"It was a good race but very windy at the tops for the last third of the race. Over the last kilometres of the 15.5km long circuit I started to cramp up a bit from when I got to the bottom of the hill and was worried Jonah Smith would catch me,” Shanks said.
Second place-getter Smith, also a member of the CavershamHarrier and Athletics Club, said he was surprised at the pace Shanks put on in the race.
"He was at full blast down the beach and up and over the hill section. I tried to stay with him but lost him in the bush. I was stoked to finish second but it was a tough run out there today," he said.
Third place in the running race went to Kelvin Meade, of Invercargill.
One hour before the runners departed, contestants in the popular walking race were waved off at noon by the race’s founder Wayne Allen.
Leaping out right from the gun was Tahakopa farmer and race favourite Tony Grant, who led the large field into the bush and out on to beach section of the walk.
"I had a good lead of about four minutes when we left the beach section but on the long grind through the bush and up the hill I felt I was losing time and then the women caught and passed me.
‘‘I thoroughly enjoyed the race today and although my time for third place wasn’t a good one I’m still happy,” he said.
Passing Grant on the climb were Karla Gilder, of Kaka Point, who came in second overall, not bad, she said, after having ankle reconstructive surgery just 10 months ago, and the race winner, Amanda Waldrom, of Dunedin, who gained success on her first attempt at the walking race section of the challenge.
"It was a tough race and the long gravel sections on the second half made it all that harder, but I really enjoyed it,” she said.
Others of note taking part in the walk run event were 20-year medal winners Stephanie Burgess, of Puketiro, and walker Marjorie Orr, of Mosgiel.
Both coincidently started their first race at the same meeting and both have also been competing consecutively for the past 20 years.
