Explore the Unique World of Beach Racing: Laytown and Beyond Laytown is the most unique racecourse in Ireland and the UK, as it’s the only one where racing takes place on a beach. The Co Meath track hosts one meeting a year and their 2025 fixture took place last week, having come under threat from the weather at one point before eventually getting the go-ahead and we had six fascinating races to enjoy. Some may wonder if there are any other beach racecourses anywhere else in the world and the answer is yes. Europe has another four beach tracks, three of which are in Spain and the other is located in Germany. Here we take a closer look at them and they could be well worth a visit for some hardcore horse racing fans. Cuxhaven, Germany Whilst not technically a beach, Cuxhaven races on the North Sea mudflats when exposed by the ebbing tide. A significant crowd is attracted by the action and there are usually around 30,000 spectators. Located in Northern Germany, it’s the point at which the River Elbe meets the North Sea. A mixture of normal and trotting races take place and front-runners have the advantage, as you don’t want to fall foul of the severe kickback. The infamous kickback at Southwell back when the surface was Fibresand was child’s play in comparison! Racing on the seabed has to be considered a truly unique experience and it would surely be a sight to see. Loredo, Spain Loredo is located on Spain’s Cantabrian coast, conveniently sandwiched between the cities of Santander and Bilbao. Horse racing on a Spanish beach is many people’s idea of heaven, so what’s not to like? Unfortunately there hadn’t been a meeting at Loredo since the pandemic before beach racing made a triumphant return in July of this year. The main event is the Loredo Derby, which isn’t quite Epsom, but an exhilarating watch nonetheless. Zahara de los Atunes, Spain Zahara de los Atunes hosts the Gran Premio de Zahara, which is an annual beach racing festival on the last weekend of October. The local area boasts vast beaches, perfect for some thrilling equine action. They hosted their first fixture in 2019 and recently resumed racing after a three-year pandemic-related hiatus. Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain Not too far down the road, Sanlúcar de Barrameda has a long history of hosting horse racing events which dates back as far as 1845. Racing takes place in the evening during the month of August, when the tide is low. They hosted two three-day meetings this year, one at the start of August and one towards the end of the month. Did you know? There is an organisation called the European Beach Racing Association which is responsible for thoroughbred beach racing, which means all four courses fall under its remit. The loose association was formed in 2017 and their final fixture of the year takes place at Zahara de los Atunes in October.
