The Snaefell Mountain Course on the Isle of Man, is perhaps the worlds most fearsome circuit, being 3 times as long as the Nurburgring Nordschleife using public roads complete with drain covers, kerbs and lampposts where riders reach nearly 200mph several times during the course of a lap. The original Snaefell Mountain Course dates back to 1911 and measured 37 1/2 miles, the difference between it and the modern course being that riders turned right at Cronk-ny-Mona, down Johnny Watterson's Lane, to Ballanard Road, turned left again along Ballanard Road to St Ninian’s, where they turned right down Bray Hill. The start was on Quarterbridge Road, with refuelling depots at Braddan and Ramsey. 1920 saw the Snaefell Mountain Course extended to its present length of 37.73-miles, with the start-finish just a few metres down the road from the present Grandstand.

The main points on the course at the start of the decade were Bray Hill, Quarter Bridge, Braddan Bridge, Union Mills, Crosby, Ballacraine, Ballig Bridge, Glen Helen, Creg Willies Hill, Kirk Michael, Ballaugh Bridge, Sulby Bridge, Ramsey, Ramsey Hairpin, Gooseneck, East Snaefell gate, Bungalow, Windy Corner, Keppel Gate, Creg-ny-Baa, Hillberry, Cronk-ny-Mona, Signpost Corner and Governor’s Bridge. The course was widened at Sulby Bridge in 1923, whilst Parliament Square to May Hill was used for the first time, instead of riders going through Ramsey Town to join the present course at May Hill. Brandish Corner was given its name in 1923, after Walter Brandish crashed there and broke a leg. Birkin’s Bend was added, after, sadly, Archie Birkin was killed there in 1927 during practice, when the roads were only closed for racing. The following year practising took place on closed roads. By 1926, the course had been improved considerably and the Mountain Section had been tarmaced. The Guthrie Memorial Cairn was erected on the spot where Jimmy Guthrie retired in his final race, the Senior TT of 1937. He was killed later in the year, at the German Grand Prix.
 
Drinkwater’s Bend is where Ben Drinkwater was fatally injured in the Junior TT of 1949. Handley’s Bend was named in recognition of Wal Handley who crashed there a race. He was killed during the Second World War, his last TT year being 1934. Finally Tate’s became known as Kate’s Cottage. It is widely thought that a commentator mispronounced the word and it stuck as Kate's. The BBC began broadcasting the races live after the Second World War. After Les Graham’s tragic death on Bray Hill during the second lap of the 1953 Senior TT, a brick and timber shelter was built on the Mountain section of the course between the Verandah and the Bungalow. It became the Graham Memorial and is used as a marshalling and medical point during the races.
 
The only major change between 1970 and 1989 was that Quarry Bends was partially straightened prior to the 1989 races. The climb from the Bungalow to Brandywell is named Hailwood Rise, and the highest point on the course, just before Brandywell, named Hailwood Heights, both in recognition of the legendary Mike Hailwood. 2002 saw the 26th Milestone renamed ‘Joey’s’ in memory of 26 times TT winner Joey Dunlop OBE, MBE, killed while racing Estonia in 2000. The following year, 2003, saw the 32nd Milestone Bends renamed ‘Duke’s’ in honour of six times TT winner and six times World Champion, Geoff Duke, OBE. In early 2006, in time for the TT, Windy Corner was eased, and later that year Brandish Corner was realigned, again easing the corner.

St Johns Course

The start of the original St John’s Course was at Tynwald Green, St John’s and went along the Peel Road to Ballacraine, turning left, through Ballig Bridge, Laurel Bank, Glen Helen, Creg Willey’s Hill, Cronk-y-Voddee, Barregarrow to Kirk Michael, where they again turned left toward Peel, through the Devil’s Elbow, Knocksharry and into Peel City and back out to Tynwald, a distance of 15 miles 1430 yards.

Clypse Course

A new course, the 10.79-mile Clypse Course was used for the first time in 1954, initially for the re-introduced Sidecar and Ultra Lightweight races. The Lightweight (250cc) race was moved to the Clypse Course in 1955.
Starting at the Grandstand, then turned right at the top of Bray Hill (St Ninian’s), continuing along Ballanard Road to Willaston Corner, (Johnny Watterson’ s Lane) where a right-hander led to Cronk-ny-Mona.

Competitors then raced along the Mountain Course in the reverse direction, to Creg-ny-Baa, turned right and went through a series of bends, to the "51/2" to join the main Laxey to Onchan road and proceeded through the Whitebridge to Onchan Village. Here a right turn at the Manx Arms led them up to Signpost Corner, where they rejoined the Mountain Course back through Bedstead, and Governor’s Bridge, omitting the dip to the Grandstand.

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Time Zone : (GMT) Western Europe Time, London, Lisbon, Casablanca

Major Events : Isle of Man TT Races

Circuit Length : Snaefell Mountain Course: 37.73 miles with 1384 feet of elevation change.
St Johns Course: 15.8125 miles
Clypse Course: 10.79 miles

Turns : 200+

Lap Record : Outright: 17m12.30s @ 131.578mph - John McGuinness, Honda CBR1000RR, 2009

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