The Friday morning delivered perfect weather with slight overcast conditions and very inviting river levels for the 65 entrants.

First across the line was Open Male Harry Wager, in a time of 2 hours 58 minutes 43 seconds. An apparel designer for title sponsor Kathmandu, he was pleased with his run, and the trips he had on the slippery rocks didn’t slow him down much at all.

“They can get you sometimes, but you have to take the fall and get back up,” Wagner said.

In second place for the men's race was Classic Male Rod Harrhy (50-59), in a time of 3 hours 47 minutes 22 seconds, and third place was Veteran Male Steve Alexander (40-49), in a time of 4 hours 27 minutes 58 seconds.

In the women’s race, the competition was much closer. Veteran Kristy Jennings from Wanaka took the top spot in a time of 4 hours 35 minutes 41 seconds.

She was happy with how it all went, running in a bunch until the top of the pass then it was more of a solo race until the finish line. With a solid background in adventure racing, multisport and off-road triathlon, Kristy was in her element.

Her favourite part of the mountain run was just before the top of the Pass, with the beautiful conditions she was running strongly and really enjoying herself. “Probably the rougher the better for me, I enjoy that stuff,” she said.

Her partner Steve Grieve is competing in the Longest Day tomorrow, for the first time.

Coming in second in the women’s mountain run event, just a couple of minutes behind, was secondary school student Bex Skinner, in a time of 4 hours 37 minutes and 57 seconds.

Rounding out the top three women, a close six minutes behind the top spot, was Veteran Claire Le Grace, in a time of 4 hours, 41 seconds and 56 seconds.

Robert Fry, General Manager of Product of Kathmandu and previous Coast to Coast finisher, said Goat Pass is the perfect home for a mountain run.

“The Southern Alps of New Zealand produces some of the most unsettled weather in the world, so preparing Kathmandu Coast to Coast competitors with essential gear, made with the quality needed to withstand these conditions, is imperative,” he said.