Endurance FIM World Championship

Endurance FIM World Championship

Endurance World Championship is the premier worldwide endurance motorcycle racing championship. The championship season consists of a series of races held on permanent racing facilities. The results of each race are combined to determine two annual World Championships, one for teams and one for manufacturers.

The championship was founded in 1980 as the FIM Endurance Cup. Initially it was made up of four races, Thruxton, Montjuich, Warsage and the Bol d'Or.

In 1976 the FIM Endurance Cup became the European Championship and in 1980 a World Championship. During the 1980s the Endurance World Championship calendar numbered up to ten events. The championship's popularity gradually declined and the calendar was gradually reduced to just the four races. in 1989 and 1990 the Championship went back to a World Cup status, as the number of events required by the FIM Sporting Code was not reached.

The four races are referred as "the classics" and they are, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 24 Hours of Liège (held in Spa-Francorchamps), 8 Hours Of Suzuka, and the Bol d'Or (held on Paul Ricard until 1999, and Magny-Cours since then).

Up until 2000 the championship was awarded to the individual rider with the most points, in 2001, the rule changed and the championship is awarded to teams.