The downpour lasted almost three hours, and when it eased to showers there was snow low on the hills that soon saw temperatures plummet and athletes battle to generate body warmth thereafter.
Sadly, a number lost that battle and withdrew from the event, leaving Dunedin's Greg Hannah and Mark Lewis of Queenstown the only male competitors, Val Muskett of Gore and Blenheim's Margaret Hazelwood in the women's section.
Hannah had led the event from the gun and was never headed, taking his third title in a row, his 7hr 42min 7sec time both 20mins faster than last year's and inside the qualifying time for next year's World Championships in Taiwan. Until he was slowed markedly by the effects of the cold, Hannah looked set for an even faster time.
Also in charge from the gun was Gore's Val Muskett, in the women's section, but her slight frame was probably even more effected by the cold than most over the last 30kms. As a result, it was her vast ultra running experience both in New Zealand and internationally, and huge determination that got her to the finishing line in 9 hr 22min 46sec. That put her 47mins ahead of Hazelwood, whose good humour and seemng enjoyment of the conditions amazed onlookeers, as did her record of finishing 102 such events!
Queenstown's Mark Lewis, finishing his first 100km event, like Hazelwood delighted inthe adverse conditions, and learning, late in the afternoon at the 85km mark that he was fourth on the road and likely to be second male finisher, commenced a celebration that lasted all the way to the finish in a little over twelve and a half hours.
Men:
1: Greg Hannah (Taieri Club) Dunedin
2: Mark Lewis (Unattached) Queenstown
Women:
1: Val Muskett (Gore Harriers) Gore
2: Margaret Hazelwood (Marlborough Harriers) Picton
Report and results supplied by Athletics New Zealand
