BBC Race Across the World 2026 start time, schedule and how to watch

Race Across the World is back with five teams racing from Sicily to Mongolia for a prize of £20,000.

The BBC’s favorite travel competition Race Across the World is set to return for its sixth series tonight.

The upcoming season has been billed as “the toughest tour” as the five teams cover more than 12,000 kilometers across Europe and Asia.

Stripped of smartphones and bank cards, and armed only with the equivalent of an economy plane on the way, the competition will challenge five teams physically and emotionally, pushing each to the limit. Only one team will reach the finish line and take home the £20,000 prize.

The teams will leave Palermo on the island of Sicily, heading to the remote village of Hatgal on the shores of Lake Hövsgöl in northern Mongolia.

The route will pass through eight countries: Italy, Greece, Turkey, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia.

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The 2025 Race Across the World series concluded with mother and son duo Caroline and Tom becoming the first team to reach the final checkpoint in Kanniyakumari and win the £20,000 prize. In this series, a new group of contestants will hope to emulate their success.

In what promises to be the toughest race to date, conditions can vary from 30 degrees Mediterranean to -20°C.

Each group will be allocated a budget of less than £26 per person per day. Details of the contestants and the broadcast time of the show can be found below.

How to watch Race Across the World 2026 and when is it running?

Race Across the World returns with series 6 on Thursday 2 April 2026, at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

After the inaugural show, the nine-episode series will continue every Thursday until the finale, which airs on Thursday May 28, 2026. Episodes are also available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Meet the players of Race Around the World 2026

Jo and Kush

Jo and Kush are best mates for life in Liverpool. Jo is a 19-year-old college student while Kush is a 19-year-old college student.

They are the youngest participants in the upcoming series. Both still live at home with their families and chose to participate because they were “in the process of waiting to decide what to do” about their future.

Kush told the BBC: “So, when the opportunity arose, we thought it would be a good experience and something we could look back on and learn from.”

Jo added: “We had just finished the sixth form, got our A-Levels and the chance to do some speed walking before going to university, which made us even more excited.”

Katie and Harrison

Katie is a 21-year-old account manager while her older brother Harrison is a 23-year-old financial assistant from Manchester.

Speaking about the motivation to participate in the program, Harrison said: “It was an opportunity to travel that I had not given myself the opportunity to do.”

“I would have gone down the normal path of work, university, continued to work and buy a house. I wouldn’t have given myself the opportunity to get out there and travel and take that time to be responsible.”

Molly and Andrew

Young doctor Molly, 23, and her father Andrew, a 54-year-old geography teacher, are eagerly anticipating the next series.

Molly explained: “We’re calling it a bit of a joke. We were watching it on TV one night and the option to apply came up and every time we watch it, we always say we’d love to do it.

“The next day, an ad popped up on my dad’s Facebook, so we put the application in on the spur of the moment, and it’s been a bit of a whirlwind ever since.”

Andrew told the BBC he was “living the dream” and it was something he had always wanted to do.

Puja and Roshni

Dr Puja, 31, and her cousin Roshni, 32, a software engineer, are both from London. Having dedicated their twenties to building successful careers, they now choose to gamble.

Puja revealed: “I have been a big fan of the show for many years, since the first season came out. At the time I applied, I had hit a career, and I decided that if I hit a career, I will do something that I wanted to do for a very long time, so I decided to apply for the race.

“That’s the main reason why I wanted to create something for myself, for my life, and something that will give me memories to last for the rest of my life.”

Mark and Margo

Mark, a 66-year-old retired architect from London, and Margo, a 59-year-old hypnotherapist from Liverpool, have walked the common mother-in-law path for the past 40 years.

However, having recently put their differences aside as they come together to care for their loved one, the couple has found a new appreciation for their friendship.

Reflecting on the show, Margo said: “Someone told me about this series, and I watched it and I was like, ‘that got me all over the place.’ I just like fast, crazy and fun. I said, ‘I’ll do that’ and the first person that came to mind was Mark.’

“It seemed like a good time in our lives. We had this experience of losing my older sister and he lost his wife.

“It seemed like something to celebrate that we could do together. This was a new journey that could be fun and rejuvenating.”

Race Around the World 2026 starts on Thursday 2 April, at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.