The Great Knaresborough Bed Race is one of the most extraordinary community events in the UK. This fun competition involves almost everybody in the town of Knaresborough and every year attracts thousands of visitors on the second Saturday in June. The race has been taking place in Knaresborough since 1966. It has maintained its popularity over the last 60 years and has inspired other bed races, both in the UK and around the world.
The idea is to raise money for charity while putting on a superb spectacle. Each team consists of six runners and a passenger, who is pushed on a bed. Before the participants set off on the 2.4 mile race, there is a contest for the best dressed bed. The day starts in the morning at Knaresborough Castle, where the teams decorate their beds and put on funny costumes. The judging of the “Best Dressed Bed” contest starts at 10:30 a.m. and the result is usually announced around midday. Then, the teams start marching through the town in a parade led by the winner. When the parade is over, the decorations are removed and the teams change into racing kit.
The race itself kicks off at 3 p.m., and the teams set off at roughly ten-second intervals. The fastest teams complete the course in under 13 minutes as a rule, with the slowest taking twice as long. The race takes the participants through parkland, up to the Castle and Market Place. Then, the route goes down to the River Nidd. The final challenge for runners, passengers and beds is to get across it. Although the river is not very wide, this section of the race is the most demanding. The biggest problem is that the river is usually icy cold, so getting to the other side is quite a test of endurance for the participants. It also has steep banks, so it’s not easy to push the beds into and out of the river.
Nowadays, around 90 teams compete in the event. Many participants are the grandchildren of those who started this fun race, and this fact makes it particularly appealing to local people.
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