Results/Photos

Date: Aug. 22, 2026 Participant: Minerva's List #800 Race: 2026 Habanero 100K Relay Distance: 62.0 miles

Relay Squad Grinds Through Texas Heat for Overall 100K Title Racing under the deliberately brutal high-noon start that defines the Habanero Hundred a course where organizers warn of real-feel temperatures above 100 degrees and deliberately deep sand this relay team covered the full 61.19-mile 100K distance in 10:28:38 (10:16/mile pace), claiming the overall win among 15 competitors and topping the men's field outright. The team came out of the gate at an aggressive 7:077:08/mile pace through the first six laps, building an early overall lead. The middle stretch of the race told a different story, as splits stretched into the 9:0013:12/mile range through laps 755, with overall position fluctuating between 1st and 4th as the heat and terrain took their toll a pattern consistent with the race's reputation, where cupless aid stations and mandatory personal hydration (minimum 500ml) underscore just how demanding the conditions are. Despite the midrace dip, the team never fell outside the top four. The closing kick was the defining stretch of the effort: laps 5661 dropped back into the 7:148:58/mile range, a marked negative split that overtook the field in the final hours to retake and hold 1st overall through the finish. That late surge, covering the last six laps nearly two to three minutes per mile faster than the midrace lows, was the difference-maker in securing the overall title. Going forward, tightening the pacing through the middle third of the race where the largest time losses occurred could help build a more comfortable cushion earlier, reducing reliance on a dramatic final rally. Still, the ability to close so strongly in Texas heat, on a course where finishes of any ultra distance are historically hard-earned, reflects strong late-race management and fitness.