Fastest south Island coast to coast on foot?

Years ago hunter Bert Cropp walked from SH73 at Klondyke Corner near Arthurs Pass to the Lake Kaniere - Kokatahi roadend behind Hokitika in one day. This was done via the well known Three Pass route of Harman, Whitehorn & Browning Passes and over Styx Saddle. Back in 1977 four of us decided to try & emulate Bert's feat. We did it in 11 hours 50 minutes which was at that stage considered the fastest crossing to date. We carried day packs and signed the book in each hut we passed. Two of us wore boots, myself included, and the other two wore running shoes and had their ankles strapped. This time has since been lowered but I'm not sure that the terms of the faster crossing were quite the same? For the record those involved back in 1977 were David Merrick (a top young mountaineer), Dan O'Connor (a NZ harrier rep), Duncan Hamilton (later a top NZ Adventure Racer) and glennj. Alastair Prangnell was crew and official timekeeper. He dropped us off & met us at the other end. These days the Goat Pass Coast to Coast route seems to attract more attention than the Three Passes. I'm not sure who currently holds the record for that crossing but it could be easily checked. I think the Duncan above and his younger brother Hamish may have had the fastest times at one stage some years back?