MArtin Lukes (Christchurch) established himself as New Zealand's best long-distance mountain runner when he completed a hat trick of Kepler Challenge wins on Saturday.
Lukes first contested the event in 1997 and finished runner-up in 1999, 2000, 2004 and 2006.
He finally broke his duck in 2007 and has now won the gruelling 60km mountain race for the past three years.
Lukes won in 4hr 57min 21sec from Norman Dunroy (Dunedin) in 5hr 06min 45sec and Galen Burrell (Australia) in 5hr 17min 41sec.
Lukes has a wide experience in international ultra-distance races and has competed in five major international 100km races.
Two years ago, he was sixth in the world 100km championships in the Netherlands and he was eighth in the World Challenge in Korea in 2006.
This year he finished seventh in the Commonwealth 100km at Keswick in England.
Lukes was content to bide his time and was happy to be in fourth place up the hill to Luxmore Hut after 11km of the 60km.
He remained fourth at Rocky Point, 9.5km from the finish at the Lake Te Anau Control Gates.
Lukes timed his run to perfection and moved into the lead over the next 4km and then put his foot down over the last 5km to win by 9min 19sec.
Dunroy (44), who shifted to Dunedin from London with his wife, Helen, in June last year, has an impressive background in cycling and multisport racing.
He was a member of the Great Britain team that contested stage races in Europe, including Britain's Milk Race.
He won Dunedin's Three Peaks mountain race this year.
Dunroy was the early leader and won the King of the Mountain section when he was first up the hill to Luxmore Hut in 1hr 08min 53sec.
He was still in the lead at the Forestburn checkpoint.
But Burrell was closing fast and he led by a minute at Rocky Point, halfway down the Iris Burn Valley.
Burrell made his challenge too early and soon ran out of gas and was 11 minutes behind Dunroy at the finish.
John Winsbury (Canberra), a physiotherapy student in Dunedin when he finished second in 2007 and fourth last year, was fourth again in 5hr 22min 57sec.
Former Commonwealth Games marathon champion Steve Moneghetti (Australia) was eighth in 5hr 48min 22sec.
Vanessa Haverd (Canberra) dominated the women's race from the start and won by 3min 37sec in 5hr 53min 08sec from Deb Nicholl (Rangiora) in 5hr 56min 45sec and Jean Beaumont (Porirua) in 6hr 32min 24sec.
Haverd was the first to Luxmore Hut and was named the Queen of the Mountain.
She extended her 6min lead to 8min at the bottom of the mountain at the Iris Burn Hut.
Nicholl closed the gap on the undulating run home, but was not able to catch the Australian.
Mathew Broad (Winton) won the Luxmore Grunt in 2hr 10min from Andrew Middleditch (Australia) in 2hr 13min 15sec and Glen Campbell (Queenstown) in 2hr 13min 49sec.
Former New Zealand mountain bike representative Rosara Joseph, originally from Christchurch but now living in the United Kingdom, was the first woman home in 2hr 31min 41sec ahead of Fiona Kokich (Queenstown) in 2hr 32min 34sec and Sarah Backler (Wellington) in 2hr 35min 13sec.
Catherine Haig, who was profiled in the Otago Daily Times last week, completed the race in 10hr 27min.
