Great Knaresborough Bed Race

The Great Knaresborough Bed Race is an event for teams of six pushers with a bed-ridden passenger, which follows a parade of fancy-dressed beds and pushers around the town. Competitors are timed over a 3km course of varied terrain including crossing the River Nidd – the fastest get around the course in around fifteen minutes but many take much longer , though the participants must remove all fancy dress from the beds and themselves prior to the competition. It’s a charity fundraising event dating back over forty years and attracts large crowds as well as plenty of entrants- up to 90 teams can take part. Each year has a different theme which helps participants to dress appropriately!

Helpful Hints

In 2024 it should be on Saturday 8th June.

Entries should be made before 28th February (see website link).

The streets get very full for the parade – though they were a little less busy towards the castle area when I went in 2016 and you can view the decorated beds in the Castle grounds before they set off. If you want to see the river crossing, head off straight after the parade to get a good view from Conygham Hall Park , which is also where the race starts and finishes.

A free park-and-ride service operates around town (see website link for details).

Click here for the Facebook page: http://www.bedrace.co.uk