Corners come too fast

Some races are just that—races. Start line, finish line, a structured path in between. Predictable. Safe. But then there’s Rad Race ‘Last Wo/Man Standing’—a race that feels more like a back-alley fight on two wheels. Fast, raw, unapologetic. Ten years in, and it’s still unlike anything else out there.

The setup is as simple as it is ruthless: track bikes, no brakes, a go-kart track, and a knockout format. If you don’t make the cut, you’re out. One lap could be the difference between staying in or watching from the sidelines. There’s no room for hesitation. No time to play it safe. The corners come too fast, the competition is too sharp, and the only thing that matters is pushing harder than the person next to you.

Rad Race was never meant to be polished. It wasn’t built for mainstream appeal. It’s the DIY mentality of punk shows, the chaos of skate contests, and the unfiltered energy of urban racing, all mashed into one. The crew behind it knew exactly what they wanted: a format where anything could happen, where no one could hide in the pack, and where the best riders would have to prove themselves over and over again. And they found the perfect battleground—a go-kart track tight enough to force mistakes and fast enough to reward those who had the guts to take risks.

The atmosphere? Pure adrenaline. The crowd doesn’t just watch; they feel every turn, every near miss, every last-ditch sprint to the line. The music hits hard, the lights make the tarmac glow, and for a few hours, it’s not about cycling as a sport—it’s about cycling as a raw, high-energy, underground spectacle.

A decade later, the core hasn’t changed. The race keeps evolving, but the attitude stays the same—no compromises, no watered-down versions, just pure, unfiltered competition. More people want in. More cities want a piece of it. More riders show up ready to leave everything on the track.

But what sparked it all? What makes this race defy convention, year after year? And is there any chance it could ever be tamed?

Rad Race ‘Last Wo/man Standing’ is more than ten years old. What is your most beautiful memory?

I don’t think I’ve ever been as nervous in my life as I was right before the very first heat in 2014—right before the start of the RAD RACE Last Wo/Man Standing. Our plan was to bring a track bike format to a go-kart track, in a tournament-style race. Back then, we used the track’s timing system, and it was absolute garbage. But the first heat went well (at RAD RACE Last Wo/Man Standing, there are almost 40 race heats per night), and from that moment on, I knew: we had created something truly special.

Why did you choose a go-kart track? It definitely deserves an explanation.

We wanted a fixed-gear race. No brakes. We wanted to create the wildest cycling race ever—something more like a skateboard contest than a traditional cycling event. We wanted a tournament where anything could happen. We knew from experience (my background is in playing in hardcore straight-edge bands) that we needed an intimate location where every spectator could have a great experience. And we knew that a parking garage sucks because you can only see the race action on one floor. So we came across this kart track… and the rest is history.

What is the most frequent comment on the race?

"You need to do this in my city."

What you do is unique, wild, and crazy. Will you ever change?

If we do, then stop us. No, we won’t. We always try to improve, though, and in ten years, we’ve always found something to make better. We’re not there yet, but one thing we won’t change is turning up the music so loud that the cops stop us. This has happened every year so far, and that never changes.