Age-group races had been held with firm footing in fine overhead conditions but a downpour half an hour before the start of the senior 10km races, along with a rapid drop in temperature, forced competitors into a cautious approach, making for a packed field in the early stages.
Chignell (23), a distance marketing student at Massey University, and three-time Otago cross-country champion Janus Staufenberg headed a tightly bunched 20-strong group over the first 2km lap.
This group began to break up, and Chignell and Staufenberg were at the head of a bunch that had reduced to six.
At the halfway point, Chignell upped the ante and began the race for gold in earnest, opening up an 8sec lead on Auckland’s Matthew Taylor. The Canterbury trio of Chris Dryden, Caden Shields and Harry Ewing were left to battle for bronze with Staufenberg.
As Chignell entered the final 2km holding a 120m lead over Taylor, there appeared little doubt as to the gold and silver medal recipients as the battle for bronze continued behind them.
Despite a handy lead, Chignell continued to set a torrid pace and led the field home in a smart 31min 45sec. Taylor was second in 32min 4sec and Dryden secured the bronze medal in 32min 23sec.
"I was a wee bit strapped up today as an extra precaution, but the plan was to go out and ease into it," Chignell said, referring to a recent foot injury that kept him from contesting last month’s Otago cross-country.
"I executed it [the race] exactly the way I wanted to and everything went to plan. I need the win as I haven’t had one for a while and it’s nice to finally get one in crosscountry."
The win all but secures a place for Chignell in the world cross-country team. But this may be dependent on other events, and qualification for next year’s Commonwealth Games on his mind.
"I’m just enjoying the process of getting better and better every day."
As a rookie in 2018, Chignell became the first Otago representative to win the New Zealand cross-country title since Olympian John Campbell 30 years earlier.
Winning his second on Saturday was special, being in his own backyard, with family and friends lining the course and being the first to congratulate him as he entered the finish area.
