Sutton (41) finished the race at Death Valley in the early afternoon heat about 1.30pm local time on Thursday (9.30am yesterday, NZ time) in a time of 39hr 52min 17sec, about 3hr slower than he recorded last year.
He finished 49th of 100 competitors.
This year's race was back on the original course - last year's course was altered due to access issues in the national park - and Sutton said the old course was considerably tougher.
When the Otago Daily Times talked to Sutton about an hour after the race, he was just about to have a well-deserved shower.
Sutton admitted he found the going gruelling in the later stages of the race.
''It was perhaps a bit tougher being back on the original course. Then they reckon it was one of the hotter events they have ever had,'' he said.
Temperatures hovered around the 46degC mark for most of the race, and with two of the three mountain climbs held in the searing heat, conditions were brutal.
Sutton struggled in the last 35 miles (56km) and was forced to walk for about 10 hours until he got to the finish line.
''I got into a bit of trouble with hydration and combined with the heat, it was hard going. Up until then, I was going all right.
''But a lack of food ... just the conditions caught up with me. I got really sunburnt with the extreme temperatures.
''At one stage there I was face down on the road, vomiting and stuff. It was not a nice place to be. But I managed to get some food into my stomach and soldiered on.
''I had to walk the last bit of the race, which was disappointing. But I was reasonably confident I was always going to make it. I'd spent too much money and invested too much time not to get to the line.''
Sutton had talked to his wife and children on the final climb and right before the finish line and said it was a really emotional time when he got across the line.
He was supported by Rob Cunningham, Bruce Adams and Mark Murdoch.
As for whether he would be back next year for a third straight tilt at the race, Sutton sat on the fence.
''When you finish, you think: never again. But now you sort of forget the pain and these sort of races entice you back. I'm not sure at this stage. I'll have to speak to the wife and kids.''
Sutton will have three days in Los Angeles before heading back to New Zealand early next week.
The race was won by American runner Pete Kostelnick in 23hr 27min 10sec, more than 2hr ahead of the second placegetter.
