2021 Isle of Man TT motorcycle race canceled due to COVID-19

The Isle of Man TT, one of the world’s great motorsports events, is canceled for 2021. The announcement came today from the motorcycle race’s organizers and Isle of Man government, the decision made due to concerns concerning the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The event was scheduled to occur from May 29 to June 11, 2021 but the organizers do not have certainty that the novel coronavirus health crisis will be resolved at that time. Though there’s still six months before the race, they named it early to reduce disruption of departure date.

“The TT relies on a large number of volunteers and officials across a wide range of organizations, and we couldn't move responsibly towards operating to that date and invest in welcoming tens of thousands of people to the Island in June, regardless of the progress towards a vaccination program globally as well as on the Island,” said Laurence Skelly, Minister from the Isle of Man’s Department for Enterprise in a statement.

According to organizers, the race requires 500 marshals to handle the program, and that’s only a small slice of the logistic ballet required to keep your 37-mile race operating (somewhat) safely. The cancellation also factored the health of teams, fans, and local businesses. Currently the Isle of Man isn't allowing any non-resident visitors, and it’s unclear when that ban is going to be lifted. The virus has seen a spike in recent weeks, and it’s unclear when a vaccine, currently under development, would roll out to the isle.

The 2021 running was canceled because of the pandemic as well, making it two consecutive years that the race will not be held. However, that’s not the first hiatus for the historic race, which was first held in 1907. The Isle of individual TT was canceled from 1915-1919 due to The first world war, meaning it also didn’t suffer from the last large-scale global pandemic, the so-called Spanish Flu of 1918. It paused again for eight years, from 1939-47 during The second world war.

A ultimate decision has not been made for the affiliated events of the Classic TT and Manx Grand Prix, scheduled for August 21 to September 3. The organizers say they'll know through the spring of 2021. As of this moment, the following Isle of Man TT race is scheduled for May 28 to Saturday June 11, 2022. For more details, the race provides an FAQ about the cancellation.