Isle of Man TT 2026: Race Week on the Mountain Course
115th edition – 60,7 km of public road, five classes, 17-minute laps
Today marks day 2 of the 115th Isle of Man TT. Until 6 June, the Mountain Course belongs to the motorcycles. What makes the Tourist Trophy the toughest route in the world – and who is racing this year.
Yesterday, on Bank Holiday Monday, the starting signal was given. Until 29 May, the route is still reserved for qualifying, before Race Week begins on Saturday, 30 May, with the first Superbike race. The Isle of Man TT is not just any motorcycle event. It is the last race of its kind – on public roads, without runoff areas, with stone walls, kerbs and houses serving as track boundaries.
The route: 60,7 km of public road
The Snaefell Mountain Course runs right across the north of the island. 37,73 miles or 60,725 km. Over 200 recorded corners, almost 400 metres of elevation difference. The starting point is Douglas, then it goes via Glen Vine to Ramsey, up Snaefell and back.
The current lap record has stood at 16:36,115 minutes since 2023 – set by Peter Hickman on a BMW M 1000 RR in Superstock spec. Average speed over a complete lap: 219,4 km/h. Top speeds beyond 330 km/h. Watching onboard videos helps put it into perspective. Putting on a helmet is optional.
The 2026 timetable
- 25–29 May: Qualifying week, evening sessions
- Sat, 30 May: Opening of Race Week, first Superbike race
- 31 May – 5 June: Races in the Superstock, Supersport, Sportsbike and Sidecar classes (two races each)
- Sat, 6 June: Senior TT as the traditional finale
New this year: the old Supertwin class is being replaced by a more open Sportsbike class. Older Supertwin machines remain eligible to start, but the regulations are broader. The organiser has also scheduled more rest days and weather buffers – a lesson from 2025, when wind and rain cost half of Race Weeks.
The TT is broadcast in full via the TT+ Live Pass (23,99 GBP for the entire two weeks, qualifying and races).
The riders in 2026
- Michael Dunlop – 29 TT wins, more than anyone else in history, having surpassed his uncle Joey's record in 2024. Moves to a Ducati Panigale V4 R in the Superbike class in 2026.
- Peter Hickman – lap record holder, returns after an injury break in 2025. On a BMW M 1000 RR, with the new 8TEN Racing Team, which he and Davey Todd founded in 2025.
- John McGuinness – starting 30 years after his TT debut, with race number 1 for Honda.
- Dean Harrison – third last year, rides for Honda.
- Davey Todd – last year's winner, ruled out in 2026 after a serious crash at the Daytona 200.
BMW and the TT
BMW's TT history begins in 1939. Georg Meier wins the Senior TT as the first non-British rider, on a supercharged RS 255. The next major success follows in 1976: Helmut Dähne and Hans-Otto Butenuth take the 1.000-ccm Production Class on an R 90 S.
The modern era with the S 1000 RR and later the M 1000 RR has also gone well. Michael Dunlop made his breakthrough in the 1.000 class in 2014, while Hickman took Superbike, Superstock and Senior TT in one week in 2022. Then came the aforementioned lap record in 2023. In 2025, Davey Todd took the Superbike win on the M 1000 RR, with Dunlop finishing second – also on a BMW.
A special model to mark the anniversary
Four days before the start of Race Week, BMW Motorrad presented the M 1000 RR Limited Edition Isle of Man TT. 115 examples, one for each edition. It is based on the M 1000 RR with the M Competition package, technically unchanged.
The visual reference is clearer: sections of the Mountain Course are applied to the fairing – left-hand corners on the left, right-hand corners on the right. The route itself serves as an asymmetrical design element. Finished in British Racing Green Uni Matt, with a Satin Chrom aluminium tank, black Alcantara seat, carbon airbox cover with TT logo and Mountain Course outline, consecutively engraved numbering on the top yoke, and a certificate of authenticity.
According to dealer information, the list price is in the region of 49.900 Euro.
Conclusion
The TT remains the race that every motorcyclist should see live once. Not primarily because of the top speeds, but because of the atmosphere – an entire island population takes two weeks off so that the world's top riders can battle for 17-minute laps on its roads. The special model is an honest gesture towards this history: the 115/115 count fits, and the graphic featuring the route's real corners has substance. If you cannot make it live, you can watch it on TT+ – I'll be watching at night.
