Lake Hāwea’s Matthew Gummer completed the 40km course in a time of 3hr 15m but was beaten by four minutes by Ginny Sutton and her horse, Sass.
Fresh off victory at the Northburn 100 — a 100 mile ultra marathon — just three weeks ago, Gummer, 39, said he had been drawn in by the "super cool concept".
"Tearing across mountains, chased by a horse — it was all just good fun.
"I had to keep pushing to the finish line, all the while waiting for a horse to suddenly gallop past.
"As much as I wanted to win, a part of me wanted to see a horse just come flying past," he said.
The event is now in its second year. Runners set off before being chased down by horses, which set off 15 minutes later.
This year’s result represented significant progress for humanity — Gummer’s four-minute defeat was a significant improvement on last year, when the horse finished about 30 minutes ahead of the leading runner.
Honourable mention goes to Pascal Saker, who took on the near-marathon length course in a crude knight’s costume aboard a hobby horse.
The course begins near the Wedderburn cottages and traverses private farmland, following historic water races and climbing steep ridge lines with sweeping views of the Central Otago landscape.
Event organiser Steve Tripp said animal welfare remained a top priority and additional vet checks were carried out during and after the race.
"We made sure we understood and had everything needed for an endurance event, and then do it better," he said.
Tripp said the event was about more than just competition.
"It’s a Kiwi event for Kiwi humour."
"It’s about creating community, having a great time out here running, galloping and riding.
"At the end of the day it’s bringing people together, which is always a good thing."
