Kiwi motocross legend Courtney Duncan is fired up for more after notching her first WMX podium of the season at Foxhills, Great Britain, at Round 3 of the 2026 FIM Women’s Motocross World Championships.
DRT Kawasaki MX2 Racing Team rider Courtney Duncan is reclaiming her form after suffering a lengthy illness and time away from World Motocross Championships. Photo: Ray Archer
Hard work has always been the foundation of four-time FIM World WMX Women’s Motocross Champion Courtney Duncan’s life and that never-give-up discipline and perseverance has paid off with a podium at the 2026 FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship’s third round.
Relief, gratitude and the desire for more, were the Dunedin racer’s foremost emotions, following her third-placed result at the Monster Energy MXGP of Great Britain, at Foxhills, after she was sidelined for the entire 2025 season with pericarditis, which is swelling and irritation of the thin, saclike tissue surrounding her heart.
“Obviously, it’s been a really long road to get back here,” offers Duncan. “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.”
“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 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,” Duncan smiles. “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 improves on her third in the championship standings with two rounds to go but competitive to the core, Duncan is always looking for more.
“We are still not quite back to where we want to be, or where we know we can be, but we are definitely making the steps in order to get back there,” she explains. “Naturally, as a racer, the further I get up there, the more I want. I’m super happy but I want more and I am going to keep working until I get there. I want to get a win sooner rather than later.”
Four-time World Motocross Champion Courtney Duncan #151 went 2-3 at Foxhills MXGP of Great Britain at the weekend. Photo: Ray Archer
Her progression from the first two rounds has been encouraging for Duncan and she felt her former fire ignite in the first moto at the weekend. After starting near the back of the field on the Foxhills track, she put on a trademark spirited charge through the pack.
Moving swiftly into fourth, by the end of lap two Duncan had swallowed up home favourite Great Britain’s Lucy Barker, who had been holding third place. At the front, Spanish rider Daniela Guillen had briefly looked comfortable in second, but Duncan continued to reel her in and made the passing move stick on lap six, holding the position through to the chequered flag. Italy’s Kiara Fontanesi was pushed all the way to the line by Duncan, holding onto the win by just over a second.
“In that first race I came in one second shy of the win, so that was awesome considering I started outside the top 15. It was a nice charge and I guess a little glimpse of my old self there,” Duncan admits.
“I really struggled at the first few world championship rounds with the race intensity, finding my flow and getting back in the swing of things. It’s nice to have improved on that and I felt very comfortable especially in that first race with the speed intensity and also with the fitness, which in the first few races had let me down. I was really strong right to the end of the moto.”
In the second race Duncan made a clean launch to sit third. Guillen picked off the Kiwi rider on the inside at the foot of the hill during lap two, then eased past 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.
“In that first race I came in one second shy of the win, so that was awesome considering I started outside the top 15. It was a nice charge and I guess a little glimpse of my old self there.”
Fontanesi heads to the next round in the 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 and touches down in Darwin, Australia on September 19-20.
There is a long list of people Duncan is grateful to have in her corner as she continues her determined comeback campaign.
“A huge thanks to everyone that has been part of the process and part of the journey of getting me back here,” she offers. “From the medical team back home to the surgeons and specialists, there’s been so many people involved. High Performance Sport New Zealand has been a huge part of that. A big thanks to my DRT team, Monster Energy, Fox and all my supporters in New Zealand for making this season possible, I definitely appreciate it.”
Duncan’s message to her rivals is clear.
“It’s all coming together and hopefully it won’t be long before we are back on that top step.”
New Zealand’s Courtney Duncan (right) is back on the podium following a long illness. Photo: Ray Archer
RESULTS Monster Energy MXGP of Great Britain, at Foxhills
WMX – Race 1 – Top 10 Classification:
1. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, GASGAS), 26:08.278;
2. Courtney Duncan (NZL, Kawasaki), +0:01.113;
3. Daniela Guillen (ESP, GASGAS), +0:11.694;
4. Lotte Van Drunen (NED, Yamaha), +0:16.593;
5. Shana Van Der Vlist (NED, Yamaha), +1:04.890;
6. Malou Jakobsen (DEN, KTM), +1:08.856;
7. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, Yamaha), +1:23.486;
8. April Franzoni (FRA, Honda), +1:38.738;
9. Lucy Barker (GBR, KTM), +1:40.500;
10. Alexandra Massury (GER, KTM), +2:02.102.
Fastest lap: Kiara Fontanesi – 2:10.314 (lap 11)
WMX – Race 2 – Top 10 Classification:
1. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, GASGAS), 24:56.427;
2. Daniela Guillen (ESP, GASGAS), +0:09.105;
3. Courtney Duncan (NZL, Kawasaki), +0:18.618;
4. Lucy Barker (GBR, KTM), +0:38.860;
5. Shana Van Der Vlist (NED, Yamaha), +0:45.319;
6. Malou Jakobsen (DEN, KTM), +0:47.422;
7. Lotte Van Drunen (NED, Yamaha), +0:49.203;
8. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, Yamaha), +1:01.627;
9. Danee Gelissen (NED, Husqvarna), +1:02.370;
10. April Franzoni (FRA, Honda), +1:06.465.
Fastest lap: Daniela Guillen – 2:04.383 (lap 3)
WMX Overall – Top 10 Classification:
1. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, GAS), 50 points;
2. Daniela Guillen (ESP, GAS), 42 p.;
3. Courtney Duncan (NZL, KAW), 42 p.;
4. Shana Van Der Vlist (NED, YAM), 32 p.;
5. Lotte Van Drunen (NED, YAM), 32 p.;
6. Lucy Barker (GBR, KTM), 30 p.;
7. Malou Jakobsen (DEN, KTM), 30 p.;
8. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, YAM), 27 p.;
9. April Franzoni (FRA, HON), 24 p.;
10. Danee Gelissen (NED, HUS), 22 p.
WMX World Championship – Top 10 Classification:
1. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, GAS), 141 points;
2. Daniela Guillen (ESP, GAS), 139 p.;
3. Courtney Duncan (NZL, KAW), 100 p.;
4. Shana Van Der Vlist (NED, YAM), 89 p.;
5. Malou Jakobsen (DEN, KTM), 88 p.;
6. Lucy Barker (GBR, KTM), 87 p.;
7. Lotte Van Drunen (NED, YAM), 85 p.;
8. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, YAM), 84 p.;
9. April Franzoni (FRA, HON), 73 p.;
10. Lynn Valk (NED, TM), 57 p.
WMX Manufacturers – Top 10 Classification:
1. GASGAS, 150 points;
2. Yamaha, 107 p.;
3. Kawasaki, 100 p.;
4. KTM, 97 p.;
5. Honda, 88 p.;
6. TM Moto, 57 p.;
7. Husqvarna, 48 p.;
8. Triumph, 26 p.
2026 FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship dates:
* Round 1: May 23–24, 2026 Lacapelle-Marival, France
* Round 2: May 30–31, 2026 Teutschenthal, Germany
* Round 3: July 18–19, 2026 Foxhill, Great Britain
* Round 4: August 22–23, 2026 Arnhem, Netherlands
* Round 5: September 19–20, 2026 Darwin, Australia
