Nancy Jiang and Daniel Jones have won a weather-affected 33rd edition of the Kepler Challenge mountain race in Te Anau.

Mr Jones cruised to his third win in as many years on Saturday, while Ms Jiang had to hold off a determined challenge from defending champion and six-time winner Ruby Muir over the 59 km alternative course.

For just the fourth time in the event’s history - and the second year in a row - snow, wind and forecast thunder and lightning forced race organisers to go with their plan B route up to the Luxmore Hut before returning to Lake Te Anau and a return leg to and from the Moturau Hut.

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Few runners would have complained about the decision when they were met with sleety rain and freezing conditions at Luxmore Hut where both Jones and Jiang led their respective fields to the high point of the race.

Meanwhile, first time Kepler runner Steve Alexander, who reversed his diabetes diagnosis in just 16 weeks after taking up running, completed the 59 km course in 7 hours and 16 minutes. 

Mr Alexander said he started running after he received the shock diagnosis just over a year ago. 

Diabetes was not even on his radar until one day, following his annual check-up, his doctor told him he had Type 2 diabetes and concerningly high blood pressure. 

He has now got two ultra-marathons under his belt and he’s already gearing up for another in the new year. 

Steve Alexander with fellow competitors on the Kepler Track on Saturday. PHOTO: Supplied

Jones won the Auckland Marathon last month and said he would have been racing in Spain this weekend if Covid-19 hadn’t intervened.

He finished in 4 hours 5 mins, nearly 14 minutes ahead of Scotty Hawker in second and 25 minutes ahead of Weston Hill in third place.

“Third win in a row, I’m pretty pleased,” Mr Jones said.

“I’ve had one proper win (in 2018) and two B course wins, but they all count for me, I’m stoked. The track was pretty nice, it was a bit muddy in places where we were crossing over, but there were no big swimming puddles this year and obviously the times reflect that and it was smooth sailing right through.

“It is always quite nice with this B course because you can see the gaps on what you’ve got to your competitors, so I was able to judge that from Luxmore and again at Moturau,” Jones said.

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Jiang won the Challenge in 2018 and finished third behind Muir last year. She had earned a small lead at the Luxmore Hutt that she was determined not to relinquish, finishing in 4 hours 59 mins.

Muir was second in 5 hours 01 mins and Fiona Love was third in 5 hours 17 mins. 

“I didn’t really have a plan with the late course change. It was definitely faster and flatter running than I had planned for, but I felt good on the day and Ruby was on my heels the whole way. I saw her at the last turnaround and she was right there and that definitely gave me the kick to just go for it,” Jiang said.

Women's champion Nancy Jiang at the end of her race. PHOTO: Supplied

“It’s good to have competition and it really pushed me. I felt like I dug in pretty deep, so I’m stoked. Last year I remember there was a few kilometres of basically swimming, at one point the water was up to my chest, so I’m pretty happy with how things went today. It’s definitely one of my favourite events. I’ve raced overseas the past few years, but there’s just something about the Kepler and everyone here is just amazing.”

Top-ranked national 10 km and cross-country runner Jonathan Jackson won the 27 km Luxmore Grunt men’s race from local policeman Dwight Grieve and Sam Manson.

Defending champion Sarah Douglas was a comfortable winner in the women’s event, finishing ahead of Maddie Dillon and Sabrina Grogan.

Reporting by Nathan Burdon and Lucy Henry