Isle of Man's Southern 100 racing set to begin

Road racing fans and competitors are gearing up for the year's feature event on the Isle of Man's southern circuit.

The Southern 100 road races attract an impressive line-up of road racing greats each year, including all-time TT champion Michael Dunlop.

Known as "the friendly races", the event takes place on the 4.25-mile (6.8km) Billown Course from Monday to Thursday.

The course starts along the A28 Bypass Road in Castletown, turning on to the Douglas Road, travelling onto Malew Road on the A3 at Cross Four Ways, before rejoining the Bypass Road.

Monday: 18:00 BST – 21:40

Tuesday: 18:00 – 21:40

Wednesday: 09:45 – 11:50 & 18:00 – 21:40

Thursday: 09:30 – 12:45 & 13:30 – 16:45

Organisers have 15 races to fit in, including B races for those in the 600cc class that do not make the cut for the class's main races.

In a change to the original plan, following the exclusion of the modern sidecars from the event, 2026 will see classic outfits take to the circuit instead.

Monday and Tuesday are dedicated to practice and qualifying, with Wednesday morning's session split between practice and the first race.

Racing continues in Wednesday's evening session and throughout the remainder of the event.

The event attracts many of the top riders in road racing, including all-time TT race win record holder Michael Dunlop and current Senior TT champion Dean Harrison.

A notable new name this year is 14-time TT winner Peter Hickman, who is making his debut on the Billown Circuit.

However, reigning Southern 100 Solo Champion, Davey Todd, who took the title for the third time in 2025, is out due to injury.

But there is considerable home interest on the starting grid, with Conor Cummins Michael Evans, Joe Yeardsley and Nathan Harrison all set to compete.

As well as grandstand seating at locations alongside the course, and plenty of places to spectate from the hedgerows, the action will be streamed on a big screen in the centre of Castletown.

A dedicated fanzone will once again be in place in Market Square, with live entertainment and rider interviews on the stage outside of race times.

The space will be open between 10:00 and 23:00 each day, with a slightly earlier start time of 09:30 on the final day.

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