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Race Across the World series 5

The fifth series of Race Across the World began airing on 23 April 2025. Each two-person team was required to complete the 14,000 kilometres (8,700 mi) route from China to India without using air travel with a budget equivalent to the cost of the air fare.

Race Across the World
Series 5
Presented byJohn Hannah (narrator)
No. of days51
No. of contestants10
WinnersCaroline and Tom Bridge
No. of legs8
Distance traveled14,000 km (8,700 mi)
No. of episodes9
Release
Original networkBBC One
Original release23 April (2025-04-23) –
18 June 2025 (2025-06-18)
Series chronology
← Previous
Celebrity Series 2

The five pairs of contestants are Brian & Melvyn, Gaz & Yin, Elizabeth & Letitia, Caroline & Tom, and Fin & Sioned.[1]

Start and end points
Huanghuacheng, China (top) and Kanyakumari, India (bottom)

Overview

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The fifth series of Race Across the World was a 14,000 km race starting from the Great Wall of China, passing through Nepal and finishing at Kanyakumari on the southern tip of India. Due to it not being possible to travel by land across the Himalayas from Shangri-La in China to Kathmandu in Nepal, the contestants were flown instead from China to India to continue the race.[2] This series features the tightest budget yet for a non-celebrity version with the contestants receiving £1,140 per person, the equivalent of £22 a day.[3]

Filming took place over eight weeks from October to December 2024.[4] In this series, some racers found themselves stranded by a typhoon that hit southern China in October 2024.[5] The winning team received £20,000.[6]

Contestants

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Name Relationship Occupation Age From Ref.
Gaz Former husband and wife 54 Kent [7]
Yin 54
Elizabeth Sisters Meditation facilitator 33 Worthing [8][9]
Letitia 26 Lancing
Fin Gough Partners 18 Nantgaredig [10][11][12]
Sioned Cray Receptionist 19
Brian Mole Brothers Retired financial advisor 62 Burton upon Trent [13][14][15]
Melvyn Mole Driving instructor 65 Middlesbrough
Caroline Bridge Mother and son Housewife 60 Hargrave [16][17][18]
Tom Bridge Labourer 21

Results summary

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Colour key:

  – Team eliminated
  – Series winners
Teams Position (by leg)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Caroline & Tom 5th 4th 3rd 2nd 1st 2nd 1st Winners
Elizabeth & Letitia 1st 1st 2nd 4th 3rd 3rd 2nd 2nd
Fin & Sioned 2nd 3rd 4th 3rd 4th 4th 3rd 3rd
Brian & Melvyn 4th 2nd 1st 1st 2nd 1st 4th 4th
Gaz & Yin 3rd 5th 5th

Route

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The checkpoints in the fifth series were:

Leg From To
1[19] Huanghuacheng Reservoir Dam,
Huanghuacheng, Huairou, Beijing, China 		Huangling Shaiqiu Hotel,
Huangling, Wuyuan County, Jiangxi, China
2[20] Huangling Shaiqiu Hotel,
Huangling, Wuyuan County, Jiangxi, China 		Phoenix Island Resort,
Sanya, Hainan, China
3[21] Phoenix Island Resort,
Sanya, Hainan, China 		Songtsam Linka Shangri-la,
Shangri-La, Yunnan, China
4[22] Tribhuvan International Airport,
Kathmandu, Nepal 		Amritara Suryauday Haveli
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
5[23] Amritara Suryauday Haveli
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India 		Amirtara Surya McLeodganj Dharamshala
McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh, India
6[24] Amirtara Surya McLeodganj Dharamshala
McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh, India 		The Fern Gir Forest Resort
Sasan Gir, Gujarat, India
7[25] The Fern Gir Forest Resort
Sasan Gir, Gujarat, India 		Grand Hyatt Goa
Panaji, Goa, India
8[26] Grand Hyatt Goa
Panaji, Goa, India 		Vattakottai Fort
Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, India
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Checkpoints on Series 5:   Checkpoint,   Start   Finish
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Checkpoints on Series 5:   Checkpoint,   Start   Finish

Race summary

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Mode of transportation   Rail     Boat / Ship     Bus/coach     Taxi     Private car   Cable car      Aeroplane     Boat
Activity   Working for money and/or bed and board     Excursion that cost time and money

Leg 1: Huanghuacheng, China → Huangling, China

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Huangling village

The race started from a point along the Great Wall of China overlooking the village of Huanghuacheng, and the contestants head to the first checkpoint in the village of Huangling in Wuyuan County, Jiangxi. All the racers tried to reach the city of Beijing where they can get trains to other cities, although Gaz & Yin took the wrong bus and went on a detour to Huairou. Caroline & Tom, however, failed to find a connection to their destination and was stranded in Beijing for two nights. Three teams went down the eastern China via Shandong; Fin & Sioned went via Qingdao to Shanghai, Gaz & Yin also went to Shanghai but via Qufu, while Caroline & Tom went through Jinan to Suzhou. Brian & Melvyn and Elizabeth & Letitia chose the inland routes; Brian & Melvyn went to the ancient capital Luoyang where they visited the Longmen Grottoes, while Elizabeth & Letitia went to Shijiazhuang and Bengbu where they worked on a farm for bed and board.

Elizabeth & Letitia took a train directly to Wuyuan from Bengbu, while Fin & Sioned went via Hangzhou. The teams had to take a cable car to reach the village of Huangling. Brian & Melvyn went on another trip to Nanjie, and did not reach Huangling until the following day. Caroline & Tom found that there was no direct train from Suzhou to Wuyuan and had to travel out of the way via Hefei, which meant they fell behind other teams.

Order Teams Route Time behind leaders Money left
1 Elizabeth & Letitia Huanghuacheng   → Beijing   → Shijiazhuang   → Bengbu     → Wuyuan   →   → Huangling — 88%
2 Fin & Sioned Huanghuacheng   → Beijing   → Qingdao   → Shanghai   → Hangzhou → → Wuyuan →   → Huangling 2 hours 59 minutes 88%
3 Gaz & Yin Huanghuacheng   → Huairou   → Beijing   → Qufu   → Shanghai   → Wuyuan →   → Huangling 6 hours 49 minutes 83%
4 Brian & Melvyn Huanghuacheng   → Beijing   → Louyang   → Longmen Grottoes     → Nanjie     → Wuyuan →   → Huangling 21 hours 16 minutes 84%
5 Caroline & Tom Huanghuacheng   → Beijing   → Jinan   → Suzhou   → Hefei   → →   → Huangling 25 hours 38 minutes 87%

Leg 2: Huangling, China → Sanya, China

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Phoenix Island, Sanya Bay

The race restarted on day 6 and the checkpoint was revealed to be the city of Sanya on Hainan Island. Teams had to backtrack to Wuyuan HSR Station, from there, all teams travelled onward to Shangrao Railway Station. Two teams, Elizabeth & Letitia and Gaz & Yin chose to travel inland into rural China on slow overnight trains in the cheapest seats available. Gaz & Yin headed towards the ancient town of Fenghuang in Hunan Province to work at a noodle bar, with Gaz as an usher for customers and Yin as a dishwasher; while Elizabeth & Letitia arrived in Hengyang on a K-series train transferred to a bullet train to Guilin before boarding a bus to Longji Rice Terraces, Longsheng Various Nationalities Autonomous County, Guangxi to visit rice paddies.

Meanwhile, Fin & Sioned, Brian & Melvyn and Caroline and Tom chose the coastal route via Fujian Province, with Fin & Sioned setting their sights on the coastal metropolis of Xiamen, and Brian & Melvyn choosing to travel to the sightseeing spot of Chuxi Tulou cluster in Xiayang, Yongding County, Longyan for work. Caroline and Tom, trying to catch up, also went to the city of Xiamen before finding their way to Guangzhou. Upon arrival in Guangzhou, they booked train tickets to Zhanjiang departing the afternoon of the day after. The morning of the day after, they worked as a cleaner and learn Kung Fu at a gym in Foshan, the birthplace of Bruce Lee's master Ip Man, before catching their train to Zhanjiang in the afternoon. Fin & Sioned spent some time on the beach of Zhuhai. Brian & Melvyn worked in Chuxi by helping to harvest bamboo shoots and Chinese herbal medicine.

Upon leaving Fenghuang, Gaz and Yin travelled to work on a family farm in Jiangtou ancient village in Jiuwu, Lingchuan County, Guangxi. Yin and Gaz paid for their food and board by working on a paddy field digging up lotus roots. All the other four teams also closed in on the checkpoint, making a final push to the checkpoint Sanya by making their way towards Zhanjiang and Xuwen.

An unforeseen circumstance of this episode was Typhoon Trami that was approaching the island of Hainan. With long-distance coach services being preemptively cancelled before the typhoon arrived, Brian and Melvyn had to pay for high speed rail services which were the only form of transportation they can still use. Elizabeth & Letitia were the first to arrive on Hainan Island by ferry amid torrential downpours due to the typhoon. They chose to take a bus from the ferry port in Haikou to Sanya, while Brian & Melvyn and Fin & Sioned took the train from Haikou to Sanya. From Sanya, the teams were given an instruction on their GPS to make their way to Sanya Qiche Zhan by any available means, either on foot or by taxi, before heading west on foot to find the beach and across the bridge to find the checkpoint hotel located at Phoenix Island Resort. Three pairs managed to make it to the checkpoint hotel by the end of this episode, with Elizabeth & Letitia finishing first and arriving at the hotel first at 19:57 on day 12, followed by Brian & Melvyn, and Fin & Sioned.

Two teams, Caroline & Tom and Gaz & Yin had not managed to reach Sanya, the checkpoint of this leg by the end of the episode. The torrential downpour stranded Caroline & Tom at Xinhai Harbour in Haikou. Gaz & Yin meanwhile were still on the mainland as the ferry service they were on could not depart for safety reasons. Gaz & Yin eventually arrived at the hotel almost two days behind the first team, and over a day behind the fourth team Caroline & Tom.

Order Teams Route Time behind leaders Money left
1 Elizabeth & Letitia Huangling   → Wuyuan   → Shangrao  → Hengyang, Hunan   → Guilin, Guangxi  → Longji Rice Terraces, Guangxi    →Guilin, Guangxi   → Zhanjiang, Guangdong   → Xuwen Port, Zhanjiang   → Haikou, Hainan →Phoenix Island Resort, Sanya, Hainan —
2 Brian & Melvyn Huangling   →Wuyuan   → Shangrao    → Chuxi Tulou cluster, Yongding, Longyan, Fujian     → Guangzhou   → Zhanjiang, Guangdong  → Xuwen Port, Zhanjiang   → Haikou, Hainan  →Phoenix Island Resort, Sanya, Hainan 3 hours and 54 minutes
3 Fin & Sioned Huangling   →Wuyuan   → Shangrao  → Xiamen, Fujian  → Zhuhai, Guangdong     → Zhanjiang, Guangdong  → Xuwen Port, Zhanjiang   → Haikou, Hainan  → Phoenix Island Resort, Sanya, Hainan 5 hours and 29 minutes
4 Caroline & Tom Huangling   →Wuyuan   → Shangrao   →Xiamen, Fujian   → Guangzhou, Guangdong   → Zhanjiang, Guangdong  → Xuwen Port, Zhanjiang   → Haikou Port New Seaport → Phoenix Island Resort, Sanya, Hainan 18 hours and 40 minutes 73%
5 Gaz & Yin Huangling   →Wuyuan   → Shangrao   → Fenghuang, Hunan     → Hengyang, Hunan   → Jiangtou, Lingchuan County, Guangxi     → Zhanjiang, Guangdong   → Xuwen Port, Zhanjiang   → Haikou, Hainan → Phoenix Island Resort, Sanya, Hainan 44 hours and 4 minutes 67%

Leg 3: Sanya, China → Shangri-La, China

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Shangri-La, Yunnan, China

Teams race from Sanya in Hainan island to Shangri-La, Yunnan, China. On day 15, Elizabeth & Letitia were the first duo to leave and they chose to go north through the Guizhou province. Brian & Melvyn were the second to leave and they chose the direct route to the west to Yunnan by taking an overnight bus to Nanning, Guangxi.

Brian & Melvyn went from Nanning to Puzhehei in Qiubei County, Yunnan where they worked for accommodation removing dead lotus leaves in a lake. Caroline & Tom hopped from bus to bus to Nanning. Fin & Sioned caught up with Elizabeth & Letitia in Zhanjiang, Guangdong, and both took the same train o Liuzhou in Guanxi. Fin & Sioned worked as cleaners in a hair salon in Liuzhou, while Elizabeth & Letitia →went on a sightseeing trip. Elizabeth & Letitia, however, had problems finding their hotel, and missed the connecting train to Anshun, Guizhou where they planned a homestay in Xueyuan village. Caroline & Tom went from Nanning to Funing County, Yunnan, but Tom left his moneybag at the hotel, fortunately the cleaner managed to find it among the rubbish cleaned out from the room. They worked in a restaurant while waiting for a train to Kunming, Yunnan. Elizabeth & Letitia also had money trouble as they were running out of local currency, but managed to find someone who exchanged the money on the train for them.

All teams had to travel to Kunming in Yunnan to catch a train to Shangri-La, Yunnan. Fin & Sioned went to Guiyang, Guizhou for some sightseeing, before taking a train to Kunming. In Shangri-La, Yunnan, the teams were directed to Ganden Sumtseling Monastery and from there they went to the checkpoint hotel, Songtsam Linka. Brian & Melvyn were the first team to arrive at the hotel on the 18th day, while the other three teams reached their destination on day 19.

Gaz & Yin, leaving a long way behind the other teams, attempted to catch a train to Nanning but failed, and had to go to Maoming, Guangdong to try to go to Kunming. The other teams however, had reached their destination and they were eliminated.

Order Teams Route Time behind leaders Money left
1 Brian & Melvyn Sanya, Hainan → → Haikou, Hainan     → Xuwen Port, Zhanjiang   → Nanning, Guangxi   → Puzhehei, Qiubei County, Yunnan     → Kunming, Yunnan  → Shangri-La, Yunnan — 61%
2 Elizabeth & Letitia Sanya, Hainan → → Haikou, Hainan   → Xuwen Port, Zhanjiang → Zhanjiang, Guangdong   → Liuzhou, Guangxi     → Anshun, Guizhou     → Xueyuan village   → Kunming, Yunnan   → Shangri-La, Yunnan 21 hours and 54 minutes 57%
3 Caroline & Tom Sanya, Hainan   → Xuwen Port, Zhanjiang   → Xuwen Port, Zhanjiang   → Zhanjiang, Guangdong   → Nanning, Guangxi → Funing County, Yunnan     → Kunming, Yunnan  → Shangri-La, Yunnan 23 hours and 9 minutes 59%
4 Fin & Sioned Sanya, Hainan →   → Haikou, Hainan   → Xuwen Port, Zhanjiang   → Zhanjiang, Guangdong   →   → Liuzhou, Guangxi   → Guiyang, Guizhou     → Kunming, Yunnan  → Shangri-La, Yunnan 23 hours and 34 minutes→ 48%
5 Gaz & Yin Sanya, Hainan → Haikou, Hainan   → Xuwen Port, Zhanjiang → Zhanjiang, Guangdong → Maoming, Guangdong

Leg 4: Kathmandu, Nepal → Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

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Varanasi, India

As it was not possible to travel overland across the Himalayas, all four teams were moved from China to Kathmandu in Nepal by plane so that they can resume the race. The destination in this leg was Varanasi in India, and this journey at just under 800 km made this the shortest leg yet. Brian & Melvyn were the first to depart almost a day ahead of all other teams on Day 22, and used the same strategy of using bed and board in homestay instead work for pay. They head West to Bandipur where they pay for bed and board by working on a farm.

Elizabeth & Letitia intended to head directly south to Bodh Gaya, India, They stopped at Panauti to work in a restaurant, However, they found that the road to the border town of Birgunj may be unreliable, and had to return to Kathmandu before taking a taxi to the India–Nepal border at Birgunj to try to make up for lost time. Caroline & Tom headed west to Pokhara to see more of Nepal. They stayed at a home in Bhalam before taking an overnight bus to the border at Sonauli/Belahiya. They were the first team to cross the border into India; they travelled to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, where they worked in a restaurant.

Fin & Sioned, who had the least amount of money, chose to stay in a hostel to save on money so they can go on a safari at Chitwan National Park. From there they travelled to Pokhara where they worked in a hostel to a night's stay there.

On their way to the border, Brian & Melvyn stopped near Tansen, Nepal to try Zip-lining. They crossed into India at Belahiya, they travelled to Varanasi by bus. On the 26th Day, Brian & Melvyn were again the first team to arrive at the check point, the Amritara Suryauday Haveli on Shivala Ghat in Varanasi. Caroline & Tom arrived two hours later after travelling by train from Gorakhpur. Both Fin & Sioned and Elizabeth & Letitia arrived a day later.

Order Teams Route Time behind leaders Money left
1 Brian & Melvyn   → Kathmandu, Nepal   → Bandipur     → Tansen, Nepal   → Belahiya/Sonauli → →   → Varanasi, India — 48%
2 Caroline & Tom   → Kathmandu, Nepal   → Pokhara → Bhalam   → Belahiya/Sonauli   → Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India   →   → Varanasi, India 4 hours 15 minutes 54%
3 Fin & Sioned   → Kathmandu, Nepal   → Chitwan National Park   → → Pokhara     → Belahiya/Sonauli   → Gorakhpur →   → Varanasi, India 27 hours 57 minutes 38%
4 Elizabeth & Letitia   → Kathmandu, Nepal   → Panauti     → Kathmandu   → Birgunj → Bodh Gaya, India   →   → Varanasi, India 28 hours 47 minutes

Leg 5: Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India → McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh, India

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McLeod Ganj in Himachal Pradesh

The teams raced from Varanasi to McLeod Ganj in Himachal Pradesh in this leg. Brian & Melvyn were the first team to leave Varanasi on the 28th day, taking a overnight sleeper bus direct to Delhi, and from there they went to Rishikesh where they practiced yoga at an ashram. Caroline & Tom also chose the route to Delhi, but stopped at Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh to recycle temple flowers to make incense sticks. They used the money they earned to take a taxi to Mathura where they visited the Elephant Conservation and Care Center and volunteered working there.

Elizabeth & Letitia also went via the Delhi route, stopping at Agra to work at a hostel before visiting the Taj Mahal. In Delhi, they were the only team to take a train out of Delhi to Chandigarh. Fin & Sioned avoided Delhi and took a bus to the capital of Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow. They intended to take a bus to Dehradun but missed the bus after the tuk tuk driver took them to the wrong place.

Brian & Melvyn went to Dehradun but missed the bus to Shimla and had to stay overnight there. Caroline & Tom after reaching Delhi, took a bus to Chandigarh before racing to McLeod Ganj in Himachal Pradesh]. On Day 32, they were the first to reach the check point, Amritara Surya, McLeod Ganj, followed by Brian & Melvyn and Elizabeth & Letitia.

After reaching Dehradun, Fin & Sioned went to Mussoorie to stay at a home there. When they reached Dehradun, they found that they were two days behind the other teams. They finally arrived at the checkpoint 33 hours behind.

Order Teams Route Time behind leaders Money left
1 Caroline & Tom Varanasi   → Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh     → Mathura, Uttar Pradesh → Elephant Conservation and Care Center     → Chandigarh   →   → McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh India — 45%
2 Brian & Melvyn Varanasi   → Delhi →   → Rishikesh   → Dehradun → Shimla   →   → McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh India 5 hours 10 minutes 38%
3 Elizabeth & Letitia Varanasi   → Agra, Uttar Pradesh   → Delhi   → Chandigarh   →   → McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh India 9 hours 33 minutes 41%
4 Fin & Sioned Varanasi   → Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh   → Dehradun → Mussoorie   → →   → McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh India 33 hours 28 minutes 30%

Leg 6: McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh, India → Sasan Gir, Gujarat, India

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Lions in Sasan Gir

The checkpoint for the 6th leg was the village that serves as the gateway to the Gir National Park, Sasan Gir in Gujarat. The teams had to travel 1,900 km away crossing four Indian states. Caroline & Tom were the first to depart, taking a sleeper bus to Jodhpur, aiming to head to a desert region. Brian & Melvyn also wanted to go the desert, but going to Amritsar first where they visited the Golden Temple before heading to Jodhpur. Elizabeth & Letitia also went to Amritsar, but went to Jodhpur via Pushkar, where they visited Pushkar Lake. Fin & Sioned aimed to catch up by travelling non-stop to Jaipur and Udaipur in Rajasthan.

After reaching Jodhpur, Caroline & Tom went to work and stay in Salawas, a village on the outskirt of Jodhpur. They were the first team to reach Gujarat when they reached Amdavad. The went to the village of Zainabad to see the Little Rann of Kutch salt marshes next to Thar Desert . Brian & Melvyn also reached Gujarat and went to see the Thar Desert in the village of Rajpura. Fin & Sioned worked outside Udaipur to pay for the accommodation.

After staying for some time in the Little Rann of Kutch Caroline & Tom took a taxi to Junagadh and another to Sasan Gir to try to catch up. Brian & Melvyn however were the first to arrive at the checkpoint, The Fern Gir Forest Resort in Sasan Gir on Day 40.

Order Teams Route Time behind leaders Money left
1 Brian & Melvyn Mcleod Ganj   → Amritsar     → Jodhpur   → Rajpura (Thar Desert)     → Rajkot   → Sasan Gir, Gujarat — 31%
2 Caroline & Tom Mcleod Ganj   → Jodhpur → Salawas   → Ahmedabad → Zainabad, Gujarat (Little Rann of Kutch)     → Junagadh   → Sasan Gir, Gujarat 2 hours 35%
3 Elizabeth & Letitia Mcleod Ganj   →   → Amritsar   → Pushkar     → Jodhpur   →   → Sasan Gir, Gujarat 4 hours 48 minutes 31%
4 Fin & Sioned Mcleod Ganj   → Jaipur   → Udaipur     → Rajkot   → Sasan Gir, Gujarat 6 hours 26 minutes 21%

Leg 7: Sasan Gir, Gujarat, India → Panaji, Goa, India

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Grand Hyatt Goa in Panaji

For the penultimate leg, all four teams raced from Sasan Gir almost 1,500 km south to the capital of Goa, Panaji. Brian & Melvyn, the first pair to depart, chose to take a taxi to try to catch a twice-daily ferry to cross the Gulf of Khambhat from the ferry port of Ghogha of the Kathiawar peninsula to Surat. Caroline & Tom took the coastal route by bus, from Diu to Bhavnagar. They chose not to take the ferry, instead took an overnight bus to Mumbai in Maharashtra. Two teams chose to go back up north to Rajkot before heading south; Elizabeth & Letitia took a train to Palghar, where they worked to stay in a retreat in the village of Zadapoli, while Fin & Sioned went by bus overnight to Vadodara, where they worked serving chai tea.

Other than Caroline & Tom, all three teams avoided going via Mumbai. Brian & Melvyn however, were the only team to take an inland route to the wine capital of India, Nashik. They went to stay in the Vallonne Vineyards in Igatpuri where they worked for discounted accommodation. Fin & Sioned originally intended to go to Mumbai but changed their plan after hearing that train ticket from Mumbai to Goa needed to be booked well in advance, and took an overnight bus to Pune instead. They found that there would not be bus to Goa until the following evening, so chose to take an earlier bus to Kolhapur. In Mumbai, Caroline & Tom took a train to Churchgate railway station and found that they had go on a waiting list with no guarantee that they would get a ticket the next morning. In the meantime they toured the suburb of Mumbai Bandra.

On Day 46, Caroline & Tom found that they have confirmed seats on the train for Margao, Goa. They reached the checkpoint at the Grand Hyatt Goa in Panaji first. Elizabeth & Letitia went to a place 22 km northeast of Mumbai to catch a train to Goa and finished second. Fin & Sioned took a taxi to Panaji from Kolhapur and finished third. Brian & Melvyn took a bus to Panaji and found that they were last and 17 hours behind the leaders.

Order Teams Route Time behind leaders Money left
1 Caroline & Tom Sasan Gir, Gujarat   → Diu   → Bhavnagar   → Mumbai, Maharashtra     → Margao, Goa → Panaji, Goa — 26%
2 Elizabeth & Letitia Sasan Gir, Gujarat   → Rajkot   → Palghar   →   → Panaji, Goa 6 hours 54 minutes 17%
3 Fin & Sioned Sasan Gir, Gujarat   → → Vadodara     → Pune   → Kolhapur   → Panaji, Goa 7 hours 48 minutes 12%
4 Brian & Melvyn Sasan Gir, Gujarat   → Ghogha   → Hazira (Surat)   → Nashik   → Igatpuri     →   → Panaji, Goa 17 hours 11 minutes 19%

Leg 8: Panaji, Goa, India → Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, India

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Vattakottai Fort near Kanyakumari

On Day 48, teams left Panaji and raced for the final time to the southernmost tip of India, Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. Caroline & Tom were the first team to leave, and they chose the direct coastal route to Kochi in Kerala. However, they found that there was an early train to Udupi, Karnataka, and they chose to go there first. Elizabeth & Letitia chose to go inland, taking a sleeper bus to Mysore, Karnataka. Fin & Sioned also took the inland route by bus, Bengaluru, Karnataka. The last pair to leave, Brian & Melvyn, hoped to make up time by taking a taxi all the way down the Malabar Coast to Mangaluru, Karnataka. Once they reached Mangaluru, they quickly took a train to Kozhikode in Kerala.

In Udupi, Caroline & Tom found that there were no bus or train tickets that day, and had to stay a day there before they can catch an overnight sleeper bus to Kochi. They decided to go on a water safari to the nearby Jumadi Islands. Fin & Sioned, having reached Bengaluru in Karnataka, explored the city while waiting for their next bus to Madurai in Tamil Nadu. Elizabeth & Letitia homestayed in Mysore, and went as guests to an Indian wedding. They took a taxi to Madurai, Tamil Nadu the next day, where Fin & Sioned had already arrived.

Brian & Melvyn spent the night in Kozhikode after reaching there, and took the train to Kochi the following day. Caroline & Tom, however, had reached Kochi before them. After going to see how local fishermen work, they decided to take a taxi all the way to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. Brian & Melvyn also followed with a taxi from Kochi. Both Fin & Sioned and Elizabeth & Letitia also took the taxi to Kanyakumari. Caroline & Tom saw Fin & Sioned when they reached Kanyakumari, and raced to the most southerly tip of India. The teams were instructed to go to Our Lady of Ransom Church before they were directed to go by boat to the Arockiapuram fishing village before racing by foot to the final checkpoint Vattakottai Fort. Caroline & Tom were the first team to arrive, followed by Elizabeth & Letitia 19 minutes later, and Fin & Sioned 45 minutes behind. Brian & Melvyn finished last, just 3 hours 5 minutes behind the leaders.

Order Teams Route Time behind leaders Money left
1 Caroline & Tom Panaji, Goa   → Madgaon   →,Udupi, Karnataka → Jumadi Islands   → Kochi, Kerala   → Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu   → Arockiapuram → Vattakottai Fort —
2 Elizabeth & Letitia Panaji, Goa   →   → Mysore, Karnataka   → Madurai, Tamil Nadu   → Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu   → Arockiapuram → Vattakottai Fort 19 minutes
3 Fin & Sioned Panaji, Goa   → Bengaluru, Karnataka     → Madurai, Tamil Nadu   → Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu   → Arockiapuram → Vattakottai Fort 45 minutes
4 Brian & Melvyn Panaji, Goa   → Mangaluru, Karnataka   → Kozhikode, Kerala     → Kochi, Kerala   → Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu   → Arockiapuram → Vattakottai Fort 3 hours 5 minutes

Ratings

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Episode
no.		 Airdate Total viewers
(millions)[27]		 Weekly ranking
all channels[27]
1 23 April 2025 5.86 1
2 30 April 2025 5.95 1
3 7 May 2025 6.01 1
4 14 May 2025 5.85 2
5 21 May 2025 5.86 1
6 28 May 2025 5.94 1
7 4 June 2025 6.05 1
8 11 June 2025 6.55 1
9 18 June 2025 3.34 14

References

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  1. ^ Mensah, Katelyn (14 May 2025). "Race Across the World 2025 cast: Meet the contestants in the line-up". Radio Times.
  2. ^ Waddell, Lily (15 May 2025). "Why Race Across the World stars break rule to get flight". Yahoo! News.
  3. ^ Venn, Lydia (7 May 2025). "How Race Across The World budgets have changed over the years, from over £2K to less than £25 a day". Cosmopolitan.
  4. ^ Evans, Matthew (16 January 2025). "Applications open for Race Across the World - how to apply". The Northern Echo.
  5. ^ Mensah, Katelyn (30 April 2025). "Race Across the World contestants stranded by typhoon – risk missing checkpoint".
  6. ^ Jessop, Vicky (23 April 2025). "Race Across the World Season 5 on BBC One review: I'm not crying, you are". The Evening Standard.
  7. ^ "BBC One - Race Across the World, Series 4 - Gaz and Yin". BBC.
  8. ^ "Elizabeth and Letitia". BBC.
  9. ^ "Meet the Sussex sisters who are starring in Race Across the World". Yahoo News. 30 April 2025. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  10. ^ "Fin and Sioned". BBC.
  11. ^ Smith, Kelly (23 April 2025). "BBC Race Across the World 2025 cast, location and how to watch as new series starts". Surrey Live.
  12. ^ "'Race Across the World a huge culture shock' - says young couple". www.bbc.com. 23 April 2025. Retrieved 25 April 2025.
  13. ^ "Brian and Melvyn". BBC.
  14. ^ "New Race Across The World duo 'nearly walked out' after seeing accommodation". Braintree and Witham Times. 23 April 2025.
  15. ^ McLaughlin, Charlotte (23 April 2025). "New Race Across The World duo 'nearly walked out' after seeing accommodation". The Standard. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  16. ^ "Caroline and Tom". BBC.
  17. ^ Amos, Johnny (23 April 2025). "Suffolk mother and son to appear on Race Across The World". East Anglian Daily Times.
  18. ^ "Race Across the World 'much harder' than Suffolk duo expected". www.bbc.com. 24 April 2025. Retrieved 25 April 2025.
  19. ^ "BBC One - Race Across the World, Series 5, Episode 1". BBC. Retrieved 25 April 2025.
  20. ^ "BBC One - Race Across the World, Series 5, Episode 2". BBC. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  21. ^ "BBC One - Race Across the World, Series 5, Episode 3". BBC. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  22. ^ "BBC One - Race Across the World, Series 5, Episode 4". BBC. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  23. ^ "BBC One - Race Across the World, Series 5, Episode 5". BBC. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  24. ^ "BBC One - Race Across the World, Series 5, Episode 6". BBC. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  25. ^ "BBC One - Race Across the World, Series 5, Episode 7". BBC. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  26. ^ "BBC One - Race Across the World, Series 5, The Final". BBC. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  27. ^ a b "Most viewed programmes Barb". Retrieved 1 May 2024.
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