Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race

Tick Tock the Croc approaches the pier at Canton in the May 4, 2019 race, on its way to win the People’s Choice award. Want to see more photos?

Next Race: May 2, 2020!

Plan to be in Baltimore for the 22st annual East Coast Championship Kinetic Sculpture Race all day Saturday May 2, 2020, with the theme Born To Be Wild! The 2020 Spectator’s Guide will be available April 20, so until then you can refer to the 2019 Spectator’s Guide as a general reference for what to expect. Also see our complete photo coverage of the 2019 race!

2019 Race Photos & Results

See our Complete coverage of the 2019 Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race!

Only 74 days until the 2020 race! Saturday, May 2. It’s time to design your kinetic sculpture!

Racers: 2020 Entry Form Now Available!

May 2 is months away, but kinetic sculptures don’t build themselves! Prepare for the race by downloading the entry form on the Enter! page. It’s due Wednesday, April 1. See also tips for building a great entry. There’s also an update to Rule “A No.1. HOBART’S LAW OF KINETICS” for the 2020 race, allowing pilots to store energy under specific conditions. See the Rules.

Kinetic Forum

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What’s a Kinetic Sculpture Race?

Kinetic Sculptures are amphibious, human powered works of art custom built for the race. Each May, the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM) produces and hosts the East Coast Kinetic Sculpture Race Championship on the shore of Baltimore’s Harbor in central Maryland.  The eight-hour race covers 14 miles—mostly on pavement, but also including a trip into the Chesapeake Bay and through mud and sand.

Kinetic Sculpture Racing began in Ferndale, California in 1969 when artist Hobart Brown upgraded his son’s tricycle into a 5-wheeled pentacycle and was challenged to a race down Main Street. (Hobart did not win.) Over the decades since, the California race evolved into a 3-day all-terrain Kinetic Grand Championship including treacherous sand dunes, water crossings, and elaborate sculptures and costumes. You can learn more on Wikipedia including a list of other races nationwide.

For more about the Baltimore race, browse the race photo results in the left menu.

Where can I see Kinetic Sculptures?

You can go to a Kinetic Sculpture Race on race days, or the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. AVAM displays Fifi and their other sculptures year round in the dedicated Sculpture Barn.

How to Build a Kinetic Sculpture

Learn from Elliot’s How To Build a Kinetic Sculpture reference guide.