Duer Yoa crossed the finish line in the 11 km run in just less than 36 minutes.
WITH some of Ballarat's best athletic talent providing a competitive show yesterday, Run Ballarat was more than just a fun run.
The three-tiered fun run, raising money for Ballarat Health Service Base Hospital's children's ward, involved more than 4000 people participating in an 11 or six kilometre run, or six kilometre walk.
Ballarat runner Duer Yoa won the 11 kilometre event, crossing the finish line 35.59 at City Oval.
Yoa, 22, returned to competitive running earlier this year after a two year break, previously representing Australia in long distance running.
Since his return, he has competed in and won the Steve Moneghetti Lap of the Lake, beating Nathan Hartigan, and excelled in other local events.
The Cotton-On customer serviceman said it was the perfect opportunity to get involved with a Cotton-On event and support the in-need facility and service where his own child was born.
"I wasn't particularly aiming for any result, I was just wanting to get involved in the foundation and with the cause," Yoa.
Ballarat Olympian Steve Moneghetti placed second, finishing only 13 seconds behind Yoa.
Angela Williams was the first woman across the time, finishing in 40.28 and eighth overall.
Williams, living in Ballarat since January, said the course impressed her.
"I run the lake quite often, and occasionally some wild cross country terrains, so it was fantastic to be able to go through the city centre," she said.
Williams' son, Sam Williams, also achieved an outstanding result finish second in the six kilometre run.
The juniors that outshone with two secondary students taking the first places for both men and women.
Ballarat High School 15-year-old Ryan Norman finished the course in 19.43.
Norman said he was happy with his run, but after racing yesterday didn't perform to the best of his ability.
"The course was quite tough, because it was so fast at the start going down hill and then with the incline coming back," Norman said.
The first woman across the line in the six kilometre was also a school student, Loreto College's 18-year-old Anna Kelly who finished the course in 22.16.