About 700 runners competed in the Motatapu 42km off-road marathon on Saturday in Wanaka and Queenstown.
Stafford Thompson (Dunedin) claimed the top male spot in 2hr 57min 15sec, and Sarah Douglas (Queenstown) was the female winner in 3hr 19min 20sec.
After the race, Thompson said he felt ''wonderful'' but a ''little tired''.
''It's really hard and steep, and a long way but it really makes you appreciate this part of the world.''
It was the first time he had run the Motatapu and with ''quite a few members'' of his family running in different events ''it seemed like a great place for a family reunion''.
Luke Hurring (Auckland) arrived at the finish line in second place in 3hr 3min 42sec and described the course as ''brutal but beautiful''.
Douglas was disappointed to be about 30sec off the course record which she held in 2011. She came second in 2012 and took a break last year.
''I haven't raced in over a year so I didn't know how I'd go so I'm happy with the win.''
First-time competitor Anna Thompson, of Melbourne, was the second woman to finish.
