Dunedin-based clubs contributed 102 of the 910 runners, making up 15 of the 124 teams plucked from 34 clubs on the 76.6km, eight-leg event.
The Otago Athletic masters women's team of Siobhan McKinlay, Mel Aitken, Sue Mayne, Dalise Sanderson, Julie Wilson, Sue Cuthbert, Jude Patterson and Louise Andrew completed the course 6min faster than last year but did not feature among the medals.
McKinlay got the team away to an outstanding start, finishing the 9.6km first leg between Takahe and Allandale just behind former international Melissa Moon (Wellington Scottish) to clock fourth-fastest time.
Aitken then put in a flyer on the 10.4km run over to Gebbies Valley, clinching fastest time in the grade of 42min 10sec, and gifting her team a 31sec lead.
Sue Mayne, an 11th-hour replacement for Christine Montgomery, who blew a calf muscle in training, kept the team in touch over the 10km loop to Kaituna, while recording sixth-fastest time.
Sanderson was third-fastest in the grade on the 9.4 run to Lake Forsyth, Wilson fastest to Cooptown, Cuthbert fastest to Hilltop, Patterson fastest to Duvauchelle and Andrew second-fastest over the three hills into Akaroa to come within a whisker of medalling.
The Otago team finished fourth in 5hr 38min 53sec, just 36sec behind bronze medallist Hamilton Hawks. The title was won by Wellington Scottish in 5hr 31min 8sec, with Port Hills second in 5hr 37min 53sec.
''I needed another kilometre,'' Andrew said, after gaining rapidly on the Hamilton runner as the finish line approached.
''It was quite an exciting race, really.'A talented Hill City-University team finished fifth in the senior women's grade in 5hr 39min 50sec.
Otago Athletic teams finished sixth in both categories for masters men, with Glen Ferguson featuring over the hills into Akaroa, clocking fastest time with a blistering 38min 51sec.
Caversham was the leading Dunedin club in the six-leg (40.7km) junior men's Allandale to Cooptown event, finishing fifth in 2hr 18min 54sec. Lorenz Kissling was third-fastest on the 9.4km leg between Kaituna and Lake Forsyth.
Otago Athletic mirrored the result with a fifth place in the junior women's grade. Hanna English was third-fastest on the 10km third leg between Gebbies Valley and Kaituna, clocking 38min 52sec.
In the six-leg social grade, Dunedin clubs filled the first four places in the 15-team competition.
Hill City-University claimed gold in 2hr 41min 11sec, Caversham teams were second (2hr 55min 43sec) and third (3hr 40sec), and Otago Athletic was fourth in 3hr 5min 8sec.
In A grade, defending champion New Brighton Olympic included former Otago champions Daniel Balchin, Callan Moody and Matt Lambert.
Balchin got the team away to a flying start, opening up a challenging 1min 14sec lead on Auckland City Athletic, which featured another former Otago champion, Andrew Davidson.
Auckland City produced its best form over the middle stages, and had a 3min 22sec lead at the final change going into the challenging 9.9km leg to the Akaroa Domain, where Lambert held out a fast-finishing Wellington Scottish to secure the silver medal.
Earlier, Davidson helped the Aucklanders open up their lead, recording fastest time on the 6.8km uphill slog from Cooptown to Hilltop.
Auckland City Athletic crossed to win the title in 4hr 11min 11sec, with New Brighton Olympic second in 4hr 13min 4sec and Wellington Scottish third in 4hr 13min 20sec. Otago Athletic crossed in 4hr 39min 3sec.
North Harbour Bays made it an Auckland double in senior grades, winning the women's title in 5hr 1min 8sec.
