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Page 1 - Bed Race photos
Page 2 - Chili Cookoff photos

The Sunol Bed Race and Chili Cook-off takes place on a Sunday in early October in the park just east of the Niles Canyon Railway depot.
The photos here were taken on October 5th, 2003.
Note that their has not been a bed race since the 2003 event shown here.
The Sunol Country Festival takes place in early October, but does not include the bed races.

Admission is free to the event.  Chili tasting is $8, which gets you a score card, and tasting at the 20 or so booths.
Many of the chili booths are fairly elaborate (see photos here).

The bed races started at 12:00 noon, with the second round at 1:30, and a third round at 2:45.  The photos below were from the second round.  Two beds race against each other, with one person on the bed, and 4 others providing the horsepower, one at each corner.  The bed must go about 200 feet or so, at which time the rider must do something such as blow up a balloon or get a water bottle.  They then head back down to the start/finish line.

There were also two jumpers for the kids, and lots of food available.

The Pit area, with 4 of the beds ready to race.

The start of one of the heats

One team has a bit of a spill on the return trip.

Heading down the final stretch.