Buchanan raced to victory in a time of 32:15 and in doing so became the first athlete in more than 20 years to achieve back-to-back national 10km XC wins at open male level.

Runners who had done so previously included marathon great Robert de Castella.

Buchanan said the hilly course was a greater challenge than he expected.

“It was a great course to race on, but really tough,” he said.

Athletes raced a 1km loop and then completed three laps of a 3km circuit.

“The pace was not as fast from the start as I thought it would be.”

A key for Buchanan was lifting the rate on the uphill sections.

“I tried to be as consistent with my pace as I could be.”

By the 6km mark Buchanan was in front and he gradually surged clear.

“Within half a lap I was able to gain about a 30 metre lead.

“From there I kept a consistent rate. I knew if I could do that then it would be difficult for the others to catch me.”

Buchanan won in a time of 32.15 and was 24 seconds clear of South Australia’s Riley Cocks as Ed Goddard from New South Wales ran 32.48 to be third.

For 27-year-old Buchanan the victory capped many months of hard training.

“To win two years in a row is an incredible feeling.”

In the battle for team honours, Victoria earned bronze as South Australia struck gold and NSW the silver.

A major goal for Buchanan and coach Scott Westcott will be selection in Australia’s team to contest next year’s world cross-country championships.

“The selection race is on the Australia Day weekend in Canberra,” he said.

“Top three are guaranteed a world titles berth, although a team of six could be selected, based on various selection guidelines.”

The Bendigo University Athletics Club member was rapt with the performances by five juniors from Flack Advisory Bendigo Region at national titles.

Yazmin Hayes was 12th in the under-18 girls 4km.

The South Bendigo AC member, who lives in Elmore, was equal-fastest Victorian as she ran a time of 15.24.

Victoria won bronze in the teams section and Hayes was the fifth-placed under-17 athlete in a field of 83.

South Bendigo clubmate Taryn Furletti was 38th in the under-16 4km in 16.14.

Archie Reid from Echuca, who also races for South Bendigo, was 50th in the under-18 men’s in 22.11.

Two of the young guns from the Athlete Development Program where Buchanan is athletics coach at Bendigo South East College also starred at Maleny.

Tullie Rowe completed the under-16 girls 4km in a time of 16.04 to be 20th overall.

One of the Bendigo Harriers’ rising stars, Jayden Padgham ran the 3km in 10.52 to be 11th in the under-14 age group.

“Jayden was eighth at the state finals, but was second of the Victorian athletes at nationals,” Buchanan said.

“That sort of result shows how much he has improved in such a short time, and will really lift his confidence.”