Nobody will be beating the town hall clock's chimes this year.
The annual Time Buster race around the Octagon has been cancelled before what would have been the 25th running of the event.
It was always held in late January or February, and attracted large crowds in its heyday.
But a lack of sponsorship, waning public interest and a clash with other athletics events has resulted in the 243m race being canned.
Athletics Otago administration officer Margaret Knox said it was a "shame'' to lose the once popular event.
"I organised it at the start and it was on the same day as market day and it was just amazing,'' she said.
"There was just a hush when they were running around the Octagon. There was people everywhere and you could hear where the runners were by the noise of the people watching as they went around. It was just a really electric atmosphere.''
So popular was the event in the early days, 300m trials were held at the Caledonian Ground to pick the 12 runners.
But last year's event, won by Otago 400m record-holder Andrew Whyte (22), attracted few people and lacked the desired atmosphere for a street race.
Whyte won in 32.59sec a year ago, and became just the fourth person in 24 years to beat the 10 chimes that ring out from the Town Hall clock at 10am.
He pocketed $300 for winning the race and another $250 for beating the clock, but fell short of beating Cory Innes' 2008 record (31.63sec), a feat which would have added another $500 to his winnings.
Innes, Andrew Moore and Toby Flett are the other runners to have beaten the chimes in the race restricted to six men and six women.
Whyte, who said he would have competed in the race had it been held this year, was disappointed.
"It was good fun last year. It's something different rather than just running around the track every week,'' he said.
Knox said the prize money provided by the New Zealand Shop, the former long-serving sponsor, was a drawcard for athletes needing money to travel to track and field meets.
Top athletes such as Chris Donaldson and Tania Dixon (nee Murray), both former Commonwealth Games representatives, were regular entrants.
Athletics Otago has mooted launching a street mile in the past but ran into health and safety barriers.
Knox would not rule out the Time Buster returning in the future.
