King of the Mount narrowly misses record

King and Queen of the Mount run competitors head down Mount Main Beach.

4.20pm: Boxing Day is about resting up after over-indulging on Christmas Day for most of us or perhaps shopping for a bargain at a crowded city shopping mall.

But for the more athletically minded Boxing Day means the annual King of the Mountain race which involves a start and finish on the soft sand on Mount Main Beach and a 231 metre sprint to the top of Mauao and down again.

The race has been a tradition at the Mount since 1945 and only in 1947 and 1982 has the event not taken place.

After not competing last year, Whakatane's Daniel Jones cruised home to win his third title after victories in 2008 and 2011.

He may well have sprinted a little quicker had he known how close to breaking the record he was as his time of 18.49 was agonisingly close to the record of 18.45 set by Angus Bell in 2007.

Te Puke's Bobby Dean was second with Ben Ruthe third.

Results:
King of the Mountain
Seniors 4.5km race
1 Daniel Jones18.49, 2 Bobby Dean 19.18, 3 Ben Ruthe 19.56
Juniors 3km race
1 Ben Mitchell 9.25, 2 Korban Eades 9.41, 3 Harry Lowe 9.49

EARLIER: An iconic highlight of the summer event programme at Mount Maunganui will see a large contingent of athletes take on Mauao's steep climb and the fierce heat this afternoon.

The 2014 Vitasport Mount Maunganui King and Queen of the Mount race is held every Boxing Day. There are two race courses, a shorter version for the under-12 and under-16 fields, and the full 4.5km distance from the beach opposite Mt Drury to the top of Mauao and back to the start.

Runners will compete for the Mellish and Prosser Cups plus prize vouchers, and the race is part of the Waikato Bay of Plenty Mountain Race Championships.

The main event starts at 2.30pm and is preceded at 2pm by the Prince and Princess races (under-12 and under-16).

Entries for all grades can be made from 11am today opposite Mt Drury.