Omanu's Max Beattie has beaten out Midway's (Gisborne's) Cory Taylor to win the Mount Monster.

Beattie, who along with Taylor is based in Australia, says there is nothing like this anywhere in the world when asked to describe today's race.

Max Beattie crossing the finish line. Photos by Tracy Hardy.

He says people get to jump off cliffs and racing along one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world.

'The race was pretty brutal. To finish a 24km race in sprint finish is pretty unfair on myself and Cory but it probably couldn't have worked out any better. I am pretty happy with the result.”

Cory and Max were neck and neck throughout the race.

'We train together back in Australia three times a day, six times a week. We're very good mates. We both knew this would happen,” says Max.

'We know each other's strengths and weaknesses, so through the 24km I knew I was going to be hard to shake for him and there was no way I was going to drop him.”

The pair both had a chuckle with each other when they found out they had a five minute time penalty, which resulted in a sprint to the finish line.

'We knew we had some work to do and worked together in the last 6km and tried to put a dent in that five minutes.”

Max says there was a nervous wait up on the beach as both he and Cory waited for the final results - due to the five minute time penalty from them not going around one of the course flags.

'There was an under-19 kid, Matt Scott, who actually came fourth overall and I thought he might have done it.”

Max competed in the Mount Monster last year and came second to Cory.

He says they will be back next year to battled it out and see who takes the winning title home.

'I want to get awareness of how cool this event it. I will go back home and talk it up and hopefully we will get some more people here next year.”

Results from the 25km Mount Monster surf lifesaving endurance race in Mount Maunganui today:

Men:

Open: Max Beattie (Omanu) 2:23.07 1, Cory Taylor (Midway) 2:23.07 2, Sam Shergold (Mt Maunganui) 2:23.39 3,

Adam Simpson (Mt Maunganui) 2:26.42 4, Bjorn Battaerd (Whangamata) 2:27.10 5, Mason Bryant (Papamoa) 2:27.44 6, Adrien Lambolez (Mt Maunganui) 2:32.13 7, Lewis Rosewell (Mt Maunganui) 2:32.16 8, Hamish Treanor (Mt Maunganui) 2:34.53 9, Hayden Reardon (Mt Maunganui) 2:36.48 10.

Under 19: Matthew Scott (Midway) 2:22.47 1, Kane Sefton (Mt Maunganui) 2:26.16 2, James Scott (Orewa) 2:26.32 3, Hamish Miller (Mt Maunganui) 2:26.34 4, Andrew Trembath (St Clair) 2:26.49 5.

Women:

Open: Kirsty Wannan (Piha) 2:37.33 1, Katie Wilson (Mt Maunganui) 2:40.08 2, Grace Kaihau (Maroochydore) 2:40.33 3, Taneale Hatton (Piha) 2:42.19 4.

Under 19: Hannah Williams (Piha) 2:39.01 1, Amy Barron (Mt Maunganui) 2:47.10 2.


A close finish with Max Beattie and Cory Taylor.


Kim, 56, and Taris, 18, Harker after the race. Taris beat his father by 30 seconds.