There is a tiny island in the middle of the Irish Sea with a tall mountain, narrow roads, and green fields. A remarkable thing happens here twice a year, as family from around the world gather to reunite, share stories and catch up, during the Isle of Man TT and Manx GP. This isn’t a typical family reunion; these people are not related by blood, background, profession, alma mater, or any other traits typically associated with a reunion. These families are linked by their love of motorcycles. Some come to race; some come to sit on damp hedgerows or cold stone walls and dream about speed, and some drink ale and watch from the garden of a pub. Hundreds don bright orange uniforms and stand watch, a few at each of the 37.73-mile TT course’s 200+ corners. They close the road, clear debris, keep spectators from venturing too close, and tend to damaged bikes and riders when accidents happen.
Thirty-six years ago, at the tight right-hand corner known as Governors Bridge, a 16-year-old Jenni Grimley answered the call for more help, climbed over the wall, and donned a marshal’s armband. Over the years, she has marshaled at most corners of the TT course.
Marshals learned on the job in those days, with little formal training. Experienced Marshals showed the novice marshal the ropes, teaching them about flags, how to move a damaged bike safely, and how to move a rider out of harm’s way. When necessary, marshals would enlist help from the police and members of the public.
According to Jenni, things have improved significantly and become more organized, with procedures in place to enhance safety for everyone involved. A greater emphasis on training and incident management, along with higher expectations for all those involved, has made crashes more survivable, especially as speeds continue to increase yearly.
“It took a long time to reach 120mph laps,” Jenni said. “In 5 years, we have surpassed 130mph.”
Jenni stresses the importance of marshaling. “They couldn’t race if we didn’t do it. If you want to enjoy the sport, you have to give something back.”
Jenni loves marshaling not only for the racing but also because of the atmosphere and attitude. Friendships are made with people from all backgrounds and corners of the globe. “Marshalling is not just an Island thing; it is a worldwide thing,” she says. Some Marshals have never been involved before; others have a long history of marshaling elsewhere. It is essential to make new Marshals feel included so that they enjoy the work, encouraging participation to bring up new generations and ensure the future of road racing.
Marshals are the public face of the TT for spectators. The Marshals gracefully deal with a wide range of issues, from simple misunderstandings to outright bad behavior. Still, for the most part, the fans at TT and the Manx GP are generally well-behaved, as they are there to support the racing. Jenni explains that it is important to make spectators feel like they are part of the races and view the marshals in a positive light.
Children are curious, and many come to the marshals with questions about what is happening. Jenni recounts a story about two youngsters who approached her after a rider ran out of gas. Unsure of what happened, they asked if he was okay. When told about the issue, one looked at her and said empathetically, “Well, isn’t that sad?”
In between races, Marshals sometimes raise money for charity or organize activities to have a little fun while entertaining the fans. The TT Riders Association recognized Jenni for her help in arranging a fund drive at Governors to fund the TTRA. This organization supports riders and their families during times of hardship. Marshals engage the crowd, pass a bucket between races, and have raised thousands for the charity. For entertainment, Marshals have organized stretcher races and even held a push-up contest between Royal Navy and Marine soldiers who were visiting to marshal.
Being a Marshal is not always fun. Over the years, Jenni has seen her fair share of accidents and fatalities. Because the TT teams, marshals, and fan base are a close group, the hardest is not knowing what has happened when a red flag stops the race. Is it a close friend? Are they ok? Waiting for messages is excruciating. Being in the paddock after a bad accident is hard, but the TT family leans on each other for support because they understand the feelings and the culture. Highly publicized accidents can cause some people outside the community to be hostile or even call for banning road racing entirely, even though many other sports are responsible for more casualties. The community comes together to support each other in all aspects of racing. This community is unique among sports because it is so close. Jenni says this support amongst the community is the real story. “No matter where you go in the world, you have a TT family.”
Jenni explains that Marshalling is rewarding, and if a person has an interest, they should try it. If they don’t like it, they’ve gained experience. If they do like it, they have joined a family of previously unrelated people who come together as a team to support the sport they love.
For more information on becoming a volunteer with the TT Marshals Association, please visit:
Thank you to TTMA Deputy Sector Marshal Jenni Grimley for providing photos for this article.
