Race Across the World 2026 filming locations, route and full list of contestants
Race Across the World returned to BBC for its sixth season on Thursday April 2, and five new teams are raring to go as they race over 12,000km in the hopes of getting across the finish line first.In a bid to make it to the final destination first and win £20,000 each team won't have any access to their phones, social media or bank cards.Last year, it was mother and son duo Caroline and Tom became the first pair to reach the final checkpoint in Kanniyakumari and claim the whopping prize pot for themselves.Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. And don't miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.When realising they arrived first, an emotional Caroline said: "We must never doubt ourselves again. Ever, ever, ever." Tom added: "That’s a really good feeling, I’m lost for words, I can’t believe it."51 days racing through countries I never thought I’d go to, I never thought we’d come this far, I never thought we’d achieve so much and I’ve never been prouder of my mum – she got me through it."Who are the contestants?Jo and KushChildhood best friends from Liverpool, Jo (19, College Student) and Kush (19, gap-year student), are the youngest duo in the race, and this will be their first taste of true independence away from home.Katie and HarrisonHailing from Manchester, inseparable siblings Katie (21, Account Manager) and Harrison (23, Finance Assistant) are ready to take on a new challenge.Andrew and MollyJunior Doctor Molly (23) and her father Andrew (54, Geography Teacher) from Northern Ireland are ready to push themselves to their limit.Puja and RoshniPuja (31, doctor) and her cousin Roshni (32, software engineer) have put their lives on hold to build their successful careers - until now.Mark and MargoUnlikely duo Mark (66, retired architect) from London, and Margo (59, hypnotherapist) from Liverpool, have spent the last 40 years with a typically fractious in-laws' relationship. However, they're ready to put their differences to one side.What is this year's route for Race Across the World and where is it filmed?The route will take the contestants through Italy, Greece, Türkiye, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia. It will be the most extreme race to date, where conditions swing from 30-degree Mediterranean heat to subarctic temperatures of –20°C.All five teams will race from Palermo on the island of Sicily all the way to the remote village of Hatgal on the shores of lake Hövsgöl, in northern Mongolia. Retracing parts of the ancient Silk Road, they’ll follow in the footsteps of traders who once connected the east and west across these vast, unforgiving landscapes.They’ll have to navigate their way from the bustling streets of Italy – one of the world’s most visited destinations – to one of its most remote, the windswept Mongolian steppe.
