Race Across The World 2026

[LindorDoubleChoc]

Hooray!

This is back for another series, starting Thursday.

I just googled very quickly and they set off from Sicily and end the race in northern Mongolia - sounds interesting.

I don't know anything else about it at this point, but thought that we should have a thread ready and waiting.

Inner grandmother in my case. I have twin grandsons about their age. The lads have made one or two mistakes but they haven't whinged and they've learnt a lot.

I definitely would have been much more outwardly frustrated than Mark and Margo at the man insisting on showing them the Caspian Sea at the expense of their onward travel 😆

The cities are absolutely beautiful, I had no idea and feel a little embarrassed about my ignorance.

I am enjoying watching them all stay with locals. Although have Molly and her Dad done a home stay? I feel like they are a little bit more rigid about prioritising the race journey rather than emotional journey!

Yes I think I do too. I really like them
They are like a breath of fresh air..and I don't even mind when they keep saying 'sick' when they mean something is great

I'm still finding it hard to warm to Mark and Margo. Though they are growing on me a bit....

I seriously hope those young men don't win. They aren't growing on me at all. I find them extremely annoying.

I'm indifferent to the Northern Irish pair, and seem to not even remember their names!

I'd be very happy with either the Emms, or Katie and Harrison.

The pair I would least like to see win is molly and her dad.
Would like margo to win,mark is a total bore, so really it would have to be the boys or siblings (Harrison makes me laugh and I dont find him boring or humourless or whatever others have said)
I expect it will be one of those two pairs who do win.

i think it is unnecessary to have favourites, we dont vote, i know it makes for a exciting watch and it is edited together at the end.
how many of us wanted Alfie and Owen to win, ?

so again i am going to watch and resist having favourites

You can't help liking some people more than others though.
I find Mark boring because all he seems interested in is buildings. Poor Margo suggests things and he won't even consider them.

Others may have a different opinion.

I liked Alfie and Owen and was rooting for them. Maybe it's because I have four teenage/adult grandsons.

how many of us wanted Alfie and Owen to win?

Not me, I seem to be immune to the charms of young men. However, Owen was considerable less annoying than the other three are.

i think there is subtle editing to pull at our heart strings, they mainly failed last year

I can’t decide between the young lads and Harrison and his sister winning. Harrison has really warmed to me, I felt sorry for his sister at the beginning, he really seemed to suck the life out of…life!

I want to be stuck on a desert island with Margo!

I love Molly and her dad. Margo is a legend. I’d be Margo drinking vodka at breakfast if I could get away with it. Harrison and Katie are great. My least faves are the boys but I felt for Kush in this episode. The emotional stories are just right. Much better than the last series.

The Margo and Mark pairing is interesting. When I wonder who I'd like to travel with, Margo's spontaneity is fantastic butt if she was left to her own devices I think she'd go where the wind takes her and end up in the entirely wrong country. I wonder if I had to go on a long journey, would I get along with Mark more. He is very droll and he's interesting as he is informative when asked. They make a good pair to watch.
The other pair I like are Harrison and Katie again because they appear to be so different. Harrison seesm like such a decent sort, his quick offer of sending his medal to the guy on the train, gave a good insight to his character.
Molly is obviously used to accomplishing life and I think its the reason she finds the uncertainty so difficult. It must be frustrating to miss multiple trains by minutes though. I felt for her when she said she second guesses everything. I'm like that too. Her Dad was very supportive in this leg. I get the impression he is very aware of the cameras and public perception and that is why he took her off for a walk before she spoke to the cameras. Its a smart move especially given her career but it makes me wonder if the contestants are fully being themselves. It isn't as if they can forget they will be on tv when there is a camera constantly following them around .Its a long time to put on an act though.
The boys are fun to watch. I especially like Kush running after the girls to arrange a later meeting. I'm rooting for Harrison and Katie though.

Finally caught up. I didn’t want to watch this series as the last one was so crap… can’t even remember who won!
This series is great though… visually stunning, and more concerned with the race than the tedious sob stories. How many times last series did that girl tell us her house had burnt down? At least twice per episode!
Don’t really have a favourite team to win; they’re all good teams.

On the subject of stunningness though… does anyone else think they’ve turned up the colour saturation in the film? Literally everywhere has looked shockingly colourful, and all the shots of forests and greenery have been practically fluorescent!

On the subject of stunningness though… does anyone else think they’ve turned up the colour saturation in the film? Literally everywhere has looked shockingly colourful, and all the shots of forests and greenery have been practically fluorescent!

Yes it’s beautifully filmed. Each scene is like a postcard with the perfect light and angle. I envy the people whose job it is to go ahead and trace the various routes before they start filming.

Danny??

who is Danny?

MAFS 😁😁😁 I’ve reported it.

I don’t get the Margo love. She is irritating.
the siblings are lovely. Also like the dad and daughter.

I don't find Margo irritating. It must be difficult for her being stuck with Mark 24/7 for weeks on end.

I can think of nothing worse than spending time with my BiL

That’s was a perfect episode. I got tearful when the guy on the train gave Harrison his medal. What lovely, warm, generous people that Kazakhs are.

also Kush pulling and Joe fancying the mum made my day

The scenery and the cities and the other-worldliness of that episode are absolutely fascinating. But somehow it seems less like an actual race to me. The homestays and the jobs are so very carefully curated to showcase the unique aspects of the country and the participants. It can't be a coincidence that Thai boxer Kush got to stay in the home of a Judo enthusiast who could take him to a tournament the next day. Nor that Madgot wanted to see the native horses and later got offered them for dinner.

I agree with whoever said that Margo would be less successful in the race without Mark, he definitely keeps her on track in terms of the race. I like Mark, I think they make the perfect pair in that Margo is perhaps helping him find out who is without his wife 😢

Harrison is starting to grow on me, I found him a bit boring at first but the race is definitely doing him some good and he’s seeing the value of experience now rather than just worrying about the money - which is understandable given their childhood.

The boys are still my favourites though, it might just be scouse solidarity but I just think they are taking everything in their stride so wonderfully at such a young age!