Dangerous Isle of Man Motorcycle Race Approaches and Will Test its Risk Taking Participants

One of the most dangerous motorcycle races in the world is coming up at the end of May — and one Montreal man, Dan Kruger, will be competing in it. He will be the first Canadian to take part in the race, known as the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, in over a decade.

Most motorcycle races are about three miles long. The Isle of Man TT, however, is about 37 miles long and runs through the mountains on the island, which is located between the UK and Ireland. During the race, competitors travel at speeds of about 125 miles per hour as they go up steep hills and zoom around sharp corners. The event spans a period of about two weeks, beginning May 24. This period includes varying qualifying laps and races.

The race is now 107 years old, and has so far claimed 240 lives. It typically draws crowds of over 100,000 people from around the globe. Although the risk level is relatively high for injury and even death, Kruger is looking forward to the journey, and sees the track’s risk as part of its appeal. “It’s the adrenaline, it’s the challenge, it’s a very personal sport,” he explained to CTV this past week. Kruger himself is still recovering from a fractured pelvis that occurred this past September during a race in China.

The race is so dangerous that all participants are required to wear dog tags explaining basic information like name, allergies and blood type so that if something goes wrong, help is swift. According to William Dunlop, a North Irish racer, this event is one of the most important ones for the motorcycle racing community. “Our whole season builds around it. This is the one that everyone wants to win and it’s such a big event worldwide,” he explained in Men’s Journal.