What happened at Javelina with Heather Jackson??

Just two days after one of the most dramatic finishes in Javelina Jundred history, Corinne Shalvoy and Russell Ditsworth sit down with 2026 champion Heather Jackson to hear how the race unfolded from her perspective.
Heather takes us inside a day that didn’t start the way she expected. After deliberately trying to control her early effort—and wondering whether a long season had finally caught up with her—she found another gear in the final two laps. With pacers Eric Lagerstrom and Nick Goldston helping shift the momentum, Heather went from questioning her day to hunting down the leaders.
Then came an unforgettable final lap.
Seven minutes behind Carla Molinaro at Jackass Junction, Heather initially thought the win was out of reach. But over the closing miles, she kept cutting into the gap before finally spotting Carla ahead. What followed was essentially a sprint finish at the end of 100 miles, including a late surge at roughly 5:50 pace, as Heather made the pass just before returning to Javelina Jeadquarters and held on for the win.
Heather shares what was going through her head during those frantic final miles, the impact of her pacers, her interaction with Carla after the finish, and why her experience at Cocodona earlier this year may have given her an entirely new level of fatigue resistance.
The conversation also goes beyond Javelina. Heather talks about the rapidly rising level of women’s ultrarunning, why experience can actually be an advantage for masters athletes, her love for Aravaipa events and live race coverage, and the unexpected Western States Golden Ticket that now has her reconsidering what 2027 might look like.
After a season with some huge highs and difficult DNFs, Javelina gave Heather exactly what she came looking for: a chance to finish the year on a good note.
She did a little more than that.