•Baldwin St Gutbuster: slideshow
However, the 21-year-old Otago Polytechnic student, originally from Kaitaia, was quick to demonstrate the aerodynamic qualities of his "skin suit", flying down the world's steepest street to win in 2min 23sec.
The race record, set in 1998, is 1min 56sec.
Mr Thompson, a multisport competitor and personal trainer, is also a fourth-year student at Otago Polytechnic's Sports Institute.
He said he first wore the custom-made suit in the Lake Dunstan duathlon in January, and again during the Speight's Coast to Coast last month, as a way of attracting sponsorship and bringing some colour to racing.
After proving the suit's worth yesterday, Mr Thompson - perhaps not surprisingly - declared it "very aerodynamic".
"I'm just looking to bring a bit of fun... to multisport and racing. I just tend to win as well," he said.
However, Mr Thompson's running attire was not the only example to turn heads yesterday.
Ten-year-old Baldwin St resident William Dwyer became the first competitor to tackle the gutbuster race wearing stilts.
He was comfortably last in last night's separate non-competitive race, after using the stairs either side of Baldwin St to navigate the steepest sections.
"My stilt feet are flat and with the steep road... it's easy to slip," he said.
"It's quite tricky where the steps have finished at the very top, but I had a railing so there wasn't really anywhere that was very tricky."
About 100 competitors took part in this year's event.
University of Otago student Jessica Vansoest (21), of Canada, was the first woman home in the competition race.
Homestay pupil Shuhei Natori (16), of Japan, won the non-competitive race, and James Berghan, of Arana College, won the University of Otago halls of residence race.
