Ben Sim has won the eighteenth annual Kangaroo Hoppet, streeting the field by more than three minutes and collecting his third win in the Australian marathon classic.

The 23-year-old Cooma skier covered the 42km Falls Creek course in one hour 42.16 seconds, defeating internationals Viktor Novotny of the Czech Republic and Zach Violet of the USA.

Andrew Mock was the next best of the Australian competitors in fourth place.

The women’s event was won by Evelyn Dong of the USA from Aimee Watson and Esther Bottomley.

More than 1100 competitors from 25 countries and six continents entered in the three race distances of 42km, 21km, and 7km.

The Hoppet is the opening race of the 2008/2009 Worldloppet series of cross country skiing marathons, which are held in 15 countries around the world.

Australian Team members Chloe McConville from Myrtleford and Callum Watson from Cooma won the 21km Australian Birkebeiner event, while Lucy Glanville from Sydney and Dyllan Harmer from Wodonga were first in the 7km Joey Hoppet.

The Kangaroo Hoppet is also the final race in the 2008 FIS Australia New Zealand Cup, one of eight Continental Cup series around the world endorsed by the International Ski Federation.

With the Hoppet victory, Sim jumped up to win the men's series by just five points ahead of Frenchman Pais.

Bottomley had already secured the women's ANC prior to the Hoppet. As ANC champions, both Australians will now receive their own special quota place on World Cup next season.