2020 Weston Beach Race postponed by a year due to coronavirus pandemic

The Weston Beach Race attracts thousands of spectators every year - but will not be taking place in 2020 Credit: PA Images

The Weston Beach Race, which has been held in Weston-super-Mare for 37 years, has been postponed by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It was due to take place between Friday 9 October and Sunday 11 October - but riders will now not take to the sand until 2021.

The event is recognised as the biggest motorsport event on the UK calendar each year and attracts riders from all over the world.

Around a million tonnes of sand are used to make the challenging course, thought to be one of the world's most extreme off-road tracks over sand dunes.

The beach is transformed with thousands of tonnes of extra sand to provide the course for the races. Credit: PA

Hundreds of thousands of people come to watch the races, which are estimated to bring in around £10 million to the local economy.

Organisers RHL Activities have worked closely with North Somerset Council to ensure the Weston Beach Race could go ahead and have made major investments to comply with Covid-19 guidelines.

Despite this, the council has now decided to postpone because of the need to protect residents and visitors against the spread of the virus.

The 38th Beach Race will now take place on 1, 2 and 3 October 2021

Cllr Don Davies, Leader of North Somerset Council, says it had been a difficult decision: “We appreciate that local business will be disappointed to lose such a major event, but we felt we had no choice. The council's priority is to keep people safe and reduce the spread of infection.

"We fully recognise the importance of the Beach Race and the benefits it brings to our local economy and look forward to hosting the event in Weston again next year."

Quad bikers racing in the shadow of the Grand Pier. Credit: PA

Gareth Hockey, Director of RHL Activities says: “I am devastated, the work that has gone into the preparation for this Beach Race, both by my team and all our contractors, to have the event postponed now, has completely floored me.

“This pandemic we are all in will hopefully pull us all together working as a team, both riders, council and organisers alike, in delivering the 38th Beach Race in 2021.”

Rider entries will be carried over to next year, and the competitors will be contacted by organisers soon.

  • Find out more information about the 38th Weston Beach Race here

Here are some of the highlights from 2019: