The Magic and Mayhem of the Weston Beach Race

2nd September 2025

Every October, a storm hits Weston-super-Mare. Not of rain or wind - but of engines, adrenaline and unfiltered madness. It’s called the Weston Beach Race, and for one weekend a year, the calm sands of Weston become one of the most brutal, beloved, and utterly bonkers race tracks in the world.

Among the hundreds who line up at the start, covered head to toe in leather armour and nerves, is Steve Jones - a bike shop owner from the Midlands who, for three chaotic hours each year, becomes part of something far bigger than himself.

“You have to be a bit of a nutter to do this,” he laughs. “But once you’ve done it - even once - it gets under your skin. You feel like part of a special club.”

Three Hours of Pain. One Year of Preparation

Steve’s not exaggerating. The Weston Beach Race isn’t just hard - it’s legendary. A three-hour battle across a course carved into miles of soft sand. It breaks bikes. It breaks riders. And for Steve and his brother Rob - his partner in a specially-built sidecar - it consumes the entire year.

“We start building the bike and sidecar in March. It’s a tool for one job - Weston - and that job is brutal. Everything has to be perfect. If something fails in the first ten minutes, that’s it. Race over. See you next year.”

They’ve had that happen. More than once. “One year, the engine cooked two hours in. Blew the head gasket. We'd just about got going again and then it died completely. Game over.” Still, they come back - again and again. Why?

Because nothing else comes close.

The Start Line: Fear at Full Throttle

The race begins with a mile-long flat-out sprint down the beach. It’s been called the most dangerous start in UK motorsport.

“It’s like a six-lane motorway, but without the rules. Spray in your face. Riders flying past on both sides. You can’t see. You can’t slow down or stop because you’ll get hit.”

From that point on, it’s the rider, the machine, and the sand. A swirling mix of bogs, sandhills, freezing seawater and chaos.“You’re digging, pushing, pulling, sweating. The sidecar passenger - my brother Rob - is literally throwing himself around for three hours. He comes off bruised head to toe. But that’s the job.”

Together, they fight the course. Together, they try to finish. That’s the goal - not winning. Just finishing. It’s a badge of honour. “Every time we cross the line, it means something. I’ve cried at the finish before. We’ve hugged. I’ve patted the bike and said, ‘Well done, old girl.’ You don’t get that in other sports. “The feeling you get when you finish is incredible. You have survived the Beach Race. You become part of a special club. It’s a badge of honour to get round and it sets you aside from being a mere mortal.”

A Different Kind of Glory

You don’t come to Weston for prize money or TV coverage. You come for the story. The spectacle. The chance to do something most people wouldn’t even attempt.

“It’s a marathon. It’s a battle. It’s a unique club. You’ll still be finding sand in your ears three showers later.”

But it’s also family. Crowds line the track, shouting encouragement as riders dig each other out of the sand. Steve’s wife waves a skull-and-crossbones flag so he and Rob can spot her. Their kids cheer from the sidelines. Their mates come to help, to fix bikes, to celebrate - or to commiserate.

“If you’ve raced Weston, people know. You get respect. You’ve gone through something wild, and you’ve come out the other side. The course is brutal. It wrecks bikes and batters bodies. There’s nothing like it. Weston is out there on its own. It’s the best event and the hardest event. It doesn’t matter how many times you race it, you are still going to be nervous when you see the course. The designers always throw a few curve balls at us. But if it was easy, it wouldn’t be fun.”

More Than Just a Race. More Than Just a Town

Steve’s been racing here for two decades. And even when he’s not on the start line, he likes to come to Weston. “We come down at Easter. My youngest rides his BMX on the sand making motorbike noises. The beach race lives in our house all year.”
That connection runs deep. Between the racers. Between families. And between the event and the town itself.
“I get that the noise and traffic isn’t for everyone. But I’d say embrace it. For this one weekend, Weston becomes something extraordinary. And we’re so thankful to the town for letting us be a part of it,” he said.

Brutal, Beautiful, Unforgettable

The Weston Beach Race isn’t for the faint-hearted. It’s loud. It’s muddy. It’s exhausting. But it’s also electric. Uplifting. And completely unique.

“You’re not a superstar. But for that weekend, you feel like somebody. You sign autographs. People recognise you. And you walk away with stories you’ll tell for the rest of your life,” said Steve.

Want to witness the madness for yourself? Come to Weston-super-Mare this October, Saturday 4 and Sunday 5th. Bring a camera. Bring a sense of adventure. And whatever you do - don’t wear white or your best trendy gear.