For one group of Mount Maunganui surf lifesavers, proving age is no barrier is vital when it comes to taking on the challenge of conquering the Mount Monster.

Nestled among today's field of more than 230 will be a group of masters lifesavers hell-bent on showing they can foot it with the young guns taking on the 25km endurance classic.

A field of more than 230 will take on the challenge of conquering the Mount Monster today. Photo: Jamie Troughton/Describe Media Services.

None more so than Garry King, whose chance to line up has been exactly 12 months in the making.

'Last year we did the event guarding, where we looked after all the competitors with the IRBs,” he says.

'This year all the masters got together and said ‘we can do this', so we entered some teams.”

Training a minimum of three times a week, the 60-year-old will team up with Russell Reardon, Jim Allen, and Doug Miller to complete the multi-disciplined event.

The race features a five km beach run, a spectacular swim leg, which includes a jump off Moturiki Island's blowhole, a 12km ski leg and a six km board paddle.

It starts and finishes on Mount Maunganui's Main Beach, with the ski leg taking competitors down to neighbouring Omanu Beach.

'I will be doing the swim leg as I'm the stronger swimmer out of the four,” adds Garry.

'Doug is a better runner, but he's done his Achilles in so I think Jim is doing the run and Doug is doing the board.

And despite being the oldest of the group, he wouldn't have it any other way.

'Age is no barrier,” he adds, 'especially when you look at old Sid from Omanu (quipping about 84-year-old Sid Salek). He's still out there and he's a good inspiration that boy.

'We are there to compete and finish the race. And that's what masters is all about, having fun, enjoying yourself and keeping fit. As long as we all have fun that's the main thing.”

Looking to the front of the pack, defending men's champion Cory Taylor is returning to the surf lifesaving showpiece, while his NZ teammate, Omanu's Max Beattie, is also competing.

Taylor and Beattie are likely to face stiff competition from a handful of eager young locals, including Papamoa's Mason Bryant, Mount Maunganui's Sam Shergold and Whangamata's Bjorn Battaerd.

Beattie and Taylor will chase the $2000 first prize, having returned from their Queensland base after an incredible 12 months.