Queenstowners dominated the podiums following last Sunday’s Lake Dunstan Trail Marathon, with one setting a new event record.

Arrowtown’s Benje Patterson won the men’s race, which traversed the trail from Historic Clyde to the Cromwell Heritage Precinct, via Bannockburn, in a blistering 2hr 48min 6sec,  which broke the previous record, set by Ben Twyman in the inaugural event in 2024, by about nine seconds.

Christchurch’s Edward Eaton came in second (2hr 58min 54sec) and Queenstowner Jack Brownie took third in 3hr 6min 34sec.

Annabelle Bramwell, of Christchurch, won the women’s marathon in 3hr 13min 9sec, with Wānaka’s Lisa McFarlane in second (3hr 17min 51sec) and Wellington’s Talia Flannery in third (3hr 27min 59sec).

In the half marathon, Hamish Elliot, of Wānaka, won the men’s race in a time of 1hr 15min 4sec — Bradley Lang, of Christchurch, was second (1hr 20min 46sec), Scott Smith, of Nelson, was third (1hr 26min 41sec) and Arrowtown’s Enzo Lesul came in fourth (1hr 30min 2sec) — while Queenstowner Frances Redmond won the women’s half in 1hr 29min 54sec.

She was followed by Canterbury’s Rebecca Kingsford and Amy Montagu, who finished in 1hr 33min 51sec and 1hr 38min 53sec, respectively, with Queenstown’s Anna Campbell in fourth in 1hr 49min 44sec.

And in the 10km event, Queenstown’s Marijn Wouters and Jamie Smith finished first and second, respectively, in the men’s race in 37min 25sec and 38min 50sec, while Queenstowner Rilee Young came second in the women’s race in 47min 10sec.

That event was won by Balclutha’s Hannah Murray in 45min 10sec — Invercargill’s Jaimee King came third (48min 55sec).

Patterson says it was a “fantastic, extremely-well managed event”, while the phenomenal trail surface made for a fast race, despite about 700m of climbing and a strong headwind.

“Running the length of the trail also brought home just how fantastic the wider network will be when the Kawarau Gorge Trail opens next month, linking Gibbston through the gorge to Bannockburn,” he says.

“In years to come, there might even be scope for an ultramarathon running all the way from Queenstown through to Clyde.

“That would be a pretty special event.”

tracey.roxburgh@scene.co.nz