Like much of the nation, I’ve been glued to the BBC‘s megahit Race Across The World, which sees pairs go head-to-head in a quest to travel through multiple countries, in a bid to win £20,000 in prize money.
But given I don’t have the budget, or the willpower, to complete a similar 9,000 mile trip across Asia or Canada, the opportunity to tackle the brand new experience inspired by the beloved show proved too good pass up.
Joined by my two friends, and my friend’s seven-year-old son, the four of us headed into London to take on Race Across The World: The Experience, which invites teams of all ages to battle it out to reach checkpoints by solving clues along the way.
Like the show, you are given a in-game budget that you can use to buy ‘hints’ if you’re struggling, and if you run low on funds, you can complete puzzles in lieu of the ‘work’ pairs complete on the actual show.
While I am a fan of Race Across The World, I will admit I didn’t know what to expect when I headed to London’s Liverpool Street station on a Saturday morning to start the challenge.
Given the vast scale of the show itself, I was keen to see how this would be replicated in a game that even children could enjoy.
When given the chance to tackle Race Across The World: The Experience, as a fan of the show I jumped at the chance
The BBC show proves to be the perfect inspiration for a brand new challenge, and this experience sees teams battle it out to reach checkpoints by solving clues along the way
The simple answer to that question is: Modern technology, as much of the game is done through messages sent on Whatsapp.
Apart from texts to guide you through, the same rules that apply on the show are in place for the game: No internet, public transport, and more importantly Google Maps, are allowed.
I’ve worked in London nearly a decade, and the area that comprises the challenge is one I knew well, so I hoped this would work to my advantage.
But it turned out I was very wrong, and found this challenge to be far tougher than I expected, and warned me I’d stand no chance doing the real thing.
Kicking things off, with blister plasters and a cold drink in my bag, I met my teammates at Liverpool Street Station.
After choosing a team name, you are asked to send a message to start the game, and you’re directed to the first of three checkpoints, which are all based in cafes or bars, offering a nice spot to stop for a break if you need to.
Luckily, your first checkpoint is close by, a coffee shop, and it’s there that you are given the opening steps, with clues to direct you to various hidden landmarks across the capital.
With an excited announcement to cafe workers that you’re ”with the race,” you are presented with a mystery envelope to kick things off, and with a hot drink in hand, the clock starts.
Joined by my two friends, and my friend’s seven-year-old son, the four of us headed into London, where you’re guided to a series of checkpoints through messages on Whatsapp
The route did take me to some parts of London that I’d never seen before, but it was hard to work out what the correct landmarks would be, let alone find them without a map
In case you want to try the race for yourself, I’ll try and avoid giving away any of the key details, but I will say that the little things that help you solve the clues are very easy to miss
As we dashed down lanes and sideroads in the 30C heat, thankful we’d applied SPF, at times it felt like all hope was lost in our quest to reach the finish line
As we ran to the final checkpoint, it was a welcome relief when we were told we’d reached the end, and we agreed that the challenge became progressively harder as it went on
In case you want to try the race for yourself, I’ll try and avoid giving away any of the key details, but I will say that the little things that help you solve the clues are very easy to miss, such as a name on a plaque, or an engraving high on a building.
The route did take me to some parts of London that I’d never seen before, but it was hard to work out what the correct landmarks would be, let alone find them without a map.
While we managed to avoid the gruesome jobs that real-life teams on the show have to do, we did have to do ‘work’ in the form of various puzzles, which can prove tricky if you’re not a fan of brain-teasers.
But luckily I enjoy such things, and they helped us add much-needed funds to our budget when they were dwindling due to the hints needed.
Once we completed the first leg, we were lured into a false sense of security having solved the clues relatively easily, and we all gushed how we were enjoying learning little unknown facts about the city we call home.
But things quickly turned as we started the second leg, sending our placement plunging down the leaderboard.
Yes, there is a leaderboard too, so you can compare you performance to the other teams taking part, and we did cross paths with some of them along the way, trying to keep our progress a secret!
As we dashed down lanes and sideroads in the 30C heat, thankful we’d applied SPF, at times it felt like all hope was lost in our quest to reach the finish line.
One particular clue in the final leg added costly minutes to our time, and as we blew our budget on more hints, and ran towards the same spots over and over again, I wondered if we would ever finish.
As we ran to the final checkpoint, it was a welcome relief when we were told we’d reached the end, and we agreed that the challenge became progressively harder as it went on.
And like the show itself, you’re invited to sign a book when you get to the end, offering a sense of accomplishment… even if we did come last.
The real-life BBC show has been a huge hit for the channel, with last month’s final drawing in its highest ratings yet (contestants Caroline and Tom pictured from the 2025 series)
Regardless, the celebratory drinks we had, wine and otherwise, were well-deserved and we all agreed it was a fun way to see hidden parts of the capital, away from the typical tourist traps.
If you’re known for a poor sense of direction, or don’t know London well, this experience could be a tricky feat.
It also made me realise that I would have little hope of completing a real-life race, especially if it means completing grim jobs, or
But I think we can all agree that it’s a far cry from the vast journeys completed by real-life contestants, so I think with that in mind, giving it a go seems all them more appealing. Just wear comfortable shoes.
