First-time winners celebrate Surf T Surf 10km success

Jason Daye, who has a top-15 result in the prestigious Melbourne marathon, bettered a fifth-place finish recorded 12 months ago to win in 32 minutes and 59 seconds on a rare still morning in Warrnambool.

Hawthorn's Sarah Adam, who is engaged to former Warrnambool man Jamie Mugavin, was the first female across the finish line, completing the hill-laden course in 36.08.

The self-deprecating Daye, who defeated Winter Valley's Tom Inverarity (34.00) and Warrnambool's Matt Billington (34.19), was humbled to add his name to the Surf T Surf honour roll in the fun run's 41^st year.

"It is really cool - I thought I'd never win this. It's a very good race," he told The Standard.

"Much better runners than me have won this event. You've just got to get lucky sometimes."

Daye, 36, said it was special to compete alongside Commonwealth Games medallist Steve Moneghetti.

The Australian running icon, now 61, finished sixth after placing fourth in 2023.

"Steve beat me here last year and even though he's over 60, he's still a world-class runner," Daye said.

"He's extraordinary so it's pretty cool to be running alongside him and occasionally finishing in front of him."

Daye's next goal is the Port Fairy marathon on Sunday, February 18.

He is the defending champion.

"I am training pretty hard for the Port Fairy marathon which is about five or six weeks away now and it's got me in pretty good shape for this one too," he said.

"I have run two pretty similar times two years in a row but I hope this year I can go faster by a few minutes. We'll see how we go.

"It depends on what weather we get - it could be raining sideways, it could be (a still) day like this.

"It is a great little town to go running in. Port Fairy is as flat as a tack...which I prefer. I am not very good at running uphill. I don't mind running downhill but uphill is just hard."

Adam - a New Zealander who moved to Australia four years ago - defeated Winslow's Fleur Barling (39.03) and Warrnambool's Jane McMeel (39.14).

The Melbourne-based runner, 29, was rapt to secure a win on debut.

"I had heard a lot about it from the Mugavins but never raced in it," she said.

"It was hard, it was hilly all through the back end but it was a still morning.

"I was hoping to get (a time of) 37 so I did about a minute quicker. No wind helped, which is rare in Warrnambool."

Adam said she was "still working out" her ideal distance after finishing up hockey and focusing more on competitive running.

"I did the Melbourne marathon this year and my last race was a 1500m, so this (the 10km) is in between and probably about right," she said.

"I don't think I could go back to a marathon - one and done I'd say."

Adam, who hails from Auckland, will marry Mugavin in Queenstown in April.