Race Across the World season 4 has been and gone... which team managed to win the fourth instalment of the thrilling challenge series?!
As before, the fourth series followed a fresh batch of intrepid Brits who undertook an epic race across several countries, without the aid of their smartphones, bank cards, or the internet. Just like in past seasons, the competition pushed our contestants to their limits as they did whatever they could to try and cross the finish line first and bag 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 navigated their way across Asia, from Japan to Indonesia. Here's everything you need to know about Race Across the World season 4,
Who won Race Across the World season 4?
Alfie and Owen managed to reach the finish line first, just minutes ahead of their closest rivals, Eugenie and Isabel. The pair were clearly ecstatic when they opened the logbook, and agreed that finding out they came in first place was 'the best moment of our lives'.
Their win also makes them the youngest team to claim victory as both were just 21 years old when they won.
Race Across the World season 4: how to watch & release date
Race Across the World season 4 has now aired, but you can revisit the series on BBC iPlayer.
The show premiered on Wednesday, April 10 at 9 pm on BBC one, with subsequent episodes airing on a weekly basis through to the final on Wednesday, May 29 at 9 pm.
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.
Week Four: The fourth leg of the race saw the teams leaving Phnom Penh in Cambodia and traveling 1400km through Thailand. Stephen and Viv ended up being the first pair to reach the latest checkpoint in Mae Sariang, Thailand, with Eugenie and Isabel arriving just two minutes behind them and Betty and James coming in third. Meanwhile, Alfie and Owen had faced delays in their trip and ended up well behind the others following a whitewater rafting trip. The last time we saw them in the episode, they were spending over £130 (5% of their remaining budget) just to take a taxi to the checkpoint.
Week Five: The fifth leg saw the teams traveling 1500km south from Mae Sariang to the next checkpoint on the largest of the Phi Phi Islands, Ko Phi Phi Don, via Thailand's capital, Bangkok. Betty and James ultimately arrived first, 14 minutes ahead of both Alfie and Owen (who'd worked hard to catch up after a disappointing fourth leg) and Stephen and Viv, with the latter pair just making it to the logbook first. Eugenie and Isabel, meanwhile, arrived more than two hours later.
Week Six: The sixth leg of the adventure took our remaining teams from Koh Phi Phi Thailand over 2000 km south to Bukittinggi, Indonesia. Alfie and Owen have started to build up a bit of a lead now, as they made it to the checkpoint at Pati Ecolodge one day ahead of the rest of the team.
Week Seven: The penultimate leg of the race took our teams from Bukittinggi to Jakarta. Alfie and Owen managed to cling onto their lead in the race, but Eugenie and Isabel managed to catch them up and arrive at the Orient Hotel checkpoint just 12 minutes behind them.
Week Eight: The final leg began just a couple hours after fourth-place finishes Stephen & Viv arrived at the hotel, The race was tightly-fought between Alfie and Owen and Eugenie and Isabel, with both teams crossing paths a number of times on the journey between Jakarta and the finish line on the beach of Gili Meno. After 50 days on the road and with just 1% of their budget remaining, Alfie and Owen managed to reach the checkpoint first, just eight minutes ahead of Eugenie and Isabel. Betty and James arrived a day later, and then Stephen and Viv crossed the line in fourth place, over 30 hours after our winners.
What was the route for Race Across the World season 4?
As we mentioned, season 4 tasked our teams with a trip across Eastern Asia. In total, all five duos battled across a 15,000 kilometre race, crossing eight borders, six seas and a number of countries in the process.
Their journey began in Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan; the finish line? Lombok, an idyllic Indonesian island paradise. That journey saw our groups contending with all manner of challenges as they independently picked their way towards the endpoint, and saw them skirting the path of the volcanic ring of fire... the most geologically unstable region on the planet.
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: Who were the teams?
Below, you can learn a little bit more about each of our ten contestants from the series.
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 (at time of filming)
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 need a brief refresh of how Race Across the World works, and how much the first pair to reach their destination stands to win, here's how the format works.
Across eight episodes, our five pairs were tasked with making their way 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 were tasked with reaching checkpoints, where they can take quick breaks, though the last pair to reach one of the checkpoints partway through ended up exiting the race partway through.
The fastest team to complete the entire journey and reach the end destination first bagged 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 in 2023. 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", she added.
