Preston Bed Races are a Big Hit

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Story Published: Nov 24, 2007 at 10:17 PM MDT

Story Updated: Nov 7, 2008 at 1:15 PM MDT

By Jeff Robinson

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You've probably seen a lot of extreme sports at the X-Games but tonight we're bringing you one more extreme than that: Imagine racing down your town's main drag while laying on a bed and wearing a nightgown.

That was the scene in Preston this afternoon as hundreds of people crowded State Street to watch five teams square off in bed racing.

You heard it right. These folks are out here for the annual bed race that happens every holiday season right here in Preston. Here's how it works:

"Two pushing teams, four people, then two riders, so they start out, put the pajamas on, the helmet on, the bed sheet on," said Tom Campbell, with the Franklin County Medical Center team.

"Then the runners have to run down to the midsection, then they switch over. They switch over night gowns, switch over helmets, we change the bed, and then we finish running all the way down," said Lance Wolfley, with the Groll Family Fitness team.

The defending champ was the Franklin County Medical Center team, who squared off in the finals against Groll Family Fitness in a tight finish. The winners?

"Groll Family Fitness! Congratulations, guys!"

An upset victory!

"First time we won! We've come in second twice," said Wolfley. "It was a good show."

The sport may look simple enough, but believe it or not there's some strategy involved.

Campbell: "The first leg is a little longer than the second leg, so the key is to get it on the second leg."

The winning team took home a cash prize of $150, but the medical center team at least got a little consolation prize.

Campbell: "Wooo! Big money!"

And they were only a little sore about being ousted as the champion.

"The last two years, we've won," said Campbell. "They had a great race, they ran really well. It was fun."

The fun continued in Preston this evening with the annual Festival of Lights parade.

Several local groups entered Christmas-themed floats.

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