Knaresborough Lions have chosen ‘Yorkshire’ as the theme for the 2019 Great Knaresborough Bed Race, the club has announced. Team will be invited to celebrate everything that Yorkshire has contributed to the world in general and to the good folk of ‘God’s county’ in particular.
The 2019 Great Knaresborough Bed Race will be staged on 8 June, the second Saturday in the month as always. This will be the 54th running of this spectacular event, part fancy dress carnival, part gruelling athletics contest, which has never called off come hell or high water in the River Nidd.
Richard Hall, chairman of the Lions’ organising committee:
Bed Race is massively popular and looms large in the calendar of the whole county. It attracts competitors and spectators from around Yorkshire and is a red-letter day for Knaresborough itself.
The two parts of the event – the dressing of the beds in the theme and the time trials around the scenically outstanding 2.4-mile course – makes this race the very special event that it is.
In announcing ‘Yorkshire’ as the 2019 theme we are marking how Bed Race typifies those Yorkshire traits of grit and eccentricity, sporting endeavour and a love of cross-dressing.
At the same time, being the largest county by far, we hope the creators of the bed designs will cast their imaginations far and wide to come up with original and witty interpretations of the theme. When it comes to the parade down the High Street, diversity is king.
The Great Knaresborough Bed Race is an event staged by volunteers from the Lions club to raise funds for charities and community needs.
Apart from the 90 teams of six runners and a passenger which take part, 300 local people help with organisation on the day.
The event attracts 30,000 spectators each year and garners TV coverage around the world. It has spawned events in many other countries and the Knaresborough Lions have done much to foster the spreading of the event.
Entry forms for the teams will appear from 1 January 2019 on the event website www.bedrace.co.uk, and have to be filled in and returned to the Lions club before the end of February.
Winners of various key categories in the 2018 Great Knaresborough Bed Race were:
- Fastest Team GH Brooks
- Fastest Female Team Ripon Runners Girls
- Fastest non-club Male The Half Moon
- Fastest non-club Female Welly Wheelettes
- Fastest New Team Ripon Fire Station
- Fastest Mixed Team Flying Pullman
- Fastest Male Juniors Tewit Youth Band / JP’s Mini Disciples
- Fastest Female Juniors Scotton Scorchers
- Fastest Mixed Juniors Welly Wheelies
- Best Dressed Bed 1st Scriven Scouts
- Most Entertaining Team Knaresborough Silver Band
- Outstanding Contribution Raynet
