Bed Racing is a much-loved annual past time in Knaresborough, combining as it does a gruelling athletic contest with a spectacular fancy dress parade of decorated beds and runners. It has been held annually on the second Saturday in June since 1966, missing two years of the pandemic. Set in the scenic and hilly terrain of Knaresborough, the Bed Race is held over a 2.4 mile course, through leafy parkland, up and down vertiginous climbs and decent, through the Nidd Gorge, across cobbled streets and culminating in a swim through the ever icy waters of the River Nidd. 90 teams of six runners and a passenger (preferably light, young and buoyant) take part; hundreds more participate in the Parade and tens of thousands come to watch. All organised by volunteers to raise money for local good causes. What's not to like!