If you spent every Wednesday of spring glued to your telly, waiting to find out what the next leg of Race Across The World had in store, you might be thinking that our experience version of the show is a little…tame.
Respectfully, we invite you to think again. While we can’t promise you tuk-tuks, hazardous terrain or far-flung temples, we can tell you that both the London and Manchester experiences are much more involved than they might seem at first glance.
Read on to find out the 10 ways that Race Across The World: The Experience takes you out of your comfort zone and opens your eyes to the unexpected...
1. You Can’t Rely on Anybody (Or Anything!) Who Isn’t a Teammate To Help
In case you’re not already aware, Race Across The World: The Experience breaks one cardinal rule of the TV show: phones are allowed.
But that doesn’t mean it’s a free for all. Google, AI, and public transport will all be useless to you, and there are no easy digital shortcuts beyond those that are available to you in-game.
During the experience, WhatsApp is a tool to manage your budget, receive directions and track your progress against rival teams. The only other app that may be of use to you is a calculator, but even then, you’ll have to figure out what you’re calculating!
2. You Need To Find The Courage to Be Wrong (Sometimes)
Left or right? Walk or wait? Splurge or save? Trust your gut or your teammate? Throughout Race Across The World: The Experience, you’ll be making rapid decisions under pressure, without knowing if you’re right until it’s maybe too late.
Terrifying as that might seem at first, it’s actually incredibly freeing to realise that you and your team are in control of your destiny.
As the American philosopher William James once said, “when you have to make a choice and don't make it, that in itself is a choice”.
3. You Have Limited Time AND Money
Much like the TV contestants, you're racing with constraints.
Your team will need to balance speed with spending wisely. Every wrong move costs you valuable resources.
Since your in-game budget is virtual, the only time you’ll need to use physical cash (or a bank card!) is if you wish to purchase optional food and/or drink at checkpoints.
4. You’ll Disagree Sometimes (And That’s OK!)
Who you choose to do Race Across The World: The Experience with will alter your team dynamics, but there’s one inescapable fact to be aware of: this will test your teamwork skills.
You’ll need to work closely with your best friends, colleagues, partner, kids, and other family members if you want to navigate your way through the checkpoints seamlessly, and yes, that might include disagreeing occasionally.
But the resolution, growth and inside jokes that come from it are priceless. Trust us, we’ve got the pics to prove it.
5. You’re Not Playing a Role, You’re Living One
Unlike many escape rooms or other virtual experiences, this race drops you straight into an unfolding adventure where you are the main character.
There’s no script and no hiding in the background, without your involvement (just as you are!), you can’t move forward in the race.
Trust the process: whether you're quiet or competitive, you'll more than likely find yourself stepping up in unexpected ways.
6. You May Find It Physically Demanding (and Mentally Tough)
Race Across The World: The Experience is an exhilarating adventure that spans 4-5km in total, and in our opinion, that is no mean feat.
No, it’s not Everest, and there’s absolutely no pressure to do the race as speedily as you can. In fact, we encourage you to take breaks and rest up as long as you need, (that’s why we’ve built them in!). Nevertheless, there is definitely an element of physical challenge involved in the race.
And don’t forget about the puzzles. The brainteasers are included to make you think and to encourage some varied forms of teamwork. Don’t worry, though: they are all solvable!
Everyone is invited to take on the experience, so there are routes that are wheelchair accessible and dog-friendly.
7. You Don’t Know What’s Coming Next
The route, the clues, the challenges: they’re all a mystery until you're dropped in.
From the moment you start the race until you finish it, your choices will determine your routes, checkpoints, and score on the leaderboard. No homework allowed or necessary!
That element of unpredictability is part of the thrill and part of what makes Race Across The World so enjoyable!
8. You're Immersed in Totally Different Cultures... Locally!
If it wasn’t already obvious, no, Race Across The World: The Experience doesn’t involve you and your team traversing continents. But that doesn’t mean you won’t get cultural experiences.
Without giving away too many spoilers, you’ll come up against language barriers, varying departure times, foreign currencies, and local tidbits of history you’ve never heard of or appreciated (until now). All without ever leaving London or Manchester.
9. You'll See Your City Differently
Following on from that last point, don’t think you’re exempt from making discoveries just because you’ve lived in either London or Manchester your whole life.
Even if you're a local, Race Across The World: The Experience flips your perspective.
You’ll race through areas you’ve never explored, or places you thought you knew, and notice details you’ve always missed.
10. You’ll Surprise Yourself
Finally, prepare to learn something about yourself.
If nothing else, Race Across The World: The Experience puts you in situations you’re unlikely to find yourself in again in a similar context.
Maybe you're more strategic than you thought. Maybe you work better under pressure. Or maybe… you should never be left in charge of a virtual budget again.
Either way, you’ll walk away with stories, pride and great memories. And that’s what we love hearing about from past teams the most.
Ready to Race?
Hungry to explore more? There’s plenty more to uncover during the race!
If you’re ready to race in London, book your tickets now from Fever.
For Manchester, book tickets directly from our website.
Check out our FAQs for answers to any questions you may have or feel free to contact us. See you on the leaderboard!