Sand, Speed & Smiles, a day at the Malle Beach Race

There’s something about getting somewhere early that I’ve always loved. Maybe it’s habit, maybe it’s excitement, or maybe I’m just a bit strange. Either way, when I headed to the Malle Beach Race on Margate Beach on Saturday 9th May, I made sure I got the train ridiculously early so I’d have hours to spare before the event even started.

And honestly, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Arriving in Margate while everything was still coming together gave me a chance to really soak it all in. The bikes were arriving one by one, riders unloading machines from vans, people chatting over coffee, organisers setting things up on the beach. There’s always something special about seeing the build-up before an event starts properly, those quiet moments before the noise and chaos begin.

It also gave me time to do something completely new for me: make my first YouTube video.

Now, it wasn’t exactly Spielberg. But everyone starts somewhere, right?

I’m 51 years old, and photography has always been my thing, especially black and white photography. That’s where I feel comfortable. But I also know video is where social media really lives now, and I wanted to push myself a little. To be honest, it was exciting. A bit awkward at first, but exciting all the same. It felt good trying something different instead of just thinking about it.

This BSA is built from 1920’s and 1930’s bikes, was epic to see it race

Opening up on Margate Beach

Then came the bikes.

And what a sight they were rolling down onto the sand under glorious May sunshine. Margate in May can often be cold, windy and grey, but this year we got lucky. It was warm, bright, and the whole beach had that perfect atmosphere where everyone just seemed happy to be there.

The variety of bikes was brilliant. Café racers, motocross bikes, huge adventure bikes, tiny little 50cc mopeds, and then there was one of my favourites, an old BSA from the 1920s. Seeing something that old not just displayed, but actually being ridden and raced on the beach, was incredible. You could almost feel the history in it.

Popping a wheel at the Malle Beach Race 2026

The racing itself is wonderfully simple.

It’s basically a quick blast down the straight across the sand, then a slow ride back around to do it all again. Nobody seems to take it too seriously, and that’s exactly why it works. There’s no ego, no pressure, just people enjoying motorcycles and having fun.

And that’s what stayed with me most by the end of the day, the smiles.

I haven’t owned a motorbike for quite a while now, but spending the day there reminded me just how much I love them. The sound of engines echoing across the beach, the smell of fuel and oil in the air, the character of every bike and rider, it all came flooding back.

It’s more than machines really. It’s the atmosphere around them. The people. The stories. The shared excitement.

The Malle Beach Race isn’t really about winning anything. It’s about celebrating bikes, creativity, individuality and a slightly mad idea of racing motorcycles on sand by the seaside.

And it’s brilliant for exactly that reason.

So now I’m left wondering… do I get another bike and race next year? Or do I find myself back there once again with a camera in hand, capturing it all from the sidelines?

Either way, one thing’s for certain: I’ll definitely be back on Margate Beach this time next year.