Three weeks today, Knaresborough will play host to one of the finest examples of community eccentricity to be found anywhere in England, or possibly the world. 

Two years ago, a Chinese TV crew came to capture the madness, and last year, French filmmakers came to record it for a documentary. 

The 57th Great Knaresborough Bed Race will see 90 teams of six runners hurtle around a 2.4-mile course, each pushing a metal trolley – the ‘bed’ – with a (lightweight) passenger on it, watched by cheering crowds at least 30,000 strong. 

The route takes the runners up hills, over cobbles, down hills, and through the deep River Nidd in a mass display of energy, guts and camaraderie rarely seen outside the armed forces. 

But while adjectives such as “crazy”, “whacky” and “madcap” are often used to describe the race – which follows a parade of the beds through town, all “dressed” according to the year’s theme – the event is actually the product of months of planning, with volunteers, contractors, the council and police all coordinated with precision by the chairman of Knaresborough Lions, who organise the whole thing. Meet Martin Brock. 

A Cornish ‘transplant’ who works in a desk job in financial market research, Martin first ran the Bed Race in 2011, before he even lived in Knaresborough. Smitten, he joined the joined Knaresborough Lions in 2014 and became chairman – a non-running post – in 2015. He’s been ensuring it all goes smoothly ever since. He says: 

In fact, it would be disastrous if he did try to run it – rather like the captain of a cruise ship leaving the bridge to play quoits with the passengers. There’s a lot happening on the day and it all needs to be overseen. 

Martin says: 

As far as the planning is concerned, the starting gun for the Bed Race – this year on Saturday, June 8 – is effectively fired the previous July. That’s when Martin and his team had their “wash-up meeting”, to assess how last summer’s event went, and what should be done differently the next time. 

He says: 

The Bed Race is expensive to put on – it costs about £50,000 to hold the one-day event – so sponsors also need to be found, although many are “repeat customers”.

This year, they include: Knaresborough Town Council; Yorkshire Tea; Stockeld Park; Hymas Bulk Haulage Specialists; The Inn Collection; Piccadilly Motors, which lends a safety car for the day; HACS Group, which provides all the infrastructure – the cabins, barriers, bins and toilets – at a discounted rate; and building supplies firm GH Brooks, which for the last four years has supplied, or at least sponsored, the winning men’s team. 

The Bed Race planners move up a gear in the winter. Martin says: 

The Bed Race website goes live on January 1, and entries are then open for a couple of months. This year, 106 teams applied for 90 places, so as usual, there had to be a draw. Last year’s winner gets an automatic slot, but all the others – even the elite teams – have to cross their fingers and hope they’re not among the unlucky 16. 

As if to prove the impartiality of the process, a few years ago, home team the Knaresborough Striders – Martin's running club – failed to win a spot, despite consistently being one of the best teams in contention. 

This year, the Striders are hoping to break the stranglehold of the GH Brooks team, who have won it four years on the trot, but there’s also stiff competition from Nidd Valley Road Runners. Despite the fact that GH Brooks look unbeatable, in the Bed Race anything can happen. Last year, Knaresborough Striders suffered a technical malfunction – a wheel seized up – which scuppered their chances of a podium finish. If that happens to GH Brooks this year, the race could be blown wide open. 

But it’s not all about the top teams. Most of the others take part for the fun of it, including one from the US base at RAF Menwith Hill, who come every year. Martin says: 

Once the teams have been drawn, the programme is put together and off to the printers by the end of March, and there follow three months of near-continuous activity on the part of Martin and his team. 

He says: 

To add to his workload, the national Lions Club body was this year unable to provide insurance for the Bed Race, as it usually does for all Lions Club events nationwide. That meant that Martin had to find an alternative provider – and pay for it. He says: 

Fortunately, not everything costs. Martin is at the head of about 40 Lions Club members, who help with every aspect of the race – from marshalling to clearing up litter afterwards – and they are joined by more volunteers on the day, including the divers from Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association and the radio specialists from Raynet UK. 

In May, there are safety briefings for participants, and more briefings for the marshals. Then, the next really big day will be June 7, when Martin and his growing army of willing helpers start setting everything up. 



Then, on Bed Race day, Market Place is closed off at 10 o’clock, followed by the High Street at midday. Martin says: 

Permission to close roads was sought last year, and the police keep a watchful eye over events, but ultimately, Martin is in charge. He says: 

Communication is particularly important. There will be 60 radio-holders around the town, and if anything major happens – as it did last year when someone collapsed from heat-stroke on the High Street and the parade had to be stopped – they will all find out about it and act accordingly. 

Martin says: 

The whole event – the culmination of nearly a year of planning – takes place between 9am, when the first beds start to gather in the castle grounds, and 6pm, when Martin and his army aim to have the prizes presented, the roads reopened, the crowds dispersed, and – hopefully – the litter cleared up. Over nine months of preparations for nine hours of mayhem. But for the organisers – no matter how much effort it takes – it’s all worth it. Martin says: 

Read more:

• Lions announce theme for Knaresborough Bed Race 2024


• Bed race and beer festival success lead to grants in Knaresborough


• Knaresborough's king of the bed race celebrates win number 12