Runners brave fog, winter chill for Mackenzie half-marathon

Nearly 800 competitors have embraced the fog and freezing temperatures for the fifth edition of the Mackenzie half-marathon.

Kilts were a common sight on the trail as runners embraced the Fairlie region's Scottish heritage.

The Mackenzie Pipe Band performed, and a dram of whiskey was served partway through the race.

Competitors experienced a mixture of gravel roads, river trails, water crossings, and hill climbs, with some sections only accessible to the public during this event.

It was a nail-biting finish in the men's half-marathon, as Wānaka's Hamish Elliot secured victory with a time of 1 hour, 21 minutes, and 59 seconds.

Elliot edged out Luke Mitchell from Christchurch by just 18 seconds.

"It was a great, tough race out there today. I managed to get a small gap on the downhill but glanced back with about a kilometre to go and he was still right behind me, so it was tight racing right to the end," Elliot said.

Relatively new to the trail running scene was Conor Tarrant from Auckland, who was first home in the women's category with a time of 1 hour, 35 minutes, and 34 seconds. Tarrant narrowly beat Wellington's Mel Aitken, who crossed two minutes later with a time of 1 hour, 37 minutes, and 34 seconds.

With a background in swimming, today’s event was just Tarrant's second trail run.

"I was pleasantly surprised with the win today. It makes me want to keep going with the sport and figuring it out," she said.

Initially started by locals, the event is now run by the Fairlie Lions and raises over $40,000 for community initiatives.