Race Across the World

The race starts in Sapporo, Hokkaido's capital. Teams must cover 1,600 kilometers to reach the first checkpoint in Nara City.

The teams leave Nara City, they must cross their first border into South Korea to reach the second checkpoint in the seaside town of Sokcho.

The teams enter south east Asia for the first time, starting the third leg from Vietnamese capital Hanoi. The competition intensifies as the team in last place faces elimination.

The teams start from the third checkpoint in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, at the end of Pchum Ben (Ancestors' Day), with a chance to receive a blessing and honor loved ones.

The teams must navigate the full length of Thailand to reach the next checkpoint - Koh Phi Phi - an archipelago of islands immortalised by the Hollywood blockbuster movie The Beach.

The teams leave Thailand behind to embark on a 2,000km journey across Malaysia to the rarely visited Indonesian island of Sumatra, where the sixth checkpoint lies.

Travelling through Sumatra, teams will endure an ad-hoc transport system, limited accommodation options and virtually zero English spoken.

After racing nearly 14,000 kilometres over seven weeks, it’s all come down to 12 minutes. That’s all that separates the first two teams as they embark on the final leg of their Race Across the World from Jakarta to Lombok.

Six months after finishing their race across the world, the five intrepid teams are reunited in London for the first time. Together, they look back at the 51-day thrilling adventure that began in the northernmost part of Japan.