The annual International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) is perhaps the most prestigious off-road racing event in the world.

Sanctioned by the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), the ISDE invites national teams from around the world to compete against each other to determine the World Championship of off-road racing.  

Each country participating in the ISDE is authorized to have four riders on its the World Trophy Team, three riders age 23 or younger on its the Junior Trophy Team, three female riders on its the Women’s World Cup Team, and three riders on each of its Club division teams. As the sole U.S. affiliate of the FIM, the AMA is responsible for assembling each year’s U.S. ISDE teams.  

The International Six Days Enduro is the world’s largest annual off-road motorcycle competition. First held in Carlisle, England, in 1913, the ISDE is one of the longest-running events in motorsports. Originally known as the International Six Day Trial (ISDT), the event was designed to test both machine reliability and rider skill.  

Today, the International Six Days Enduro, a name it adopted in 1980, is primarily an off-road event that traverses some of the world’s most challenging terrain. The event was held exclusively in Europe until 1973, when the event took place in the United States. The event has since been held at non-European nations several times, including Chile, New Zealand, Brazil, Australia and, in 2023, Argentina. 

The rules of the ISDE have evolved considerably, but the event has always used an enduro-type format. Riders must follow a set route at a set pace over six days. In addition, there are strict controls on when a rider may work on his or her machine and the availability of tools and spare parts. The miles ridden by competitors at the event almost always totals more than 1,000 total miles. 

The World Trophy champion is determined by totaling the times of each team’s three fastest riders for each of the event’s six days (including time penalties). The team with the lowest combined time is the winner. The United States has won the World Trophy three times. In the Junior World Trophy, Women’s World Cup and Club divisions, the champion is determined by totaling each three-rider team’s times for each day (including time penalties). The team with the lowest combined time is crowned the class champion.