Startline Ep 63 - That’s Going to Be Me, Dad: Callum Hirst’s Manx Grand Prix Dream

Start Line with Beth Espey

Thursday, 1 October 2026 - 33 minutes

For Callum Hirst, racing the Mountain Course has been the dream for almost 20 years.

He was just nine years old when his dad brought him to the Isle of Man for the Centenary TT in 2007.

Standing at the top of Bray Hill and watching the bikes come past, Callum turned to his dad and told him that one day it would be him.

Now, that dream is beginning to feel much closer.

After years in motocross, Callum moved into road racing only last year, but has already made a huge impression.

His sights are now firmly set on MGP 2027.

Beth catches up with Callum to talk about where that ambition began, his rapid progression on short circuits, the physical and mental preparation he believes the Mountain Course demands, and the enormous amount of work happening behind the scenes to give himself the best possible chance of reaching the Startline.

There’s plenty of confidence, plenty of laughs and a very clear sense that, for Callum, this is about far more than simply entering a motorcycle race.

You can follow Callum on Facebook here and Instagram here.

The Startline podcast is brought to you in partnership with the Manx Motorcycle Club, the Promoter and Rights holder for the Manx Grand Prix. Startline is on Facebook and Instagram, so please give the pages a follow and keep up to date with the latest episodes and see some extra content, you can find some great photos on there.

And if you'd like to be part of the podcast, you can email beth@startline.im

Startline Ep 63 - That’s Going to Be Me, Dad: Callum Hirst’s Manx Grand Prix Dream

Start Line with Beth Espey

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