Ballarat's Adrian Beer, St Kilda's Kirstin Bull win 2023 Port Fairy Marathon

St Kilda-based mother-of-two Kirstin Bull, who owns a national record for 100 kilometres, finished the seaside town's 42.2-kilometre trek in a tick over three hours on Sunday.

Bull, 41, completed the two-lap course, which took in some of Port Fairy's most idyllic spots, in 3:01.29 ahead of Alexandra McNaughton (3:03.42) and Dara O'Meachair (3:09.03).

"I came down to use it as a training run - I am training for a six-hour (event) in April," she told The Standard.

"I really wanted to push the pace today and see how it felt. It's a beautiful course and it was so nice to see so much of Port Fairy."

Bull said the six-hour endurance test was an on-the-course run in Coburg.

"You run as far as you can in six hours," she said.

"I am going to try and break the Australian record so 80km is the goal.

"I have never run a six-hour race but I have run 100km before. I did that pre-kids - my kids are two-and-a-half now - so I am trying to get back there to run some longer distances."

Bull said her running habits had changed since the twins' arrival.

"You have to weigh up your sleep schedules and getting out (to train) and just negotiating with my partner to get out for some long runs," she said.

"I am running really well so it's still working for me."

Each new running challenge is a test of mental strength for Bull.

"(It's about) seeing how far I can go before I hit the downward slope that happens to all runners with age," she said.

"I just love running and these community events are something that keep you going. I like the two laps because you know what to expect after the first lap."

Ballarat's Adrian Beer won his first marathon after beating Port Fairy's Jason Daye in a see-sawing battle.

Beer, 32, completed the course in a blistering 2:29.36 with Daye (2:30.48) close behind.

Warrnambool's Benny Wallis (2:35.06) was third.

"He (Daye) took off and set the pace pretty early and I couldn't keep up with him," Beer said.

"After about 800m he had me but I kept him in my sights. At about 35km I thought I was making a bit of ground and got him at about 39km and put the foot down."

It was Beer's sixth marathon after putting a focus on running following a football career with Beaufort which ended in 2019 due to ankle surgery.

The event, in its second year, attracted more than 1300 competitors and also featured a half-marathon as well as 10km and 3.5km options.

Other results: Half-marathon men - Tom Sullivan (1st), Cameron Smith (2nd), Andrew Leggo (3rd); half-marathon women - Nikki Curry (1st), Emilie Cutler (2nd), Kristy-Lee Margaret (3rd); 10km men - David McNeill (1st), Ben MacDonald (2nd), Steve Pollard (3rd); 10km women - Elizabeth Doueal (1st), Hedda Cooper (2nd), Erin Pottharst (3rd).

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