Taking the bed for a spin

A colourful race of self-made beds draws thousands of spectators at an annual German event.

Taking part in Fredersdorf, southeast of Berlin, this is the 20th "Bettenrennen" (bed race).

Dressed as storks, playboy bunnies and chickens, participants raced past some 5,000 spectators in colourfully made beds, some of which reminded onlookers of everything but a bed.

The only criteria necessary to race were that beds had to be "fast, crazy and original."