It was Maier’s fourth consecutive win, while Elliott topped the podium in his fourth crack at the title.
For Wānaka, it was a continuation of the town’s impressive showing in the event in recent years.
For the fifth time in the past decade, athletes from Wānaka made it a world championship of multisport Longest Day double.
The race — across the South Island from the shores of the Tasman Sea near Kumara in the west, to the sands of the Pacific Ocean at New Brighton, Christchurch in the east — began in mild and still darkness at 6am on Saturday, and finished in blustery conditions in the early evening for the top end of the field.
Maier has joined Olympian Kathy Lynch in holding the title five times.
She also adds to the dominance women from Wanaka have held on the event over the past decade, as fellow Wānaka resident Jess Simson won back-to-back titles in 2014 and 2015.
By Maier’s own admission, Saturday’s race was one of the toughest she had experienced — all the top-10 females in the field had proven credentials in the disciplines associated with the race.
Maier, who turns 44 today, made the most of her opportunities on the 67km kayak stage down the Waimakariri River and a solid tail wind on the 70km bike, despite a cautious approach when hammered by crosswinds, to break the tape at New Brighton in 12hr 31min 8sec.
Elliott keeps prestigious company alongside Wānaka locals Braden Currie and Dougal Allan, who between them won the event six times since 2013.
Elliott broke the tape across the finish line in a slick 10hr 48min 53sec.
