International TV crews to fly in for famous Harrogate district event as excitement builds for Bed Race

Held every year since 1966, The Great Knaresborough Bed Race attracts huge crowds of thousands of people packed into its narrow, cobbled streets.

Organised by the volunteer Knaresborough Lions Club to raise funds for local charities and good causes, the race featuring 90 teams of six runners and a passenger speeding on a bed round the town and across the river Nidd has built up a reputation well beyond its home town.

Taking place on Saturday, June 10, this year’s spectacular event is set to reach a wider audience than just North Yorkshire or, even, the UK.

Following on from coverage of the race being screened on Chinese national television in 2022, organisers Knaresborough Lions were contacted by French TV station TV3 who are planning to send a crew to this year’s event.

The channel features a travel show called Faut pas rêver and it was felt that the madcap nature of the day and the area’s beautiful scenery would make a winning combination for French viewers, as they follow two teams in the build up to the event and on the day itself.

Bed Race President Martin Brock said: ‘When we asked the teams if they would interested in helping out, we instantly had half a dozen volunteers which was no surprise as we know how brilliant our participants are.

"The publicity for the event, the Lions and the town will be amazing and I am looking forward to practising my French, too, although I hope they don’t struggle too much with my accent!”

The growing international fame of Knaresborough Bed Race does not end there.

Dutch website Cool Britannia is writing about the event to encourage more visitors from the Netherlands to visit the area.

Expect the occasional “Goededag!” or “Bonjour!” among Bed Race crowds this year, as well as “Ey Up!”

Watch the fancy dress parade through town from 1pm and the Bed Race from 3pm.

For full details of all bed race happenings, visit: www.bedrace.co.uk