Johnston, who now lives in Canberra, raced in the elite 100km event against riders from NSW and the ACT.

He took out the race in four hours 14 minutes and 39 seconds, three minutes ahead of team mate Ben Henderson.

After the race Johnston believed his background in the area was a definite advantage.

“I did not do as much planning as I normally would as I thought it might be a bit easier knowing the area,” Johnston said.

“A few of the guys from Canberra did well but knowing the area definitely helped.”

 Johnston said he and his team mate, Henderson, “got a feel” for the track on the first lap of the circuit and decided to break clear from their opponents at the 60km mark.

“It was a rough section and that’s where I got rid of them,” he said.

Johnston will get back to training now before competing in similar events across the state.

He is also planning a tilt at the Cape to Cape in WA in October and defending his Highland Fling title in early November.

Long Beach’s Cory Dimmer competed in the elite category and finished 14th overall, in the 19-person field, with a time of five hours, 45 minutes and one second.

Five Eurobodalla residents raced among 48 entrants in the 50km category and Broulee’s Paul Morgan fared the best finishing third overall in two hours 33 minutes and 13 seconds.

Morgan said post-race the track was more challenging than he expected with short, sharp climbs.

“There was a lot of climbing and there were not many sections where you could conserve energy,” Morgan said.

“The course is at a point where it could improve and the organisers were open to feedback which is great.”

Tomakin’s Paul Reynolds finished 12th in three hours, one minute and 26 seconds.

Reynolds said he wanted to finish between three to three-and-a-quarter hours and was rapt he finished in that time.

“I had a good run but it was tough in and out of Mogo,” Reynolds said.

Batemans Bay’s Luke Mitchell finished the 50km course in three hours, 23 minutes and 36 seconds which placed him 23rd overall.

Anthea Couvee said she finished “happy” after an “extremely taxing” ride to finish fourth in the women’s 50km race with a time of four hours, seven minutes and 52 seconds.

Surfside’s Kate Halton was the seventh woman home in a time of four hours, 59 minutes and 17 seconds.

Five Eurobodalla riders competed in the 25km event.

Sonya Dimmer, in her third mountain bike race, completed the track in two hours, 45 minutes and 21 seconds to place 20th overall.

“It was very challenging, lots of ups and down but it was still good fun,” Dimmer said.

Malua Bay’s Geoff Ives was third overall in the 25km event, finishing in one hour, 30 minutes and 50 seconds and Batemans Bay’s Brae Kelly finished 14th in two hours, two minutes and 46 seconds.

Tomakin’s Libby Roberts and Angela Reynolds finished four seconds apart in 21st and 22nd place overall.