RIDE OR DIE

1 x 58' - BBC ONE / BBC ONE NI (2025)

Every May, around 100 motorcycle road racers from across the world make the pilgrimage to Northern Ireland to take part in one of the sport’s fastest and most dangerous events - the North West 200. Racing on closed public roads at speeds in excess of 200 mph, the riders dice with danger and even death.

To outsiders, it looks like a form of madness. To those who do it, it’s like their religion, and the road their church. But with the ever-present risk of life-changing injuries or fatalities, in recent years the future of the sport has hung in the balance.

Following three riders in the weeks leading up to the North West 200, this film explores how faith, family and the risk of fatality push a diverse cast of racers to the limit.

Lee Johnston is a five-time winner at the North West 200 and a household name in the sport. Following a near-fatal accident in 2023, he is on a journey of recovery to return to racing.

Maria Costello is a trailblazer in the world of road racing. One of a handful of women in the sport, she is determined to get back racing for the first time since the loss of her mum.

Kevin Keyes is an accomplished circuit racer but is competing in the much more dangerous sport of road racing for the first time. With his family worried about his new venture, will he have their support?