It’s 1907, a Tuesday, and the very first Isle of Man TT is taking place on the St John’s short course going from the village of St John’s to Ballacraine, Kirk Michael, Peel and back to St John’s again.
Two classes, singles and twins, were eligible for the 10 lap race. Each lap was 15 miles, 1,430 yard (25.48 km) making the total race distance 158 miles and one furlong! (226.071 km).
At 10am, Frank Hulbert and Jack Marshall set off down the dusty track to became the first TT riders on their single-cylinder Triumph motorcycles. 16 more riders in the singles class and 8 competitors on twins followed them down the road in pairs.
On lap 1, Jack Marshall fell off his Triumph and Frank Applebee Junior gor a puncture on his 5 hp Rex machine. Jack remounted to come second.
By lap 2, Stanley Webb, riding a 5 hp Triumph, had to stop at St. Johns to adjust a drive-belt and retired on lap 3 with an engine exhaust valve problem.
At the compulsory 10‑minute replenishment stop, Oliver Godfrey had to retire when his 5 hp Rex motorcycle caught fire.
The single cylinder race was won by Charles R. Collier riding a Matchless in 4 hours, 8 minutes and 8 seconds at an average race speed of 38.21 mph.
His brother, Harry Collier, also riding a Matchless, had problems with an engine seizure on lap 2 and eventually retired on lap 9.
The twin-cylinder class and overall race was initially led by Rem Fowler riding a Norton. On lap 1, Fowler completed the course in 23 minutes and 19 seconds, in second place was Billy Wells in a time of 23 minutes and 21 seconds and Charlie Collier in the single-cylinder class with a time of 23 minutes and 45 seconds.
The overall lead fell away as Fowler suffered a number of problems with drive-belts and spark-plugs, and on lap 7 he crashed at nearly 60 mph due to a burst tyre at the “Devils Elbow” on the Kirk Michael to Peel section of the course. Fowler nearly gave up but was told by a spectator that he led the twin-cylinder class by 30 minutes from Billy Wells and went on to win at an average race speed of 36.22 mph and set the fastest lap of the race at 42.91 mph.
The Marquis de Mouzilly provided the trophy, which is still presented to the winner of the Senior race today. The silver figure of Mercury standing on a silver wheel is nearly three feet tall. Twenty-five pounds was awarded to the victor, with £15 for second place and £10 for third.
The final standings of the inaugural TT:
Single Cylinder Race
1st Charlie Collier 3½ hp Matchless 38.21 mph 4:08.08.2
2nd Jack Marshall 3½ hp Triumph 36.60 mph 4:19.47.3
3rd Frank Hulbert 3½ hp Triumph 35.50 mph 4:27.49.4
4th R. M. Brice - Brown
5th Martin Geiger - NSU
6th J. Smyth - Rex
7th R. W. Ayton - Riley
8th F. W. Applebee - Rex
DNF J. P. Le Grand - G. D. or G.B.R.
DNF F. Winter - Roc
DNF S. Webb - Triumph
DNF T. Silver - Silver
DNF W. A. Jacobs - Rex
DNF G. Horner - Royal Cavendish
DNF J. D. Hamilton - NSU
DNF R. W. Duke - Triumph
DNF Harry A. Collier - Matchless
Withdrawn.[2]
H. G. Cove - Minerva
C. B. Franklin - JAP
W. D. Coplestone - Peugeot
Twin Cylinder Race
1st Rem Fowler - Norton 36.21 mph 4:21.52.8
2nd W. H. 'Billy' Wells - Vindec 32.30 mph 4:53.44.5
3rd W. M. Heaton - Rex 30.50 mph 5:11.03.5
4th J. A. Dent - Vindec
DNF T. H. Tessier - BAT
DNF Harry Martin - Kerry
DNF Oliver Godfrey - Rex
DNF F. A. Applebee - Rex