Even if this is your first time hearing about Race Across the World: The Experience, we’re sure you’re aware of checkpoints. After all, what is a three leg race without some breaks in-between?
But what you might not know is that the checkpoints during the experience are actually multi-functional.
Although all 6 Race Across the World Experiences are unique to the city or location they’re played in, all of them use checkpoints to break up the race, deliver crucial elements of the game and give you a chance to see the leaderboard rankings.
Read on to find out more about how checkpoints in Race Across the World: The Experience work!
Same Start Location, Multiple Starting Checkpoints
If you’ve just received your welcome message after setting up your team, you might be thinking your start location is sounding a little…vague. Well, that’s deliberate!
Regardless of whether you’re playing as one team or you’re playing in multiple teams head to head, everyone heads to the same start location at the outset of the race. Once there, teams send “START” to receive their first checkpoint.
These are randomly allocated to spread teams out; we don’t want you following each other around or overwhelming the venues with hundreds of players at the same time!
The crucial piece of information to remember here is that the first checkpoints are likely to be different for multiple teams, although they are within a similar area and distance so as to not disadvantage anybody.
Checkpoints for Teams with Individual Needs
When setting up your race, you’ll be given a few options to help accommodate some additional needs, including step-free access, dog-friendly and family-friendly.
These choices don’t impact the overall difficulty of the race, but they make the race suitable for different groups.
We rely on a combination of cafes, pubs and bars for all our experiences. Please note that alcohol is served at many checkpoints throughout the race.
If you have any questions about checkpoint suitability, please feel free to contact us!
Your Choices Decide Your Checkpoints
At the beginning of each leg, teams must choose between two guides to give them directions to the next checkpoint.
One will be cheaper to “buy” but harder to decipher, and the other will be more expensive, but more straightforward to follow. These are “purchased” using virtual, in-game currency.
There are multiple checkpoints for each guide, so no matter which you pick, you’ll be directed towards a checkpoint that can accommodate you and your team.
No “Working” at Checkpoints
By “spending” your budget you unlock a route that leads you to your next checkpoint, and you may find that your budget takes some serious damage if you need to ask for too many hints or you only choose expensive options.
The best way to remedy this is to send “WORK” to receive an extra puzzle. However, this is only possible during the leg. Just like the show, checkpoints are for resting up between legs, not sneaking off to earn extra cash!
Receiving Physical Puzzles
The first checkpoint serves as your first pit stop to collect your race pack which contains resources for solving puzzles throughout the race.
Feel free to take a look inside to see what you’ve got, but don’t be disheartened if none of them make sense to you. When the time comes to use them, you’ll receive full instructions!
At later checkpoints, you’ll be instructed to inform the staff that you’re on the race, and you’ll be handed a physical puzzle for your team to solve. When you’re done, please un-solve the puzzle and hand it back to staff so they can give it to the next team who comes along.
Make The Most of Discounts
Since public transport isn’t allowed during any of the races, you don’t need to spend an extra penny beyond your ticket if you don’t want to.
However, many of the checkpoint venues have provided exclusive discounts for teams participating in the race. As the venues are a pivotal part of the experience, buying a drink or a bite to eat it's a great way to thank them for their participation and to relax before the next leg!
The Timer is Paused
When you’re at a checkpoint, the timer pauses to give you as much time as you need to rest up before setting off on the next leg of the race.
The time spent at checkpoints won’t be reflected in your overall time, but you might find that we make note of your extended break when it comes to receiving your accolade at the end of the race…
Top Tip: If you’re organising a large group of multiple teams, you may wish to let teams know in advance how long they should spend at checkpoints. Multiple teams will be sent to different checkpoints throughout the race, so make sure everyone’s on the same page before setting out!
Reaching The End and Final Checkpoints
Teams receive your final puzzle at the end checkpoint after the last leg of the race.
A locked bag will be handed over to you, and your last task is to decode the puzzle to remove the padlock. All the instructions you need for this will be delivered to you once you’re there.
As soon as you’ve solved it, your race timer will stop and your score will be calculated. Remember, we take into account your budget as well as your overall time, so it pays to be astute with your finances!
Ready to Race?
Race Across the World: The Experience is available in the City of London, London’s West End, Manchester, York, Edinburgh and Bristol.
If you’re ready to race, book your tickets now from our website.
Select your city to be taken to the relevant booking page. Ticketing is handled by Fever, but if you need to make adjustments to your booking, please email us.
Check out our FAQs for answers to any questions you may have or feel free to contact us. See you on the leaderboard!