She crossed the finish line in 7hr 3min 9sec, cutting more than an hour off the old record, held by Ayako Nakazawa, of Japan.
Speaking to the Otago Daily Times at the finish line, the 20-year-old described it as a dream day.
It was a tough slog, however.
"The course was really challenging. I can understand why the times are what they are — to have a 51km single track that runs through forests and rivers was beautiful. But it was very technical, especially the first bit running in the dark through the first forest. It isn’t a defined track so you have to be really aware of your surroundings. I was running by myself and navigation isn’t my strong point."
The course, which starts at Glendhu Bay, Lake Wanaka, traverses the ridges and valleys of the Harris Mountain Range between Wanaka and Arrowtown, finishing on Wilcox Green. The terrain varies from tussock-covered areas and river crossings to long, steep saddles, reaching up to 1275m. The Ultra-Run is one of five races included within the Motatapu event.
Queenstown athlete Kate Fluker, competing in the female mountain bike race, claimed her sixth Motatapu title in 2hr 24min 03sec, well ahead of Jeanette Gerrie, second place, in 2hr 38min 45sec.
The men’s mountain bike race was a closer affair.
Tim Rush, of Oamaru, clinched it, crossing the finish line in 2hr 07min 16sec, quickly followed by Hayden McCormick, 2hr 07min 29sec in second and James Williamson, third, in 2hr 07min 52sec. In the off-road marathon, Robert Rawles scooped first place in 3hr 01min 27sec and Tanya Copeland took the female win, in 3hr 59min 12sec. Dougal Allan won the men’s triathlon in 1hr 24min 55sec and Josie Wilcox claimed the women’s title in 1hr 27min 20sec. Majell Baxkhausen won the men’s Ultra-Run in 6hr 27min 07sec.
More than 3500 competitors took part in Saturday’s event, its 13th running.
