Results/Photos

Date: Aug. 22, 2026 Participant: Ruby Leal #567 Race: 2026 Habanero 10K Distance: 6.2 miles

Fast Start Gives Way to a Hard-Fought Finish Ruby Leal opened her Habanero Hundred 10K in style, clocking a 13:12 opening mile that put her in 5th place overall and the top spot among women. She held that lead through the second mile with a 13:02 split, maintaining a sub-13:10 pace across the first two miles before the course's demands began to show. The middle miles told a different story, as splits stretched to 16:03 and 14:52 for miles three and four, dropping her to 3rd among female finishers before she rallied with a strong 12:32 fifth mile her second-fastest of the day to reclaim 2nd place. The final mile proved the toughest, with a 19:53 split that reflects the brutal conditions organizers intentionally built into this race; notably, TROT's own data shows most medical incidents come not from ultra runners but from short-distance racers who go out too hot, a pattern Leal's own pacing arc echoes. Leal crossed the line in 1:30:49 for the 6.1-mile distance, finishing 9th overall out of 49 participants and 2nd among women. Her ability to surge back after the mile three-four slowdown speaks well of her resilience, and that late push in mile five is worth building on. Going forward, working on sustaining pace through the mid-race lull particularly in heat could help smooth out the pacing curve and convert that strong finishing kick into an even more consistent overall time.