A BIZARRE contest to find the world's laziest athlete has seen the competitors spend more than a month in bed – and there's no end in sight.

The annual "Festival of Laziness" in Montenegro has one very specific goal – whoever can lie down for the longest period of time wins £900.

To celebrate and poke fun at stereotypes of the country's languid ways, a hotel in the small town of Brezna has hosted the strange competition for the past 12 years.

Participants lie on mattresses and do next to nothing in order to take home the cash prize and claim the title of Montenegro's most inactive countryman.

"The competition is a joke about the stereotype of Montenegrins being lazy, and we wanted to organise something that no one else has," said Radonja Blagojevic, the event's organiser.

This year's contest kicked off on August 21 and is still going strong.

read more on montenegro

CRASH TRAGEDY

Brit among two dead after bus plunges 49ft into ravine in Montenegro

BEACH BEAUTY

Brooks Nader wows in sexy bikini on the beach after dining with Richard Gere

Out of the 21 contestants who entered, four determined bed-lovers still remain – putting their obligations to family, work and education on hold for the time being.

In a barn-like building with its curtains drawn, the mattresses are sprawled across the hard wooden floor.

The room is littered with dirty heaps of scattered clothes, food and blankets, while participants kill time by staring at their phones or trying to sleep.

"I've been here for 800 hours," said 23-year-old beautician Lidija Markovic.

Most read in The Sun

DOCTOR TRAGEDY

This Morning star’s cause of death revealed as family share tribute

FINDING JILL’S KILLER

Criminal’s chilling theory revealed in hunt for Jill Dando’s killer

SHOCK SPLIT

Louise Redknapp breaks silence on Eternal feud as she quits tour over ‘gay’ row

RASH SPEAKS

Rashford rushed to help woman driver after horror crash in £700k Rolls-Royce

"I'll get up when I get bored, and I don't know when that will happen."

Standing or sitting results in immediate disqualification, but competitors are allowed to use mobile phones, read books, and even receive visitors.

This year's competition has seen a slight change in the rules, allowing participants to take a 15-minute break every eight hours.

The previous record of five days has been shattered – thanks in part to the new rules.

"I am proud of myself for enduring this long," said Gordana Filipovic, a 36-year-old cook from a nearby village.

"My husband says to me: 'Wife, you are on vacation. Lie down and enjoy'."

Most contestants are from Montenegro, but the competition has also seen Ukrainians, Russians and Serbians come to compete.

Jovan Crncanin, a 33-year-old marketing manager at a football club in Serbia's Krusevac, is competing for the second time.

Initially, the €1,000 euro [£900] cash prize was his sole motivation.

But as time has passed, so has his desire for winning.

"Now I'm here for myself, to prove my limits to myself and… overcome the situation and reach the end," he said.

"I hope that I will be able to transfer that experience and patience to real life."

However not everyone is supportive of the event, dubbed the "Lazy Olympics", as beautician Lidija Markovic found out when her family visited.

READ MORE SUN STORIES

BIG CHANGES

Big Brother in huge shake up for launch as ITV clears schedules for first night

POO KNEW?

The truth about 'marble' poos – and how it's a sign you need to act now

"My brother and parents came to beg me to stop, promising me 1,000 euros if I did.

"But I told them there was no chance and that I'd stay till the end."

Source: Read Full Article