Teams urged not to miss deadline to enter Knaresborough Bed Race which attracted 30,000 people last time

Teams wishing to take part in the 2023 Great Knaresborough Bed Race have just days left to get their applications in, say event organisers, the Knaresborough Lions Club.

The Great Knaresborough Bed Race has been a major sporting and community attraction in North Yorkshire since 1966.

After 60 years it continues to draws in thousands of spectators.

Last year saw the community event attract one of its biggest-ever crowds, estimated at more than 30,000 people.

But there is a strong reminder for team hoping to line up on June 10.

“The closing date for the 2023 event is the 28th of February,” said Martin Brock,chairman of this year’s Knaresborough Bed Race.

“We have to pull down the shutters on entry to be fair to those who have already entered and to enable all teams – and ourselves – sufficient time to get ready fir the big day.

“As usual, the maximum race field will be 90 teams.

"We need to keep to this because of capacity issues both at the start of the Parade at Knaresborough Castle, and where the race itself starts and finishes at Conyngham Hall field.

"If we have more entries than places, a lottery will be held in public in March,” Martin added.

The Great Knaresborough Bed Race is organised by volunteers from the Knaresborough Lions Club to raise vital money for charity and good community causes.

“Last year’s race was the first held since 2019 because of the pandemic and the cash surplus generated for charity was lower than in previous years,” said Martin Brock.

"But the signs look encouraging for this year and the Knaresborough Town Council has generously stepped in with a grant to help us with one of the major costs, traffic management.”

The theme for this year’s Bed Race is ‘That’s Entertainment’.

To access the Bed Race entry form, teams should go to the dedicated bed race website, www.bedrace.co.uk.

More information on Knaresborough Lions Club is available at www.knaresboroughlions.org.