Courtney Duncan achieves best result of Women's Motocross World Championship season

Tuesday, 21 July 2026

Courtney Duncan impressed at the FIM Women's Racecross World Championship’s third round in England.

Kiwi motocross racer Courtney Duncan is slowly starting to feel like herself again.

The four-time WMX Motocross world champion missed the entire 2025 season after recovering from Pericarditis, a serious heart condition.

Back on the bike, Duncan is gradually regaining her best form, achieving her first podium of the season in the British round of the series at the Foxhill Motocross Circuit, near Swindon, over the weekend.

The 30-year-old finished third overall in the third leg of the season after second and third place efforts.

“Obviously, it’s been a really long road to get back here. It’s easy to forget that it was only 12 months ago that I was struggling to do an indoor spin bike for 30 minutes. It’s pretty cool to be back battling with the world’s best and running back up front,” Duncan said.

In the second race Duncan made a clean launch to sit third. Spain’s Daniela Guillen picked off the Kiwi on the inside at the foot of the hill during lap two, then eased past Great Britain’s Lucy Barker, to move into second. Behind her, Duncan settled into third and gradually pulled clear of Barker as the race wore on and held this position to the moto’s end.

Duncan is riding for the England-based DRT Kawasaki MX2 Racing Team and found achieving the podium on their home track - which serves as her second home - hugely satisfying.

“It was a solid weekend going 2 - 3 for my first podium of the season, so obviously pretty happy with that.

“We’ve made huge improvements in the last six weeks, so in that sense we can be super proud. We’ve come a long way.”

The result moved her up into third in the championship standings with two rounds to go.

Italy’s Kiara Fontanesi heads to the next round in Arnhem, Netherlands, (August 22-23) as championship leader, two points clear of Guillen with Duncan a further 39 points back in third.

The final round will be held much closer to home for Duncan, who races in Darwin, Australia over September 19-20.