OATMAN — Two hours before the first heat of the Great Bed Races, Route 66 through Oatman was already packed with visitors staking out spots for one of the town’s most beloved and quirky traditions.
Local business owner and Chamber of Commerce member Leanne Toohey said the event dates back more than three decades, created as a way to draw visitors during what was once a slow winter season.
“About 36 years ago, they started this to remind people we’re here,” Toohey said. “People think it’s cold up here in the winter, but obviously it’s not. The weather is beautiful, and this brings people out.”
What began as a competition where teams built their own rolling beds has evolved into a city‑supplied setup, but the rules — and the chaos — remain the same. Each team fields five members: four pushers and one “sheet jockey” who must stay on the bed for the entire run.
“You run to where the bed is and you have to make the bed,” Toohey explained. “Each pusher has to put a pillow cover on a pillow, which is usually where people have trouble. You’re trying to get that pillow cover on that your mom always did for you, and you don’t know how to do it, and then turn around and come back.”
Between heats, a volunteer quickly un-makes the bed for the next team — a locals joke is that he is a hotel room‑service dropout.
For some visitors, the race becomes more than a spectator sport. Derek Nickell and his family were simply passing through when they found themselves recruited to fill out the roster.
“We were cruising down 66 with my family and stopped in Oatman,” Nickell said. “Grandparents told us the bed races were going on, so we came down to watch. Didn’t think we were going to end up participating, but they needed more teams, so we had to sign up.”
Suddenly at the starting line, Nickell said nerves gave way to excitement.
“When they called our names, I was real nervous, but it was a lot of fun,” he said. “We had my little sister on the bed. She was nervous too — I don’t know why, because she just got to sit there. We had to push and make this bed. We thought it was such a good time and more people should come out and watch. It’s a pretty good show.”
The Nickell family completed the course in 1 minute, 11 seconds. The day’s top time — a swift 59 seconds — went to a team calling itself “Minnesota Day Care”.
With crowds lining the street and laughter echoing between the old storefronts, the annual event once again delivered exactly what Oatman hoped for when it began nearly four decades ago: a lively winter day on Route 66.
