The first Isle of Man TT race was held in 1907. The inaugural event took place on 28 May 1907 on the St John’s Short Course, before the TT moved to its famous Mountain Course several years later.
The first race was organized for road-legal touring motorcycles and featured separate single-cylinder and twin-cylinder classes. Riders started in pairs in a time-trial format rather than lining up together on a traditional grid. The course measured about 15.85 miles, and competitors completed 10 laps.
Charlie Collier won the single-cylinder class on a Matchless, while Rem Fowler won the twin-cylinder class on a Norton with a Peugeot engine. Only 12 of the 25 entrants completed the demanding inaugural event.
The year 1905 is sometimes mistaken for the TT’s beginning because motorcycle competition had already taken place on the Isle of Man that year. However, the 1905 event was a motorcycle trial, not the first official Tourist Trophy race. The TT continued on the short course through 1910 and moved to the Snaefell Mountain Course in 1911.