FIM Sand Races World Championship
FIM Sand Races World Championship logo | |
| Category | Motorcycle racing |
|---|---|
| Region | International |
| Inaugural season | 2025 |
| Official website | FIM Sand Races World Championship |
| Current season | |
The FIM Sand Races World Championship is the world championship series for beach racing, a variant of off-road motorcycle racing.
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 | Enduropale du Touquet |
| 2 | 24–26 February | Enduro del Verano |
| 3 | 17–19 November | Monte Gordo Sand Experience |
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 | Enduropale du Touquet |
| 2 | 23–25 February | Enduro del Verano |
| 3 | 26-27 October | Ronde des Sables de Loon Plage |
| 4 | 1-3 November | Bibione Sand Storm |
| 5 | 22–24 November | Monte Gordo Sand Experience |
| 6 | 30 November–1 December | Ronde des Sables Hossegor-Capbreton |
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 | Enduropale du Touquet |
| 2 | 29–31 August | Enduro del Invierno |
| 3 | 24–26 October | Bibione Sand Storm |
| 4 | 21-23 November | Ronde des Sables Hossegor-Capbreton |
| 5 | 29–30 November | Monte Gordo Sand Race |
| 6 | 13–15 February 2026[10] | Enduropale du Touquet |
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] | Todd Kellett (Yamaha) | Pablo Violet (Yamaha) | Matheo Gerat (Yamaha) | Mathilde Denis (Honda) | Fernando Rubio (Honda) |
| Series run as World Cup | |||||
| 2024 | Todd Kellett (Yamaha) | Pablo Violet (Yamaha) | Paolo Maschio (Kawasaki) | Amandine Verstappen (Yamaha) | Gregory Deleu (Fantic) |
| 2023 | Todd Kellett (Yamaha) | Michel Trannin (Honda) | Paolo Maschio (Kawasaki) | Mathilde Denis (Honda) | Arnaud Besnier (Honda) |
References
- ^ a b Jon Pearson. "FIM launches all-new Sand Races World Cup". enduro21.com.
- ^ "FIM Sand Races World Cup | FIM". www.fim-moto.com. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
- ^ FIM Communications. "Todd Kellett wins inaugural FIM Sand Races World Cup". fim-moto.com.
- ^ "Calendario 2024 Copa Del Mundo Fim Sand Races" [The 2024 Fim Sand Races World Cup Calendar Is Announced]. MX Zone Argentina (in Spanish). 21 December 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
- ^ "2024 FIM Sand Races World Cup calendar updated". www.fim-moto.com. 11 July 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ FIM. "King Kellett retains his FIM Sand Races World Cup title with Monte Gordo Sand Race double – Race Report". dirthub.co.uk.
- ^ "FIM Sand Races World Cup | FIM". www.fim-moto.com. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
- ^ FIM. "2025 FIM Sand Races World Championship provisional calendar announced". fim-moto.com.
- ^ "2025 FIM Sand Races World Championship provisional calendar announced". fim-moto.com. 16 January 2025.
- ^ "Enduropale : tout ce qu'il faut savoir sur la course des sables du Touquet" [Enduropale: everything you need to know about the Touquet sand race]. Red Bull (in French). 30 December 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
- ^ a b "King Kellett storms to FIM Sand Races World Championship title". www.fim-moto.com. 15 February 2026. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
- ^ "2026-2027 FIM Sand Races World Championship calendar announced". www.fim-moto.com. 5 March 2026. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
- ^ a b FIM. "2025 FIM Sand Races World Championship Sporting Regulations" (PDF). fim-moto.com.
- ^ "Violet signs off with Quad victory at Enduropale du Touquet Pas-de-Calais". www.fim-moto.com. 14 February 2026. Retrieved 16 February 2026.