Race Across the World season 4 sees the BAFTA-winning, globetrotting challenge series return for another thrilling trek. The race is well underway now, and one team's journey has come to an end.
As before, this new series will see a new batch of intrepid Brits setting out on an epic race across several countries, without the aid of their smartphones, bank cards, or the internet. The test will push them to their physical and emotional limits as they vie to make it to the finish line first, in the hopes of bagging a big cash prize.
Race Across the World season 3 saw our stars completing a 16,000 km journey across Canada, from Vancouver to St John's, Newfoundland. This time around, our travelers are navigating Eastern Asia.
The third leg of the journey saw the groups being told their journey would not continue into China from South Korea. Instead, they had to fly to Vietnam to continue the challenge, racing from Hanoi to the next checkpoint: Phnom Penh in Cambodia.
Here's everything you need to know about Race Across the World season 4.
Race Across the World season 4: next episode & release date
Race Across the World season 4 kicked off on Wednesday, April 10 at 9 pm on BBC One.
The rest of the series airs in the same slot on a weekly basis, with episode 4 airing on Wednesday, May 1. If you can't tune in live, here's how to watch Race Across the World the series on BBC iPlayer.
Looking for more shows to enjoy? Check out What To Watch's guides to the best BBC dramas and best BBC comedies we think you should be streaming on iPlayer.
Today's the day! 🙌Don't miss #RaceAcrossTheWorld tonight at 9pm on @BBCOne and @BBCiPlayer 🌏🏃♂️🏃♀️ pic.twitter.com/y1AxWSNbppApril 10, 2024
Race Across the World season 4 episode guide
Week One: The first episode of Race Across the World season 4 saw the five teams beginning their journey in Sapporo, the capital of Japan's northernmost island, Hokkaido. From there, the teams learned their endpoint (Lombok). Their first checkpoint was Nara City, and the teams were surprised to learn that there was an extra stipulation in place: They would not be allowed to make use Japan's bullet trains. Eugenie and Isabel managed to reach the hotel first, just two minutes ahead of Alfie and Owen. Brydie and Sharon reached the checkpoint last, arriving 4 hours and 14 minutes after our winners.
Week Two: The teams' second leg took them from Japan to South Korea. Arriving in Busan by ferry from Hakata, Japan, the teams headed north to their second checkpoint in the seaside city of Sokcho, South Korea. Eugenie and Isabel managed to keep hold of their lead, being the first pair to reach the next checkpoint hotel four hours ahead of Alfie and Owen. Betty and James and Stephen and Viv arrived the following day. Meanwhile, Brydie and Sharon were 370 km away, earning some cash picking up chestnuts with a Korean family.
Week Three: As it was 'not possible' to travel through China, all five teams had to fly from South Korea to Hanoi, Vietnam and travel from there to the next checkpoint: Phnom Penh, in Cambodia. Three of the teams opted to use the rail network for the majority of the trip (not realizing the trains aren't the fastest), whilst the other two caught buses. Alfie and Owen managed to reach the checkpoint first, beating Eugenie and Isabel for the first time. Betty and James followed in third place. The following day, Stephen and Viv arrived, followed by Sharon and Brydie. Since they were the last to arrive, they bowed out of the competition there and then.
What's the route for Race Across the World season 4?
As we mentioned, our teams this time face a trip across Eastern Asia. In total, all five duos will battle it out on a 15,000 kilometre race, crossing eight bordes, six seas and a number of countries.
Their journey begins in Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan; the finish line? Lombok, an idyllic Indonesian island paradise. That journey will see the groups skirting the path of the volcanic ring of fire... the most geologically unstable region on the planet.
Ahead of the show's return, we know that the teams face a 1600 km journey to the first checkpoint in Nara City where only a small percentage of the population speaks English.
Past series saw the contestants trekking from London to Singapore (season 1), from Mexico City to Argentina (season 2) and across Canada (season 3).
Race Across the World season 4 cast: Meet the teams for the new series
Below, you can learn a little bit more about each of our ten contestants from the new series. This time around, we've got two mother-daughter duos, a married couple, a sibling duo, and a pair of best friends undertaking the challenge. We've also detailed who's out of the race/
Sharon & Brydie — mother and daughter - ELIMINATED
Ages: 25 (Brydie), 52 (Sharon)
Jobs: Snowboarding instructor (Brydie), Cleaner (Sharon)
From: Kent
Brydie and Sharon are one of the two mother-and-daughter pairings that are part of the Race Across the World season 4 cast. Both sound very confident that they'll be bagging the cash prize for themselves. Asked whether they've got the stuff to win it, Brydie says: "When you're mum and daughter, I think you're even tighter, you want to make each other proud and happy. So, I think we're deadly, one to watch out for".
The pair were the first to bow out of the race, as they were the last to make it to the checkpoint in Cambodia.
Stephen & Viv — husband & wife
Ages: 61 (Stephen), 65 (Viv)
Jobs: N/A; both are retired
From: Rutland
Retired couple Stephen and Viv admit that they are 'not going to beat anyone in a footrace', but they believe that their life experience and maturity might give them a perspective that the other teams won't have in the race. Viv says they're a competitive couple and it sounds like they're not going to let the other teams write them out of the running. Stephen adds: "Of course we want to win, who wouldn't. We'll just do everything we can, within the rules, to make that happen".
Eugenie & Isabel — mother & daughter
Ages: 60 (Eugenie), 25 (Isabel)
Jobs: Teacher (Eugenie), Trainee Clinical Scientist (Isabel)
From: Barking/Birmingham
The BBC has described mother and daughter pair Eugenie and Isabel as having 'clashing personalities and contrasting strengths'... which sounds like it could cause some trouble on the road. However, Eugenie has said that this new challenge will be the perfect opportunity to improve their mutual understanding. "This is going to be brilliant, 24/7 just with each other all the time, we've got no choice but to work things out and bond", she said.
Alfie & Owen — best friends
Ages: 20
Jobs: Trainee Pilot (Owen), Football Referee (Alfie)
From: Hertfordshire
Alfie and Owen have been best friends since school. Alfie says he thinks the pair 'like a sense of adventure', whilst Owen says they 'don't really shy away from opportunities', nor do they like wasting their time on holiday. Both sound like vital skills when it comes to the show!
Betty & James — brother & sister
Ages: 25 (Betty), 21 (James)
Jobs: Social Media and Events Manager for a Gym (Betty), Recruitment (James)
From: Yorkshire
Betty and James are a brother and sister pair who aren't in touch too much now they're both adults. Betty's the one who got the pair involved in the first instance; in her words, 'I got the application thing going and James got dragged along for the journey'. Which is very funny, given she's also said their older brother Matt would have been her first choice for the show, if he hadn't been in Canada!
Is there a Race Across the World season 4 trailer?
Yes! A short Race Across the World season 4 trailer arrived just one week ahead of the show's debut. Although it doesn't show much footage, it tees up the groups' route from Sapporo, Japan to Lombok, Indonesia, and gives us a few snapshots of the amazing sights they take in on their journeys.
How does Race Across the World work?
If you're tuning in for the very first time. you might need a brief refresh of how Race Across the World works... and how much the first pair to reach their destination stands to win.
Across eight episodes, our five pairs will be tasked with making their trek across countries, without the aid of their smartphones, internet access, bank cards, or (in some cases), air travel.
The duos are given a set amount of cash and a handful of tools like a map and GPS device to track their progress and may use that cash to make the journey as fast as they can. Along the way, they're tasked with reaching checkpoints, where they can take quick breaks (though the last pair to reach these checkpoints might find themselves being eliminated from the race altogether).
The fastest team to complete the entire journey and reach the end destination first bags a grand prize worth £20,000.
Who won Race Across the World season 3?
Tricia and Cathie have been friends since they were 13 years old, and the pair managed to win the show last year, bagging £20,000 between them.
Chatting about their win on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, Cathie said: "It was incredible, quite surreal, [there's] disbelief but also tinged with sadness that it has actually come to an end. It was this incredible time, some of it indescribable and then turning the book over and finding that we'd won, I don't think either of us had any words, we just kind of screamed and blubbed at each other for the next 10 minutes."
