finish into an even more dominant one at future editions of this notoriously punishing race.