FIM Sand Races World Championship
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The FIM Sand Races World Championship is the world championship series for beach racing, a variant of off-road motorcycle racing.
FIM Sand Races World Championship logo | |
| Category | Motorcycle racing |
|---|---|
| Region | International |
| Inaugural season | 2025 |
| Official website | FIM Sand Races World Championship |
Rounds of the series are mass-start, mass-participation events taking place on beaches or in other sandy coastal areas.
The series originated as an FIM-sanctioned World Cup, held in 2023 and 2024, before being upgraded to a full FIM World Championship for 2025 onwards. Famous events such as the Enduropale du Touquet and the Enduro del Verano in Argentina have formed part of the series since its inception.
History
In October 2022 the FIM in conjunction with the French, Portuguese and Argentinian Motorcycling Federations announced the launch of a new FIM Sand Races World Cup series starting in 2023.[1]
2023
The inaugural season consisted of three events:[1]
| Round | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3–5 February | |
| 2 | 24–26 February | |
| 3 | 17–19 November | |
36 riders contested the series[2] and the Cup was won by British rider Todd Kellett.[3]
2024
The calendar was expanded to 6 events for 2024:
| Round | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2–4 February | |
| 2 | 23–25 February | |
| 3 | 26-27 October | |
| 4 | 1-3 November | |
| 5 | 22–24 November | |
| 6 | 30 November–1 December | |
The 4th round was initially scheduled to be the Weston Beach Race on 12–13 October.[4] This was later changed to the Ronde des Sables de Loon Plage on 26-27 October.[5]
Kellett was able to successfully defend his title in the 2024 season by winning every round.[6] 48 riders competed.[7]
2025
Ahead of the 2025 season, the FIM announced that the series would be upgraded to full FIM World Championship status from that season onwards.[8] A provisional calendar was released on 16 January 2025.[9] The championship was contested over six rounds in Western Europe and Argentina.
| Round | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8–9 February | |
| 2 | 29–31 August | |
| 3 | 24–26 October | |
| 4 | 21-23 November | |
| 5 | 29–30 November | |
| 6 | 13–15 February 2026[10] |
Todd Kellet won the championship, winning every round but one.[11]
2026/2027
The calendar for the 2026/2027 season was announced on 5 March 2026. The number of rounds was reduced to five to reduce logistical costs and encourage participation. A new race, the Morocco Sand Race to be held at Mazagan (El Jadida), opens the season.[12]
Championship
Classes
The FIM Sand Races World Championship includes the following categories and classes:[13]
- Sand Races World Championship - Motorcycles
- Sand Races World Cup - Veterans
- Sand Races World Cup - Women
- Sand Races World Cup - Junior
- Sand Races World Cup - Vintage
- Sand Races World Cup - Quads
- Sand Races World Cup - Quad Veterans
Format
Rounds of the championship must take place on circuits that are composed of least 90% sand.
Events can be run in two formats:
Endurance on Sand
- 1 race of a longer distance (maximum 3 hours, minimum 1 1/2 hours).
Sand Cross
- 2-3 races of a shorter distance, with final classification being determined from these.
Points system
| Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 25 | 20 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
List of Champions
| Season | Motorcycle Champion | Quad Champion | Junior Champion | Women Champion | Veteran Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025[11][14] | |||||
| Series run as World Cup | |||||
| 2024 | |||||
| 2023 | |||||