King's was leading the annual four-man relay by 25sec after the first two laps, following good runs by Anthony Trainor and Jonah Smith.
Chignall caught the leaders halfway through the lap, as they passed Queens High School.
It was three-way battle for the next 400m between David White (Kings), Ben Wardhaugh (Otago Boys' juniors) and Chignall.
With 300m left Chignall put his foot down again to give John McGlashan a 3sec lead over King's, with Otago Boys' closing on King's. It was a 28sec turnaround by Chignall.
It was a one-horse race after this, as Joe Beamish gave John McGlashan a 26sec winning margin over Christian Blackie (Otago Boys' Juniors), and Kings faded to a distant third.
The winning John McGlashan team of Ed Davies, Robert Jopp, Chignall and Beamish completed the journey in 23min 08sec. Otago Boys' juniors was second in 23min 34sec and Kings third in 23min 58sec.
The Otago Boys' team of Ruben Scarlet-McRae, Bailey Brandham, Ben Wardhaugh and Christian Blackie won the junior race by 2min 03sec from Kavanagh College.
Beamish had the fastest lap time with 5min 35sec, from Hamish Cooper (Otago Boys' seniors) and Anthony Trainor (Kings) in 5min 36sec.
Meg McKay gave St Hilda's an 18sec lead on the third lap of the senior girls race.
Lucy Kitchin held off a strong challenge from Charlotte Cahill on the final lap to bring St Hilda's home first in 26min 20sec from Columba, 26min 24sec.
The other members of the St Hilda's team were Caitlin O'Brien and Ginny Wilson.
It was also close in the junior girls race, as St Hilda's Francesca Chignall brought her team home first in 27min 54sec from Columba College 27min 56sec.
Sian English (Columba) gained the fastest girls lap time of 6min 07sec and was followed by her younger sister, Hanna, in 6min 12sec. Caitlin O'Brien was third, with 6min 17sec.
The Sara Cohen mixed team of Tony Bryant, Perrin Pearson and David Takarei won the AWD event in a time of 26min 38sec from the Sara Cohen boys team of Connor Booth, Ricky White and Robert Larsen-Hewitt 27min 34sec.
The Queen's High School Girl Racers team of Tegan Booth, Sarina Hicks and Shontelle Evans was third in 34min 07sec.
Ricky White (Sara Cohen) ran the fastest AWD lap time in 6min 37sec.
