Atrocious weather conditions did not deter runners in the 12th annual Routeburn Classic, held on Saturday and won by Queenstown resident Hywel Dinnick, originally from Wales.
Dinnick (25), an ultra marathon runner who has also competed in several triathlons during his 18-month stay in Queenstown, took on the event for the first time, finishing in 2hr 45min 27sec.
One of a leading pack of four runners, Dinnick described the weather as ''atrocious''.
''It was tough ... there was a very strong headwind between McKenzie Hut and the Harris Saddle.
''I didn't think I would do as well as I did. I put my foot down between the Harris Saddle and the Falls Hut, then pulled back a bit between the Falls and the finish line to have something in reserve if someone came at me.''
The Welshman will head home in two weeks, but said the event was ''absolutely fantastic'' and he hoped to return to defend his title.
Wanaka's Grant Guise took second place in a time of 2hr 49min 32sec and Dunedin's Stafford Thompson was third, in a time of 2hr 52min 10sec.
In the women's division, 24-year-old Kat Reynolds, of Waimauku, took top honours, having only started trail running two years ago as a weight loss measure.
She has gone on to win the Coast to Coast Mountain Run, and last month took second place in the Hillary 34km trail run.
''I've done pretty well with three podiums in three events so far this year,'' she said.
''I tramped the Routeburn over summer with my family but I've never run it, and even in that terrible weather I still loved every second of it.
''I was surprised by how comfortable the climbs were, even though it's tough going running uphill for 20km, but coming towards the saddle the winds were so bad I don't know how I didn't get blown off.''
Reynolds finished in 3hr 45min 59sec, followed by Nelson's Imogen Scott in a time of 3hr 47min 49sec and Anj de Beer, of Fairlie, taking third place in a time of 3hr 55min 59sec.
Race organiser Evan McWhirter said after a number of benign years with good weather, it was possibly time for a more challenging event.
''Although having said that, if we had been planning to run on Sunday it simply wouldn't have happened because of the sheer volume of water that's fallen over the past 24 hours.
''It was pretty wet, windy and foggy, a cold chill-factor coming into play up the top and a little bit of tussock-groping going on, but for all that we only had one person roll an ankle and couple of others who pulled out or weren't going to make the cut-off time,'' he said.
At the prizegiving on Saturday night, Queenstown's James Harcombe joined the ''Decade Club'' as a 10-year veteran of the event, receiving the Mark Douglas Perseverance Trophy.
