Half Moon Bay, CA -- With barely three weeks to go before the nation celebrates Halloween, an Oregon man claimed the record for the largest pumpkin in the annual pumpkin weigh-off with a gigantic gourd that came it at 1,524 pounds.

With his giant pumpkin, Thad Starr, of Pleasant Hill, Ore., is set to receive get $6 a pound, for a total of $9,144.

"It's the thrill of the victory," Starr, who bested the entries of 80 other contestants said. "And it's the fruition of a year's work."

Pumpkins, long identified with every Halloween celebration, were lowered by forklift onto a 5-ton capacity digital scale monitored by officials from the San Mateo County Agricultural Commissioner's Office.

Organizers said the top five pumpkins at the Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival will remain on display throughout the week.

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