the unthinkable.

The long regarded `first lady' of local distance running, supposedly on the down side of a career filled with championship triumphs, honours and other achievements both overseas and locally, on Saturday placed first among the women at an ultra marathon in South Island, New Zealand.

And this on her first attempt at covering the 67 kilometre distance (41.6 miles).

Mewett clocked six hours, 10 seconds while tracking a course that took competitors through an area of thick bush and wilderness nestled in the midst of the Southern Alps.

Her time bettered that of 57 other women in the 300-strong field and showed that there's still a lot of fuel left in the tank of 42-year-old veteran.

After winning countless Bermuda races, there appeared few conquests left for Mewett. But, she intimated that participating in the ultra marathon had rekindled her thirst for the sport.

Yesterday, Mewett said there was no way mere words could describe her experience Down Under.

"I just needed to do something different, something else to go for,'' she said. "You get tired of the same old thing all the time and this was something special.

"It felt fantastic and was the most amazing thing I've done in my whole life.

It was so different in every way. It wasn't a road race or cross country, but more of a mountain race.

"The scenery and everything was so amazing and afterwards it was hard to believe I had actually done it (completed the distance).'' However, the run was not without its share of pitfalls, as evidenced by two sore ankles. The unpredictable terrain swallowed up several in the field and Mewett said she also tripped a few times.

While it was her first ultra marathon, she assured it would not be her last as she aims to defend her title next year.

"Just the trees and snow and the mountains...it was so beautiful. At times way up in the mountains it was almost like walking on the clouds.

"It's hard to make people understand just how different this was. There's really nothing to compare it to, it was the most amazing six hours I've ever experienced.'' As for her next move, Mewett was less revealing, noting that she wasn't so keen on the cross country championships this weekend.

"It's difficult for me to do cross country, so I don't know what I have up next,'' added Mewett. "After you do something like this (ultra marathon), what do you do next?'' SANDRA MEWETT -- victorious on her first attempt at an ultra marathon.