Race Across The World is back for 2020 – here’s all you need to know.
The hit BBC Two show will return for a second series in March with eight episodes.
Race Across The World sees pairs of travellers will race from the start line in one part of the world to the finish thousands of miles away – without the use of air travel or any of the trappings of modern day life.
They must navigate their way through the varied landscapes of countries at ground level, with only the cash equivalent (£1,453) of the airfare to their final destination.
Race Across The World 2020 route and episodes
Race Across The World series 2 airs on Sunday nights at 8PM on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
For 2020, Race Across The World sees the teams going from the top to bottom of Latin America – from Mexico City to the most southerly city in the world, Ushuaia in Argentina. Up for grabs is a cash prize of £20,000.
Episode 1 – March 8 – watch online
In the first episode, the teams set off from Mexico City – a gargantuan metropolis and the largest Spanish speaking city in the world. Throughout the entire race, the teams must pass through seven checkpoints to reach their final destination. First up – Copan Ruinas in Honduras.
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Episode 2 – March 15 – watch online
The race to Ushuaia is underway and the five teams head out of Copan Ruinas in western Honduras to their next checkpoint – Panama City – a journey that sees them travel across vast swathes of Central America, passing through Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.
Episode 3 – March 22 – watch online
Setting off from Panama City, they take to the Caribbean Sea, by-passing the most dangerous place in the Western Hemisphere – the Darien Gap. Added complications ensue when a state of emergency is declared in Quito, Ecuador – the destination of their next checkpoint. Teams are forced to change their routes mid-race and head instead to Villavieja, in the remote Colombian desert.
Episode 4 – March 29 – watch online
As the 25,000-km race to Ushuaia approaches the half-way mark, the teams compete not just with each other but with the extreme altitudes of Peru. At the checkpoint in the Tatacoa Desert, leaders Emon and Jamiul are first to learn that the fourth checkpoint is Puno, a city in southern Peru sitting at 3,827m up on the edge of the highest and largest lake in South America, Lake Titicaca.
Episode 5 – April 5 – watch online
The teams have reached the halfway mark in the 25,000km race to Ushuaia, and with only eight and a half hours between them, the race is on. To reach the next checkpoint – Cafayate in Argentina – teams must choose to travel through either Bolivia or Chile, but an unstable political climate in both countries puts everyone’s journeys at risk. With half the race still to complete, emotions are pushed to breaking point.
Episode 6 – April 12 – watch online
The next checkpoint is the island of Ihla Grande, Brazil, positioned half way between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo. Teams must travel 3,600km east across the continent, making it the longest leg of the race so far, all whilst dealing with an ever dwindling budget and a brand new language to contend with.
Episode 7 – April 19 – watch online
After 17,000 kilometres, there are just 24 hours separating the teams, but with two legs left and almost 8,000 km to the finish line in Ushuaia, depleted budgets come into sharp focus. The next checkpoint is Mendoza in western Argentina.
Episode 8 – April 26 – watch online
After 21,000 kilometres, two continents and 17 countries, the teams embark on the final leg of their epic journey. However, a mammoth 4,800km still stands between them and the finish line of Ushuaia, Argentina, the most southerly city in the world.
Episode 9 – May 3 – watch online
The five teams reunite for the first time to reveal fascinating insights into their different strategies and individual experiences – from their highest highs to their lowest lows.
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Race Across The World 2020 contestants
Five teams of pairs make up the Race Across The World 2020 cast. They are:
– Married couple Rob and Jen, both 33, from Reading.
– Dom, 22 and Lizzie, 21, a brother and sister pairing from Wetherby, West Yorkshire.
– Couple Michael, 47, and Shuntelle, 40, from South London who have been together three years.
– Mum and son pairing Jo, 54, and Sam, 19, from Manchester.
– Uncle and nephew Emon, 35, and Jamiul, 25, from Oldham, Lancashire.
Watch Race Across The World on Sunday nights at 8PM on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
Meanwhile a Celebrity Race Across the World spin-off has been confirmed to air on BBC One.
Celebrity Race Across The World will air over six episodes with an air date and cast to be confirmed.
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