Barnes, once mayor of Dunedin and one of the stars of middle-distance running in the 1930s, won the national cross-country in 1932 and national mile title in 1933. Locally, he competed for Civil Service, the club Connolly has been affiliated to for the past three years.
Barnes saw the need for a local cross-country race as a forerunner to the Edmond Cup and Otago championship events, and established the annual race in 1950, with a handicap formula.
Connolly (46), an electrical engineer, joined Civil Service three years ago when he transferred to Dunedin from Auckland.
''At the tea-room session after yesterday's run, I looked up at the picture [of Barnes] with a dozen trophies in front of the guy and I thought `yeah, that's a guy that worked hard, I bet','' he said.
Although seeking divine guidance from arguably one of Otago's finest athletes in the 20th century, Connolly, who started from a handicap of 1min 30sec, did not think he was in with a chance of success.
His goal was just to try to go hard and keep going as long as he could, and concede the race gracefully to a better man if he was overtaken.
''There are a lot of faster people than me in this race,'' he said.
''I was just hoping to hold them off for as long as I could.''
The victory took Connolly by surprise, although he had opened up a lead of just over a minute entering the final lap in the 5km event over four laps. By his own admission, he had given everything to the first three laps and began to feel it bite on the fourth.
Connolly had worked his way up to contention early on, completing the first lap in fourth place, only to take over the lead soon afterwards and gradually open up a handy 51sec lead mid-way through the third lap.
His momentum saw this lead continue to grow over the next 800m, until the back-markers began to close in.
His lead was down to 37sec with about 600m to go and a thrilling finish looked in store, with those on his heels including Chris Sole (Leith) and Oliver Chignell (Hill City-University).
However, mustering all his inner resolve, Connolly held off the fast-finishing Chignell to win by 17sec, with Sole another 4sec back in third. Connolly recorded an actual time of 22min 21sec, Chignell 18min 38sec and Sole 20min 12sec.
If Connolly had one regret, it was that his wife, Rosemary, a past English cross-country representative, had other commitments on the day and could not be there to witness his success.
It was she who got him into running 16 years ago, when the couple competed for English club Wirral Athletic.
They came to New Zealand almost five years ago, originally touring the country. They were out for a walk in the Portobello area when Joe got a call from Downers asking if he was interested in a job in Auckland. He accepted but took the first opportunity to transfer south to Dunedin three years ago.
''I just love it down here,'' he said.
Connolly was full of praise for everyone else who completed.
''Everyone who gets across the finish line is a winner, really,'' he said.
Fastest time was achieved by Ben Anderson (Caversham), who clocked 17min 7sec.
A sensational run from Myrtle Rough (Hill City-University) saw her become the oldest person in Otago and possibly the world to win an open women's running title when she won the associated open women's event over 3.75km.
Rough (72), who won the open women's section of the Port Chalmers to Dunedin Road Race three years ago, competed from a handicap of 1min yesterday and wasted no time at all in heading for the front.
She took the lead midway through the first lap and held it through to finish 26sec ahead of Dalise Sanderson (Ariki) and the flying Gaya Gnanalingham (Leith), Louisa Andrew (Leith) and Hannah Newbold (Hill City-University).
Rough also impressed with her very competitive actual time of 20min 44sec. Sanderson clocked 19min 10sec and Gnanalingham 17min 44sec.
Newbold recorded the fastest time of 14min 20sec.
