Now in its fifth season, Race Across the World has left the nation with a serious case of wanderlust. Watching the show is pretty much an emotional rollercoaster, featuring epic highs as the pairs stumble upon otherworldly landscapes, heartstring-tugging lows as they grapple with the stresses of travel, and palm-to-face frustrations when they make the very human mistake of losing their luggage or struggling with north and south – hey, no judgement here, I get turned around coming out of tube stations. I know; that doesn’t bode well for me.
If you’ve been itching to step through the screen or are a keystroke away from applying you’re likely not alone. So, what better way to see if you’re fit for the challenge – or just enjoy a new way of exploring the city – than taking on Race Across the World: The Experience right here in London? We thought so anyway. So, we headed over to the starting point at Liverpool Street Station and, with a fleeting pang of regret for not packing lighter, texted our digital guide at CityDays to let them know we were ready to start…
Keep in mind…
In a way, Race Across the World: The Experience throws you back to the beginning and where it all started. The first series kicked off in London, with intrepid pairs travelling from the Big Smoke to Singapore. So it feels only fitting the experience takes place there also, allowing you to follow in their hurried footsteps as you adventure from Liverpool Street Station to, well, the unknown (Hint: it’s not Singapore, you can leave your passports at home). Alas, all without the soothing Scottish tones of John Hannah narrating your journey.
If you haven’t already surmised, there are a few tweaks to the show format, most significantly that you are allowed phones. In fact, they are pretty vital as they are where you’ll receive all your directions, clues, historical facts…you get the drift. I would advise you to bring a portable charger or make sure your phone is juiced up beforehand. Purely as by the end we were not just racing against the clock but also our rapidly depleting phone battery. While you do have the comfort of a phone, you can’t use maps or public transport, this is purely a foot race.
Before we set off on our ‘two to three-hour’ journey, I was acutely aware that navigation wasn’t my strong point. I pretty much have the geographical instincts of a concussed lemming and use Citymapper like a teleprompter. So, I can’t say I went into the experience with much confidence but trusted in my fellow, more city-savvy, teammates.
It’s also important to note these are private team experiences, you won’t be battling against a crowd of fellow players at the start line and you’ll entirely avoid that awkward moment when the teams spot each other across a crowded bus station and burn with barely concealed British rage – aka roll their eyes and groan a little. This was a comfort to be a competition-averse self, but for those who are driven by a desire to win, there is a digital leaderboard to keep you appraised of your standing. I’ll admit, it was fun to see us in the top spot, even if it didn’t necessarily last long.
The Experience
Imagine this. The sun is shining, the streets are filled with the suited-and-booted indulging in al fresco pints and you are spinning on your heel, hunting for an elusive statue in a spot that yesterday you didn’t even know existed. Our morning of urban exploration has us feeling like a tourist in our own city, discovering hidden gardens, racing through the concrete maze of the Barbican and ducking down alleyways only to emerge on a street that felt frozen in time. I half expected to bump into a lost Victorian child – or maybe Nicholas Cage searching for treasures.
It’s a fun fusion of race, sightseeing and treasure hunt. One where you can snap a shot of a popular London landmark while deciphering a riddle and then descend an unassuming staircase to discover a plaque marking a significant piece of history. And this is one of London’s strengths, it is drenched in a long and storied history, meaning there are gems to discover around every corner which are perfect fodder for clues.
The experience has used this to its advantage, imparting a bit of historical wisdom via text at every checkpoint and encouraging you to look closer at every monument you come across. So you can not only unearth answers but learn without even realising it. My favourite kind of learning to be honest.
There are three legs to the experience. While all are within a comfortable walking distance I would recommend comfy shoes – and to not follow my example by lugging a laptop (unavoidable unfortunately), clunky charger and clattering water bottle around. Not to age myself but I’m not as sprightly as I was yesteryear and my shoulder paid the price.
We must have walked around 6km in total, though the experience says 5km, so I’ll say that extra kilometre was a result of wandering around in befuddled loops. Don’t worry, befuddlement is just part of the experience. Plus, this is a perfect way to get your steps in.
One of the more grounding elements was the physical puzzles. One of which was obtained by sharing a code phrase with an in-the-know barista, who passed over a black envelope containing banknotes from around the world and some curious transparent sheets. It stepped into spy film territory here, like the next envelope we’d be receiving would contain an impossible mission and fake passports before it self-destructed. Thankfully, the survival of the world wasn’t placed in our hands and we could continue to galavant around the city.
Speaking of banknotes, it wouldn’t be a Race Across the World experience without a budget. You receive digital balances which you can spend on different routes, one slightly more straightforward but spenny, and the other on the more convoluted side but better for saving your pennies. There is also, of course, work to help you top up but it’s just sussing out riddles, with one brain-stopping challenge that gave me flashbacks to math problems at school. Yep, no scrubbing toilets or herding ducks are required. Though I wouldn’t mind trying out the latter.
To wrap up this review of Race Across the World: The Experience, this was a perfect way to explore London without feeling like you were simply just crossing off landmarks. You are invited to delve a little deeper than its classic double-decker bus and Big Ben facade, as you discover the vestiges of a rich history and the impressive modern innovations that shape the city.
Fans of the series will feel like they got their fix, while those simply looking to enjoy London will be left brimming with hidden gems and local haunts to recommend – plus a hefty photo album. Ultimately, it’s a great ode to the show that reveals that the city’s treasures aren’t only the Crown Jewels or Sir David Attenborough.
Oh and yes, while I can’t remember our exact position or overall time, I would say we were more in the experiences over speed category of participants. We didn’t feel slow, but I guess time doesn’t lie.