April 26, 2014. Louisville, KY. – The Kentucky Derby Festival is changing the course of this year’s Great Bed Races set for Monday, April 28 at Broadbent Arena. The new course is a figure 8, adding a new challenge for the competing teams. For the serious bed racers, the Festival is also adding chip timing, similar to the electronic timing used for the Festival’s Marathon/miniMarathon. Timing begins as each team crosses the start line and stops once they finish.
The theme of the 25th annual event is “Call of the Wild,” and to match the theme, competitors are encouraged to decorate their beds and wear costumes. The dormitory area will be staged outside Broadbent Arena and will open at 11:30 a.m. for participant tailgating and a complete fun-filled day. The participating teams will have an opportunity to showcase their costumes and bed in a pre-race parade around the racing surface, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The first heat begins at 7 p.m. Admission is a 2014 Pegasus Pin.
The races feature two 600-feet divisions – the Fun Division and the Champions Division. While the Fun Division is just what its name implies, the Champions Division is for serious racers. This year, the Curtain Call Photo Booth team returns to defend their title after winning the event for the last five consecutive years.
The teams race their decorated beds on wheels, competing for prizes for fastest times and most outrageous costumes and decorations. Prizes will be awarded to the teams with the three fastest times, as well as awards for the “Cone Eater,” “Best Decorated Bed,” and “Most Entertaining.” Winners will also be invited to appear in the Pegasus Parade on Thursday, May 1.
| PRESS NOTE: The event is broadcast on NBC-affiliate WAVE 3 TV. News crews from other affiliates will be accommodated for news coverage of the event. Live coverage will be permitted in the bed assembly area outside Broadbent Arena for 11:30, Noon, 4, 5, 5:30 and 6 p.m. newscasts. |
Contributing sponsors are: AAA East Central, Mattress & More and 107.7 The Eagle. Broadcast special on WAVE 3 TV.
Since 1956, the Derby Festival has worked to bring the community together in celebration. The Festival is an independent community organization supported by 4,000 volunteers, 400 businesses and civic groups, Pegasus Pin sponsorships and event participation. This involvement has made the Festival the largest single attended event in Kentucky and one of the leading community celebrations in the world.
