From Military Roots to Solo Miles — Space Coast Runners Represents
DEOMI DASHERS TAKE ON THE KEYS 100
The Keys 100 brought out another strong showing from the Space Coast running community this year, with the DEOMI Dashers making their mark on the iconic race from Key Largo to Key West. The team is comprised of active duty and military-affiliated members, all working together at Patrick SFB. Among them, SCR members Jake Prentis and Ramzy Sanchez represented the club proudly.
When asked about the teams goal heading into the race, Jake kept it straightforward: “No specific goal now, but Ramzy and I are both running the Daytona 100 miler solo in December and want to set a baseline.” What motivated them to do the relay? Ramzy told us, “That’s a good question… I’d say the experience AND to utilize what I learned in the SCR Spring camp!” Jake, ever the man of few words, put it simply — in the words of Forrest Gump, he just felt like running.
The DEOMI Dashers got underway at 6:55am in Key Largo, immediately meeting the Keys’ signature challenge: high humidity. Morning temperatures hovered near 84 degrees. Twenty-five miles in, the team reported that things were heating up but the crew felt dialed in with their exchange system, keeping transitions smooth. By the halfway point in Marathon Key, they were feeling the heat but holding steady. Ramzy noted it had been “extremely hot and a little tougher than expected,” but added “motivation remained high”. Fortunately, by mile 75 the temperatures had cooled considerably, and the crew kept spirits up with great music and cold water at every exchange.
The DEOMI Dashers crossed the finish line that night, completing the 100-mile relay in 14:46:01, good for 38th place overall. Reflecting on the experience, Jake offered some hard-earned wisdom: “The biggest lessons learned would be to plan properly, ensure your crew is dedicated — ours was — stay hydrated, and TRAIN.”
Fun fact: The course record for the 100-Mile Team Relay is still held by Space Coast Runners — 9:07:27, set in 2015.
SCR’S LAURA NABER TAKES ON 100 MILES SOLO
Indialantic’s Laura Naber, 48, set her sights on something big this year — her first ultra distance race, the Keys 100. As a solo runner, Laura’s goal was simple: finish under the 32-hour cutoff.
Preparation was no small undertaking. Laura researched the distance thoroughly and committed to a full Training Peaks plan that spanned an entire year, adding a few extra weeks of taper as a buffer. Training was done almost entirely alone, which presented its own challenge. With long runs stretching to serious mileage, finding a training partner willing to match her distances just wasn’t in the cards. She made it work by running a 5-mile loop using her home as a personal aid station, and logging the big miles on runs stretching from Indialantic all the way to Sebastian Inlet.
One thing that was never a concern? The Florida heat. Laura says she absolutely loves running in the heat, giving her a built-in advantage on a course notorious for its brutal conditions. She planned to stay covered to keep the sun off, while her crew kept her fueled with Honey Stingers, LMNT, and salt tabs throughout the race.
Sadly, Laura’s day came to an unexpected end just before mile 50, when an injury to her left hip forced her to withdraw. “I haven’t ever had an issue come up like that before, so it was really unexpected. No matter what my crew and I did to remedy it, we just couldn’t fix it.” After a year of dedicated preparation, the disappointment was understandable — but Laura wasn’t dwelling on it for long. “Super proud of my effort and so grateful I got the chance to try this. This just makes me more determined to get that buckle!”
Something tells us Laura Naber will be back.
WELL DONE EVERYONE
A huge congratulations to every Brevard County runner who toed the line at this year’s Keys 100, 50 or 50K — whether you finished, fought through adversity, or left it all out on that southernmost stretch of US1. It takes something special and perhaps a little bit of crazy to even show up at the start line of a race like this, and you represented the 321 running community with heart.
To view Keys 100 2026 results: click here
If you have a good idea for a featured article or would like us to cover your next running adventure, please reach out to us at socialmedia@spacecoastrunners.org — we would love to hear from you.
Race report by Brittany Streufert. Photos provided by Jake Prentis and Laura Naber.