BBC: Race Across the World S01 Ep. 2

Imagine having to get to Singapore without taking a single flight – leaving behind your smartphone, internet access and credit cards and armed with only the cash equivalent of a one-way airfare to Singapore. Could you do it?

The race to Singapore has begun, and the five teams head out of Delphi to their next checkpoint – Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan – a journey that sees them leave behind the familiarity of the west for the exotic and unknown of the east – two thousand miles from Greece, across the lengths of Turkey and Georgia, and into oil-rich Azerbaijan. But as the teams set off, their need for speed and travelling smart is more pressing than ever – for the team arriving last into Baku will be eliminated from the competition.

As they arrived first at the checkpoint in Delphi, business partners Josh and Felix are the first to set off to Baku. After a surprise spiritual encounter en route to Athens, will they hold their lead in the race, or will they have to battle with the other teams to stay in the competition?

Fed up with the strops thrown at any slight hurdle by his unemployed son Alex, Darron decides that a culture shock could be just the thing to sort him out – but will it be at the cost of their place in the competition?

The threat of elimination haunts 57-year-old Sue. Her late father was stationed with the RAF in Singapore and, wanting to retrace his footprints, she is desperate not to fall short. But first, along with her friend since school Clare, she must play a game of cat and mouse to shake off their nearest competitors, husband and wife team Tony and Elaine – a rivalry that includes a taxi chase through the busy streets of Thessaloniki.

When best friends Natalie and Shameema are caught on a train without the correct fare, can their ability to make friends get them out of a sticky situation?

Every second counts as the teams’ ability to travel quickly and cleverly will be tested to the maximum but, at the same time, they can’t take their eyes off the final prize – making it to Singapore. If they blow all of their cash to stay in the race now, it could be a hollow victory. Who will hold their nerve in the mad scramble to Baku, and who will have to leave the competition for good? As the race across the world gets tougher and the distance travelled further – where would it take you?