Runners braved the elements to pound round a testing course in the second Brodie Castle 10K race.
A bumper field of 450 sold out more than a month in advance, with athletes eager to compete in the historic grounds of the 16th century keep.
Runners at the front of the field yesterday got the best of the conditions to make their way down the wide esplanade towards the finish line at the castle before the weather deteriorated.
Athletes were hammered by sleet, hail storms and a bracing wind during the Forres Harriers-organised race.
Kenny Wilson, from Moray Road Runners, eased to a comfortable win with a time of 32 minutes six seconds.
His teammate Gareth Jenkins came second nearly two and a half minutes adrift.
Sarah Liebnitz, from Inverness Harriers, was the first female to finish, in 36 minutes 45 seconds.
A field of 32 children entered a shortened three-kilometre race inside the grounds and were rewarded with a sweet at the finish line.
Race director, Paul Hughes, was delighted to see a field of 450 take to the start line – 350 more than entered the event two years ago.
He said: “We used to run it as the Dyke 10K. I just so happened to be running past the castle one day and thought the wide space on the way up to it would make a spectacular finish line.
“It’s certainly made the difference to the race. After 107 runners two years ago, we had 300 last year and now 450. We had all four seasons twice during the race, but no one complained.”