Next year will be my first visit to the Isle of Man TT. I love road racing and I love endurance sports. While running today the idea struck me to run the TT course. Would this be possible during race week (obviously on a non-racing day)? Is it allowed to run the full course? Has it been done before?

It's still just an idea obviously, but I am serious.

You could run it, but you'd be well advised not to.

I won't even ride the course during TT fortnight as I'm not keen on being involved in someone else's accident.

Sorry to be so negative

They did used to have a running race around the TT Course back in the 70's/early 80's.

I remember thinking that running the London Marathon was something special and then my Dad would remind me that it was nothing compared to running the TT Course..

Desmo, you need to lighten up a bit, as long as you keep yourself straight you should be fine.

I'm with Desmophiile here, you;d be putting your life in the hands of strangers and relying on their common sense and riding skill and, as they sadly prove every year, some muppets have little of either. on parts of the course, not just the mountain, you would be running on the road at the exit of blind bends with riders exiting at 100mph plus with nowhere to go. I had a 'non trivial moment' a couple of years ago when a trials chair outfit decided to do a neat circle on the road out of the layby at Joeys - I was going steady and managed to avoid him but the two bikes up my inside missed him and each other with millimetres to spare,

I suspect that if you tried it some caring manx coppers would explain the error of your ways and give you a lift to signpost.

If you want a challenge try running the Parish walk route that'll keep you out of trouble for a few hours

I walked the TT course some years ago in three parts. First day Douglas-Kirk Michael, second day Kirk Michael-Ramsey and the third day Ramsey-Douglas. That was in Easter time in nice weather. As it was a non racing period it didn't feel dangerous. Mostly calm and nice traffic. Of course I had a orange west on to make me more visible. At the first two days there is mostly a pavement on one side of the road. Over the mountain the third day you have to run on the road, but there is a pavement again when you come to Hillberry, closer to Douglas. At race time I wouldn't do it. Bikers and cars can crash anywhere and hit you when the control over the vehicle is lost. Even if you're on a pavement they'll hit you! DANGEROUS!

Thanks for the feedback. It seems wiser to return to the Isle of Man during a more quiet time if I want to run the course.

It's great to read I'm not the only one with the idea and that SILJA has already been around on foot. I googled the Parish route and I think I'm bluffed out here

I looked at the possibility of unicycling the course at the MGP a couple of years ago, but came to the same conclusion that it is just too busy.

I may pop over during a quieter period & have a go!



Nasher

Wow, you beat me on originality with that one! Please do post if you have done so.

My previous post has obviously been misconstrued by later posters, nowhere did I state that it would be a good idea to run around the course during TT or MGP. This would definitely not be recommended and I would be the first to condemn anyone stupid enough to try it.
The question was "would it be possible to run around the course?" To which the answer is yes, but just do it in one of the other fourth eight weeks of the year.

My other point was simply that Desmo says that he wouldn't even ride around the course during race fortnight, unbelievable. The roads are a lot safer now than back in the 80's, there were loads more bikes over for TT than there are nowadays, mountain was two way (apart from Mad Sunday), just added to the buzz.

The question i ask would be would you run on a main road at home?There is lots of sctions of teh TT course where there is no pavements and even slower areas like Glen Helen would be a nightmare due to the lack of vision on some of the corners.
Wouldnt be me!

As far as riding the course is concerned i just love it and is a big part of my overall TT experience.There is times when the course gets very busy and you do need your wits about you and keep an eye on your mirrors.Theres nothing quite like getting up at 6am and going for a lap just amazing,the roads are quite and with the sun just coming up its awesome


Just my opinion

P

Nasher . Do unicycle do hills  !  If they do thats some challenge.

Would it even be allowed?

I thought I'd read somewhere that pushbikes are banned on the mountain section of the course during TT fortnight. I tried to Google it but couldn't find what I thought I'd read, so maybe I'm wrong.

What I did find was this account of cycling the course during practice week - gives some impression of what you'd be up against.

http://my-tt-lap-2007.blogspot.co.uk/

I quite fancy cycling around but wouldn't attempt it during TT or MGP.

There's no ban on pushies on the Mountain at any time. Police however strongly advise against it and may even try to deter it by talking you out of it at Ramsey. The difficulty they have is that they continue to stress that the mountain is a normal public road and subject to the same rules as all other roads, except its one way. They can't maintain this stance and at the same time ban certain users. if they did, you may find that insurance companies would insist on different cover a la Nurburgring.

Clearly anyone riding up there during TT has a death wish. As others have already said, there are too many drivers and riders going way too hard on roads they are unfamiliar with.

Do you mean anyone riding push bikes up there or motor bikes as well?

My Dad and Uncle walked it in race walking competitions way back in the day, not sure if these still take place, i'll have to ask them - maybe you could enter that if they still have the walking races.

(17-09-2015, 01:35 PM)Kursaal Flyer Wrote: Nasher . Do unicycle do hills  !  If they do thats some challenge.

Hi Keith, congratulations on your MGP success - a good job well done

No only do we go up hills, we go mountain unicycling

Down hill is difficult as there is no free-wheeling -  you have to keep pedalling. Some unicyclist put disc or rim brakes on, but I prefer to use my legs.

I did the Gower bike ride a couple of years back & whilst overtaking a bicycle going up a steep hill the rider commented "it's all right for you, I'm over forty" my reply was a simple "I'm not sixty until next year"

Many years before, I did the London to Brighton ride on a unicycle.

But your achievements in the MGP this year far outweigh anything I could do on a Unicycle


Nasher

Fair play and well done for what you have achieved on your unicycle, but I can't help thinking that they belong in the Big Top ridden by blokes in curly wigs and big red noses, juggling skittles and not ridden around the TT Course.

Amazing! I learnt to ride a Unicycle when I was eleven, and it stood me in good stead in trials.
But I reckon the TT course would be hard work. Great effort!

Nasher. I cannot totally agree with your sentiments about what I achieved out weighs what you get up to on a unicycle but thankyou for your kind words anyway.
 I need another challenge but uniclycling looks a step to far .

Definitely would not be allowed now, either running or cycling. I believe this years TT program states that this is prohibited during TT fortnight. I think its been the case for a few years now.