The Snaefell Mountain Course, a motorsport racing circuit that was once part of Grand Prix motorcycle racing, has more than 60 named corners, bends, straightaways, and other features. Unlike the closed-circuit race tracks now used in all Grand Prix championship races,See Grand Prix motorcycle racing#Circuits. All 18 circuits in MotoGP 2016 are race tracks. the course runs almost entirely along public roads of the Isle of Man.Following road improvements, The Nook and Governor's Bridge Dip near the end of a lap are race-only, otherwise closed to normal traffic by barriers.
This list includes prominent corners and other landmarks along the course, with names that are used in media coverage and by racers, spectators, and administrators.
The number of turns in the course is debatable – writing in his 1974 book, TT racer and motorcycle journalist Ray Knight mentioned that the Guinness Book of Records quoted 264, echoed by a 2011 report. Some of the curves, S-bends, turns at crossroads, and other features in the course would not seem significant to car drivers in public traffic, but they are very significant for high-speed racers. is the highest average speed that has been attained over one lap of the course, by Peter Hickman on 9 June 2023 when he won the second Superstock race. At jumps where most race machines rise clear off the ground, drivers of cars at slow speeds might not even notice a bump. At each corner, racers must consider adjusting their entry speed, focus on their pre-planned line, lean according to the nature of the turn, and anticipate accelerating, decelerating, turning again, or otherwise handling their machines as needed while exiting the turn. "As always, positioning on the road is the essence..."
There are road-side marker boards, posted in advance of the major features, bearing these names to inform practice racers, and during races they may remind racers what is coming. The turns generally aren't labelled by numbers as on short racing circuits.
Spectators also focus on named corners and other landmarks beside the course; many of the best vantage points are at turns where racers can be better seen as they slow down. As a guidebook for visitors to the Isle of Man describes:
Naming practices
While there are named turns in other racing circuits, naming of corners and other turns elsewhere is usually less salient. For example, there is the notable "Dunlop Curve" of the 24 Hours of Le Mans' automobile race circuit and motorcycle race circuit. But the turns in many courses are primarily referred to by numbers, e.g. turns of the 1909-built Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the U.S. are referred to as Turn 1 through Turn 13. The Snaefell Mountain Course is one of the longer racing circuits and has more turns.
Like named corners on other circuits, many are named after champion racers, such as Joey's Corner at the 26th Milestone, posthumously named to commemorate the 26 racing victories of racer Joey Dunlop on this course prior to his death racing in Estonia, and Hailwood's Rise/Hailwood's Height, named after famous rider Mike Hailwood, killed in a road traffic accident in central England. However, in 2013 McGuinness's and Molyneux's were named in honour of living rider John McGuinness and sidecar driver Dave Molyneux, ranking second and third in the tally of TT race wins.
In 2017, a bend was named after a non-competitor for the first time; Raymond Caley was a long-time shopkeeper with premises on the course at Sulby. In 2025, MD's was named on a left-bend at the 27th mile from startline, to acknowledge when the multiple (29-time) race winner Michael Dunlop had surpassed his uncle Joey's 26 wins with his 27th win in 2024.Corner Named After TT GOAT gef.im 23 May 2025. Retrieved 2 November 2025
Some corners on the Mountain course are named for riders who suffered accidents at the corner or nearby: Doran's Bend after Bill Doran and Brandish Corner, after Walter Brandish. Others refer to the corner's physical shape: Verandah, The Nook. More take names of nearby artificial or natural landmarks: Creg-ny-Baa (a pub), Tower Bends, Bray Hill. Landmark-based names may continue to be used long after their namesake is gone: Keppel Gate, Signpost Corner.
The roads are open to two-way public traffic for most of the year, but are closed during practice times and races. The Sunday of main race week is traditionally known as "Mad Sunday". Due to road traffic accidents, a newly formed road-safety committee in 1964 proposed that the Snaefell mountain road should be one-way traffic in the race direction for part of Sunday. Nowadays, for the entire racing season of several weeks in May/June and August/September, the mountain portion of the course (from Ramsey to Douglas) is restricted to one-way in the race direction, and parking is prohibited in various areas.
These and other provisions allow inexperienced racers and visiting motorcyclists to learn the corners and informally practice on the course.
The following is a partial list of named corners and other landmarks along the course. Turns described as left- or right-handers assume that travel is in the race direction, which is clockwise around the circuit. __NOTOC__
Named corners Cornermileage Photo Location Notes Startline0.00 On A2 Glencrutchery Road, above Douglas Bay at a height of above sea level, Grandstand complex developed in 1985/1986, replacing the earlier 1926 version. Concourse with pre-race assembly area/Parc Ferme, start/finishline, spectator seating, scoreboard, race control, pit lane with re-fuelling, exit with acceleration lane, scrutineering, post race podiums, retailing, hospitality, exhibitions. St Ninian's Crossroads0.29 On A2 (Ramsey to Douglas road) multi-junction, location of first permanent traffic signals in Isle of Man. At St. Ninian's Church (dedicated to Ninian of Whithorn). Close to the startline, a left-jink needing careful machine placement for the racing line into the Bray Hill descent. Taken very fast on a flying lap (i.e. without stopping at the pits for running repairs, refuelling and/or tyre(s)). Bray Hill0.64 On A2 (Ramsey to Douglas road) Very steep descent soon after the start line, with a slight curve, a sudden bottoming-out and a subsequent steep rise up another slightly curving hill. The physics of it causes bikes to unload suspension after the base compression at 160 mph. Quarterbridge Road0.79 On A2 (Ramsey to Douglas road), after multi side-road junction, Bray Hill becomes Quarterbridge Road After the bottom of Bray Hill, a subsequent steep rise (previously known as Brown's Hill) causes modern race machines to wheelie up a stretch now famously known as "Ago's leap" (after 1960s-70s Italian race-ace Giacomo Agostini) and then crowning-out to a flat area, historically one of several startlines for early racing, with machines assembled in Selborne Drive side-turning. Road surface was altered after Ago's departure (early 1970s) but machines are now twice as powerful (100 bhp/200 bhp) with larger engines than were allowed in World Championship racing. Followed by a steep descent and the first heavy-braking area of the lap at Quarter Bridge Quarterbridge1.26 Road junction of A2 Quarterbridge Road and A1 Peel Road Also known as Quarter Bridge, a tight right turn on the course at a major junction with a traffic roundabout. At the bridge spanning the River Glass, at boundary of the historic "quarterlands" of Ballabrooie and Ballaquayle. Historically one of several startlines of early car racing. Braddan Bridge1.70 'S' bend and junction with two staggered side-roads on A1 Peel Road Second heavy-braking point on the lap, 'S' bend to left then right, at a bridge spanning the River Dhoo and former railway line, which has been converted to provide access under course during race closures. Seated viewing in church land. Historically one of several viewing areas within walking distance of visitors passing through Douglas town centre ferry terminal. Snugborough2.4 On A1 Peel Road with side-turn junction leading to industrial estate Dip in road on approach to Union Mills. "Before you get to Union Mills there used to be a tricky fast right hander called Snugborough. The complete easing of that gives a full-bore run into Union Mills,..." Union Mills2.7 On A1 Peel Road with staggered side-turn junctions Cronk Road and A22 Strang Road Several curves passing through a residential village Ballahutchin Hill3.2 On A1 leaving Union Mills residential outskirts into countryside Long climbing straight passing Glenlough farm and campsite at crest Ballagarey Corner3.75 On A1 (Douglas to Peel Road) Very fast right-curve, slang-term Ballascarey. Scene of two crashes in 2010, Guy Martin and New Zealander Paul Dobbs (who died). Named after - farm of the slope Glen Vine3.9 On A1 Peel Road with side-turn junction A26 Passing through a small residential village before Crosby Crosby Crossroads4.81 On A1 Douglas to Peel road, with side-junctions A23 and B35. In the village of Crosby, population about 900. Crosby Jump5.00 On A1 Douglas to Peel road. Crosby Jump (also known as Crosby Leap or Crosby Hill) at the 5-mile marker from TT Grandstand start, a Fanzone in 2012. Leaving the village of Crosby at one of the highest points of the course in the westerly-direction, dropping gently past Halfway House, a former hotel roughly equi-distant (5 mile) from the towns of Douglas and Peel, towards one of the fastest points on the course at The Highlander.