Experienced pair Clinton Hall and Kris McCartney shared race four honours on Wednesday night after a dead heat finish.

Teenage rising star Tom Hynes was close behind in third as 202 runners tackled the five-kilometre Flagstaff Hill course.

Hall won the series’ final three runs after Ballarat visitor Jesse Fullerton celebrated a race one win.

Tom, one of Warrnambool’s most promising distance runners, pushed Hall in all four races.

It was a similar story throughout the 2013 series.

Hall, 35, said the battle between himself and Tom was a race within the race.

“There is not much between us. It’s been like that for a fair while,” he said.

“You have to have a challenge to keep you going.

“It is good for him and it is good for me. It makes you run quicker.

“It keeps me fit and I am sort of getting old now and Tom has his whole future ahead of him. 

“That is why I am trying to hold on.”

McCartney, an established triathlete, only ran the final Flagstaff Hill run.

“Kris has been such a great athlete for such a long time,” Hall said.

Hall said wind had played its part in three of the four races.

The series opened with 217 competitors on January 8 but numbers dwindled to 116 in week two as temperatures soared into the early 40s.

“It’s been hard with head winds all the way out,” Hall said. 

“The hotter night was the better night (wind wise) but we didn’t run as quick because it was too hot.”

Hall said he would run in the athletics club’s winter series.

“Flagstaff Hill do a good job and let us run there and the athletics club is up and about,” he said of the summer series.

“The committee does a great job and gets everyone involved.”

Alison Wilson defeated Ella Gill to take out the women’s race four honours.