A complete performance from Wanaka's Jess Simson enabled her to take a commanding 41min 51sec lead in the two-day section of the Coast to Coast yesterday.
Simpson (28), a concession ranger with the Department of Conservation, set the pace to lead the women's field throughout the 55km-cycle stage to Aichens.
Her nearest rival, Shanel Cornille (Hamilton), remained in touch, keeping the deficit to just 9sec at the transition to the 33km alpine stage, before Simpson found another gear and accelerated away.
At Big Boulders, midway through the demanding uphill section of the alpine stage, Simson had built up an 18min-margin over Cornille, while the battle for the minor places was an ever-changing affair.
At Goat Pass, for the run across the top before descending down the valley into Klondyke, Simson had a lead of about 30min, taking every step with vigour.
Simson's confidence was obvious on the final run, as she extended her lead and completed the first day in 5hr 30min 35sec.
Cornille finished in 6hr 12min 25sec, with Jane Goodwin (Christchurch), Nikita Watkins (Whakatane), Cathy Jordan (Invercargill), and Kate Ecroyd (Geraldine), all with sound performances on the bike, left to battle for the minor places when racing starts again this morning.
Simson, who only took up the sport in March last year and had only one training run over the alpine stage, was more than happy with her run over the gruelling 33km course.
''It was so hard,'' she said.
''But it was kind of awesome because there is lots of room to improve. At times you think you're a lemming because you realise you're going the wrong way.''
Another factor Simson had to overcome was cramping. But she appeared to be unaffected by this as she began preparations for the the demands of the 67km kayak stage and 70km bike to the finish on Sumner Beach early this afternoon.
In finishing fifth overall in the individual section, Simson surprised many with the ease in which she handled the alpine stage and wove her way past many of her male counterparts.
A top result could see Simson return next year and threaten for the Longest Day title.
Despite her brief time in the sport, she is not lacking in experience. She is in a team with Dougal Allan that will contest next month's Godzone, and recently defeated Elina Ussher to win the Lake Waikarimoana Challenge.
Husband Hazen Simson is a former Canadian mountain bike representative in 24hr and 7-8 day stage races.
Following a titanic battle over the open 55km cycle stage between Kumara and Aichens, Greymouth's Seamus Meikle dominated the 33km alpine stage to take a handy 18min 2sec lead heading into the kayak and bike stages in the men's race.
Meikle was all power over the alpine section, clocking 3hr 23min 26sec for the stage, where early threats from William Sams (Hamilton) and Josh Harris were left in his wake.
Dunedin multisport identity Harris will be hoping for better things and a turnaround of his race fortunes on the kayak stage. But with such a huge lead to pull back, things may have to go horribly wrong for Meikle.
It is a not a course unfamiliar to Meikle, who finished 10th in the Longest Day last year and midfield the year before. In the rain-affected race in 2010, he finished seventh in the two-day section.
Auckland's Steve McKinstry is on target to gain his third consecutive team title and a back-to-back title with Daniel Busch.
McKinstry turned a 12min deficit from the bike stage into a 12min advantage at the end of the alpine run to record the fastest time of the stage for the day of 3hr 50sec.
Nick Hirschfield (Hanmer Springs) became the first winner of the stand-alone alpine run, crossing the finish at Klondyke in 3hr 10min 42sec.
Genevieve Stark (Wellington) became the first woman to win the section, which was opened up for the first time this year. Stark's time was 4hr 5min 23sec.
