Apart from one DNF (did not finish) on the kayak leg, the remainder of the 40 entries (75 competitors as individuals, pairs, three- and four-person teams) completed the journey.
Like most race directors who spend the night before an event praying to the weather gods, Mark Stoneman was elated with the "perfect" conditions.
"The only exception would have been the extended period of dry weather ... that dropped the river level to about a quarter of what would have been an ideal river flow.
"This added about two hours to the fastest times.
"But it was the same conditions for everyone, so apart from being on the river for between seven and 12 hours, nobody's really complaining."
Sam Goodall from Whangaparoa, a recent top 10 finisher in the Coast to Coast and two-time winner of the Northern Crossing, took individual line honours and thus set a new benchmark time of 15 hours, 19min 7.16s.
In a great finish, Goodall took the individual category from Wellington's Tim Sutton by the narrowest of margins, as 25 hours of racing came down to just 1m 19s between them.
Goodall earned the right to raise the M2C Supreme winner trophy over his head with his name the first on the plaque that has waited eight years for a recipient after the weather thwarted two attempts to get the event going again in 2006 and 2007.
In total, there were 17 individual racers, with the last competitor out on the course for a tough 25h 30m 6.09s.
Just ahead of them was the only solo woman in Anni Galdames, who came home in 25h 30m 4.03s.
Galdames and her partner, Peter Bauman, are both from America, which added an international flavour to the field with Bauman finishing seventh in the men's individual.
They had limited experience in multisport and even less knowledge of New Zealand terrain, but their determination to complete the challenge could not be denied.
Competing on borrowed bikes and kayaks, during the latter leg they were the last competitors to finish on the Saturday, finishing the 90km by water in 11.5h.
But Bauman was not perturbed with the time taken, saying: "The scenery was totally spectacular".
Also taking up the challenge were 12 two-person teams, seven three-person crews and three four-person squads. Those fields boasted some remarkable talent Jill Westenra, the four-time women's winner of the Coast to Coast, competing in a three-person team which took out the mixed section in a time of 15h 14m 32.57s.
Marathon rowing great Rob Hamill and his winning triathlete wife, Rachel, teamed up with kayak champion Aaron Cox to come runner-up in the three-person mixed section.
The Hamills loved the event.
"We brought the kids and it was great for families, making it a camping adventure as well," said Rob Hamill.
"The race course is terrific. Challenging yet doable.
"The mountain bike stage was amazing. It got better and better the further it went. I absolutely loved the last big climb and then that brain-jarring decent, followed by the sphincter tightening 'don't look down' single track through the native bush ridge line."
Rachel Hamill would head the entire field into the road bike transition.
"I think it's one of the better road bike legs in a multi-sport event that I've seen."
At the prizegiving at Cooks Gardens, all competitors got a share of a large prize pool, notably Marcus Stubbs from Sydney walking away with the major spot prize of a Q-Kayaks Tui Excel multisport kayak, valued at more than $2000.
Wanganui's Malte Hagener, third in the veteran men's division, took home a Mt Ruapehu season ski pass valued at $600.
Stubbs, the DNF recipient, was quick to note the irony of his prize.
"After 10 hours paddling and having to pull out with an injury just 6km from the finishing line, the last thing I wanted to see was another kayak, but that awesome kayak is just too much," he said.
"I couldn't believe my ears when my name was read out, and neither could the crowd who saw the funny side as complete karma.
"Once my shoulder recovers I can't wait to take it out on the water, and hopefully across the finish line in next year's event."
While Stubbs and Goodall are on the record with their approval of the M2C, Cronin said he is rapt with the overall feedback.
"Everyone has been telling me they have had just the best time and they intend to be back next year.
"Dream Team members Rob and Rachel Hamill want to return next year and tackle the course as a two-person team, although they have yet to work out who is volunteering for the paddle.
"This tells me that the event has that 'scaling-up' attraction where people will initially enter the event in a team and each year return to take on a bit more, perhaps even working up to an individual challenge."
Plans for 2015 are under way.
"We are taking all the feedback on board and looking at how we can make the event even better," said Cronin.
"We already know that there will be more people fronting up at the start line next time as the word spreads on just how great this event really is."
Organisations thanked were the Department of Conservation, AMP Insurance and stage sponsors Balance Accountants, Cheal, Journeys on the Whanganui, The Dentists and Visit Ohakune.
Visit Ruapehu and Visit Whanganui also played their part.
"Without them the event would not have got off the ground," said Cronin.
"We are sure all of our sponsors will have felt the positive buzz surrounding the event and are as keen as we are, to make it grow into the North Island multisport event on the calendar."
Full results are available on www.m2c.kiwi.nz.
