Comprising a 15.5km road, beach and bush track run and walk, the annual run was in its 21st year.
Winner Jake Jackson-Grammer, of Dunedin, had a bad case of the stitch in the last leg of the race and was in obvious pain as he crossed the finish line of the men’s run.
Clutching his stomach, he moved gingerly off the track and recovered.
It was Jackson-Grammer’s second victory in the event, after he entered for the first time last year.
And despite the pain, he still managed to improve on his previous time.
Last year, he completed the track in 56min 13sec and this year did it in 55min 58sec.
"I was pretty pleased," Jackson-Grammer saidHe said it was a very enjoyable track and was one of his favourites.
He had plans to enter in the Dunedin Three Peaks race, which was coming up soon.
Papatowai Challenge organiser Wayne Allen said
this year’s 350 entrants was a large improvement on last year’s 301.
"There’s not many events in the South Island which bring in over 300 so I’m very happy," Allen said.
