Few places in the world are as revered as the Isle of Man. A dependency of the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man is renowned all over the world among gearheads for not having any speed limits, which sort of makes it the Mecca of those looking for the thrill of speed on the road. Then comes the Isle of Man Time Trial, a single road racing event that has made the Isle of Man the most revered two-wheeler race across the globe.

A timed trial, this annual motorcycle race sees the bravest and most fearless competitors riding their bikes, sending them through the narrow winding roads of the island at breakneck speeds. This is not an event that is safe for anyone involved, be it the riders, or the spectators, as they watch the bikes whizz by inches away from them, with no safety barriers anywhere along the entire length of the race. While danger is an element in all of motorsport, it is never as unrivaled as it is during the Isle of Man TT, which is also what sets this race apart from any other on the face of the planet.

Twenty riders come to the small Irish Sea island every year to compete in the most thrilling motorcycle race of all, sending their bikes through mountainous, winding roads lined by buildings and houses all over. Merely competing in the Isle of Man TT is an act of death-defying bravery, and to try and push harder to cross the finish line with a win is something different altogether. Here are ten absolutely ridiculous facts about the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy time trial event.

10 It Used To Be A Part Of MotoGP

Mick Grant racing in the 11982 Isle of Man TT on his Suzuki X69.

Consisting of a week of practice sessions on the Isle of Man followed by another full week of flat-out racing, the Isle of Man TT even started in 1907. However, it was 42 years later that the even became a part of the FIM Motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship in 1949, or what it is now better known as MotoGP.

VIa - BMWMotorradMotorsport

The Isle of Man TT remained a part of the championship for 27 years until 1976, and until then, any Grand Prix rider who wanted to keep their championship hopes alive had to race down the long course for the essential points that the Isle of Man TT time trial provided to their tally.

9 The Isle of Man TT Began As A 15-Mile Race

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In its early years, the Isle of Man TT event began in 1907 as a 150-mile time trial. Held on the St John's Short Course of 15 miles, riders sent their motorcycles over ten grueling laps, short being, of course, a relative description of the course. The course had almost 50 turns, and was actually close to 16 miles in length, at 15.85 miles.

Courtesy Bike Bandit

The St John's Short Course lasted only four years before the Isle of Man TT event switched over to the newer course in 1911, which is still used to this day annually for the road-racing event. The fastest lap time that the short 15-mile course saw in its four years of being used was 17 minutes and 51 seconds.

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8 Today, The Race Is 37 Miles Long

Isle of Man TT Crowd
via: Isle of Man TT Races

In 1911, the Isle of Man TT event switched its course from the 15-mile St John's Short Course to the Snaefell Mountain Course, which was over twice the length of the former. At 37.3 miles in length, the Snaefell Mountain course is extremely long by any motorsport standards. To put things into perspective, the longest MotoGP track is the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia, at just 3.47 miles.

Via:TechRadar

With no less than 219 turns, the Snaefell Mountain Course has been used for the Isle of Man TT event for 111 years now, and even boasts an incredible elevation of 1300 feet from sea level. Riders complete six laps of the Snaefell Mountain course as opposed to the ten laps, doing around 370 miles for the time trial event. The fastest lap time set here is 16 minutes and 42 seconds, which is less than the fastest time set on the older course half its length!

7 Every Racer Since 1977 Races Willingly

A sidecar motorbike at the isle Of Man TT
Via: Iomttraces.com

From 1949 to 1977, the Isle of Man TT event was a part of MotoGP, which meant that the competition, despite being the most dangerous course in all of motorsport, held crucial points for anyone contending to lift the championship. However, in 1977, when the Grand Prix moved onto the British mainland, it meant that riders were no longer obligated to race in the TT if they didn't want to.

Isle of Man TT
Via: Isle of Man TT (Twitter)

What this then means is that every competitor who has taken to the Isle of Man TT course since 1977, whether they won, lost, crashed, or even died, has done so willingly, in pursuit not of points, but glory and victory on the most dangerous race in the world. Each competitor has put aside their innate sense of self-preservation as they've chosen to send their bikes at upwards of 200 mph on the tight island roads.

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6 Over 250 Riders Have Died At The Isle of Man TT

Guy Martin's Isle of Man TT Crash
via Youtube

It is no secret that the Isle of Man TT is not only the most dangerous motorcycle race in the world but also the most tragedy-laden. Since its inception, the TT has only ever been canceled during the two World Wars and once in 2001 to prevent the UK's foot and mouth outbreak from reaching the small island. Throughout its 115-year history, the Isle of Man TT has seen a staggering number of riders die on the course.

Isle-of-Man-TT-Marshal-1
ukclubsport.com

Since 1907, 265 riders have lost their lives racing on the course, and the casualties rise to 280 when bystanders and race officials are counted as well. The TT is without a doubt the most dangerous race, with an average of more than 2 deaths every year, despite the rising levels of safety standards for the competition.

5 It Is The Oldest Motorcycle Race In The World

via isleofmanbydrone.com

There aren't a lot of motorsport events left today from the early years, so purists would love to preserve every such race. The Isle of Man TT is, in fact, the oldest motorcycle race in the world today, being over a century old at 115 years. It remains a tradition that the motorcycle community across the world is ardent about preserving, despite the casualties and dangers associated with it.

Via - Silodrome

The Snaefell Mountain Course has been used by manufacturers from all over the world for testing their machinery as well over the years. For 115 years, the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy has united high-octane adrenaline junkies with fun-loving bikers, as the entire world comes to catch a glimpse of super-duty bikes going over 200 mph as they whizz past them.

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4 Spectators Are Allowed To Race On The Course Too

Isle of Man TT Mad Sunday
 via Pinterest

The Isle of Man TT is a two-week event, with the first week dedicated to practices on the course, and the second week for the racing. Smack dab in the middle of these two weeks falls Mad Sunday, a tradition that was started in the early 1920s, where spectators can take to the course as well!

Isle of Man TT
via MotoNetworks

Mad Sunday is an informal and unsanctioned event where spectators and other non-racing tourists take to the Snaefell Mountain Course on their motorcycles and run the entire length of the course. Sadly, it seems that the informal tradition of Mad Sunday is now coming to an end, with the racing to begin on Sunday itself instead of Monday.

3 Isle of Man TT's Most Decorated Family Lost Three Riders To Road Racing

60._Joey_Dunlop_750cc_Honda_1990
via: Belfast Telegraph

The Isle of Man TT is dominated by Northern Irishmen, but there is one family that stands out from the rest throughout the event's history. It starts with Joey Dunlop, whose name is almost synonymous with the Isle of Man TT today. Joey was the most decorated TT winner ever with a staggering 26 victories to his name. Sadly, he died road racing, and so did his brother, Robert Dunlop.

PACEMAKER, BELFAST, 20/2/2017: Michael Dunlop with the Bennetts Suzuki GSXR superbike at Mallory Park that he will race on the roads in 2017. PICTURE BY STEPHEN DAVISON
Motorcycles.News

If that wasn't enough tragedy to befall the Dunlop family, Robert Dunlop's son William, too, died road racing. Michael Dunlop, William's brother, is also a decorated TT rider, with 19 victories to his name, as he sits 3rd on the all-time list. Michael soldiered on when his father passed away, going on to win a road race just days later, and he also continued to race after his brother William's passing in 2018 as well.

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2 5 Riders Have Died This Year In 2022 Alone At The Isle of Man TT

Davy Morgan
 via WebBikeWorld

For the oldest motorcycle race in the world, tradition is sacred. Sadly, it can't be argued that fatalities in the Isle of Man TT event have also become somewhat of a tradition, with 265 riders meeting their maker during the event's 115-year history. Since 1937, there was only one TT event that ran its two-week course without a single death. In fact, in June 2022's Isle of Man TT event alone, five riders lost their lives.

Mark Purslow
via BikeSportNews

This year's casualties began with Welsh rider Mark Purslow dying during qualifying, followed by 4 more deaths over the race week, including TT veteran Davy Morgan. Perhaps the most gruesome death was that of Cesar Chanal, whose body took days to be recognized. Officials had mistaken his partner to be deceased and informed his family, before then having to rectify their mistake and inform Cesar's family of his accident.

1 Isle Of Man TT Riders Are Almost All Amateurs

Via IOMTT Shop

While the MotoGP riders are ones we are well-versed with, who dedicate every living minute of their time to training and practice, the same cannot be said for the Isle of Man TT riders. Unlike Formula One or MotoGP riders whose lives revolve around nothing but the racetrack, TT riders are almost totally amateur.

Via - Independant

Even the most successful riders happen to have real jobs they hold for the rest of the year or at least some of the time. This only goes to show how these riders on the TT grid choose to risk their lives out of nothing but their love for the thrill and racing, and not because they have big-time sponsors or teams and organizations behind them.