How Heather Jackson won the 2026 Javelina Jundred with Eric and Nick pacing and crewing

This is an epic one. Heather Jackson joins us to recount her win at the 2026 Javelina Jundred, a 100-mile trail running race in the Arizona desert. Eric and Nick crewed her and paced the final two laps, and Paula, who wasn’t there, hears the full story for the first time. Heather walks us through her headspace coming in, the plan, and how the day unfolded lap by lap up until the dramatic finish.
This week we discussed:
• Heather’s mindset heading into Javelina after getting sick following a Kona camp, and what a good day looked like to her
• The pre-race crew meeting: the plan, and “don’t be a first lap hero”
• Why Heather chose Eric and Nick as her crew and pacers
• How crewing and pacing work at a 100-mile race with four aid station visits
• Fueling a 100-miler: carb targets, flasks, gels, and what changed after lap one
• Shoe choice, mud, and a rockier course than in past years
• Managing quads on the downhill half of the course
• Racing the people ahead of you when you can’t see the standings
• A moment on the trail with Des Linden
• Running in the dark and the rain: headlamps, wet phones, and getting tracker updates by text
• Pacing a 100-miler as a triathlete and as a trail runner
• How Cocodona 250 changed Heather’s mindset at this distance
• Western States, the Golden Ticket, and what’s next
• The Javelina broadcast and Wattie's upcoming film
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