Having literally beat the competition lying down, seven competitors lying on mats in the Montenegrin village of Brezna continue their battle to become Montenegro's "Laziest Citizen."

The contest in the small Adriatic country was started 12 years ago to poke fun at a popular myth that labels Montenegrins as lazy, said Radonja Blagojevic, the organizer.

Proving that laziness can sometimes pay, the winner is set for a prize of 1,000 euros ($1,070).

The previous record of 117 hours of lying down, set last year, has already been broken - more than 15 days ago. 

The contest is now in its 23rd day with no end in sight.

2021 champion Dubravka Aksic, 38, from the capital Podgorica, says she was convinced by relatives to compete again and finds it quite easy, with the organizers taking care of every need they have.

"I don't see why they believed I could win again this year. Since today is the twentieth day, neither I nor any of the other people present here today expected it to last this long," she said.

"Fortunately, everyone is in good health, and we all feel fine. The hosts fulfil all our wishes; all we have to do is lie down."

Filip Knezevic, 23, a first-time contestant from the northern town of Mojkovac, also thought he could win this lying down.

"Naturally, I have high hopes of winning; that's why I came. There's plenty of motivation and free time, and I feel great here," he said.

He added that he wanted to compete to test his limits and finds it relatively straightforward, with the only drawback being that he misses his relatives. 

"Aside from the absence of family, everything else is easy because we have literally everything we need here, and the other contestants are fantastic, so time flies," he said. 

The rules are strict: even sitting half up is considered a violation and grounds for immediate disqualification. 

Blagojevic said contestants get a 10-minute bathroom break every eight hours and are allowed to use cell phones, laptops, and read books.

Traditionally, the contestants would be lying under a maple tree, but due to a spell of bad weather this week and last, they moved to a wooden shack.

Subscribe to Storyboard: A weekly newsletter bringing you the best of CGTN every Friday