After a year's break due to bushfire damage the Great Volcanic Mountain Challenge returned on Sunday.

Event organiser Russell Tym said 350 runners from Orange, the Central West, Sydney, Canberra and other areas tackled the traditional 11-kilometre run from The Pinnacle picnic grounds to the summit of the mountain while a further 170 contested this year's new event, a five kilometre family run/walk from the picnic grounds to a plateau and back.

When the event started at 9am the official temperature at Orange Regional Airport was five degrees, and minus 1.2 degrees with the windchill factor.

However, with strong winds it seemed even chillier on the mountain.

"It was very cold but around The Pinnacle, through the forests and on the trails it wasn't that cold," Mr Tym said.

He said it was worse at the summit when strong winds whipped across the mountain.

"When we were setting up I was really concerned for the timing people. They couldn't put the marquee up," he said.

He said the trails were not affected by the weekend's rain.

"With that howling wind it had already dried up," he said.  

Leo Peterson of North Ryde won the men's race in 49 minutes and eight seconds from Nathan Wilson of Winmalee (50.05) and Matthew Baker of Orange (51.32).

Jasmine Sergeant from Mulgoa won the women's event in 56.57 ahead of Elizabeth Humphries from Canberra (59.18) and Lisa Thompson of Randwick (64.45).

Mr Tym he would seek to avoid the date clash with the Newcrest Orange Challenge cycle ride which occurred this year.

He said he was pleased with the number of runners (about 520) in the event's first year back.

"It's about the same as last time. The biggest were have had was 630 about four-five years ago," he said.