Race Across the World 2024 winners revealed

BBC One’s Race Throughout the World reached its thrilling conclusion with finest pals, Alfie and Owen, changing into the primary pair to achieve the ultimate checkpoint in Lombok and declare the £20,000 prize.

After a nail-biting boat race to the end, the chums, who’re additionally the youngest ever pair to win, have been declared winners of the 15,000km race throughout Japanese Asia.

They fought off extremely robust competitors from mom and daughter duo, Eugenie and Isabel, who gave it their all till the very finish and got here in simply eight minutes behind them.

They have been adopted by brother and sister duo, Betty and James, whereas husband and spouse, Stephen and Viv, got here in fourth.

It was a dash end alongside the seashore and into tropical waters for Alfie and Owen earlier than they opened the visitor ebook to find they’d reached the ultimate checkpoint in first place. The perfect pals have been overcome with elation, as they screamed “We’ve finished it!” and hugged one another.

A jubilant Owen declared: “We got here, and we noticed, and we succeeded.”

Alfie added: “Greatest second of our lives. Undeniably. Can’t consider it.”

Following their arrival on the seashore simply eight minutes later to assert second place, Eugenie mentioned: “We did it. We’ve are available in a superb second. If we have been to lose to anyone, we all the time mentioned that we’d need to lose to Alfie and Owen.” “They’re deserving of it as effectively, they’ve labored onerous.”

The next day, 24 hours and 34 minutes behind the winners, Betty and James arrived in third place. James mentioned: “We mentioned it doesn’t matter what, all now we have to do is full and to be third and never fourth that’s the bonus isn’t it?”

Betty added: “I believe, coming away from this expertise we’ve learnt find out how to talk higher, and we now each have an additional individual to lean on if we’d like it, it’s superb.”

Stephen and Viv, who later arrived in fourth place, 30 hours and 20 minutes behind race winners, mentioned: “Gutted we’re not profitable, clearly, however we’re so happy for the boys. That is the tip of the largest journey of our lives!”

The ultimate episode noticed Alfie and Owen started the final leg within the lead, however solely a mere 12 minutes forward of Eugenie and Isabel. They began within the Indonesian capital of Jakarta with greater than 1,000km to beat forward of reaching the end line in Lombok.

Regardless of making up good time throughout the leg, Alfie and Owen’s arrival in Bangsal on the island of Lombok posed a problem as they found they needed to catch a ship to the small island of Gili Meno, earlier than they’d obtain additional directions about find out how to attain the end line.

The pair found that the island is just accessible by boat throughout daylight, which meant they have been pressured to attend till morning earlier than they might set off.

This delay allowed Eugenie and Isabel to shut the hole and scorching on the heels of Alfie and Owen the 2 pairs got here head-to-head as they each waited for boats to Gili Meno.

A annoyed Alfie mentioned: “I simply can’t compute this at the moment within the morning. I simply really feel like we’ve misplaced. I simply really feel defeated.”

Nonetheless, Owen fought to stay optimistic: “For me that’s simply not the best way to suppose. We’re nonetheless on this. We have now confirmed to ourselves so many occasions how giving up is simply not an possibility. I do know it’s onerous to remain in a optimistic psychological headspace, but it surely’s what we’d like proper now, we simply must push by.”

At dawn each groups secured boats, with every of them stressing the necessity for pace to their drivers. Each boats departed inside seconds of each other and the high-speed race to Gili Meno commenced.

A decided Alfie shouted to his teammate: “All the classes we’ve learnt since leaving Sapporo 49 days in the past, we’ve received to place them into motion now! Every thing has come all the way down to this. Every thing.”

As the primary crew to disembark their boat, Alfie and Owen obtained a message instructing them to move to the Masjid Mosque. Regardless of leaving their compass of their rucksack, the boys stored their cool and navigated their solution to the temple the place they got additional directions for reaching the end line, which was situated on a good looking white-sand seashore.

After sprinting alongside the seashore, the boys bumped into the tropical waters the place the visitor ebook awaited them, they usually found they’d gained the race of a lifetime and a prize of £20,000.

Over the eight-part collection, the 4 pairs have travelled 15,000km over 50 days, crossing six seas and eight borders, they’ve been pushed to each their bodily and emotional limits, however efficiently accomplished the epic journey from northern-most a part of Japan by to the end line within the Indonesian island paradise of Lombok, all with out the usage of smartphones, web entry or financial institution playing cards and carrying solely the money equal of the airfare.

Following the ultimate episode of Race Throughout the World, the groups will return for a heart-warming and revealing reunion particular, which airs at 10.40pm on Wednesday 29 Might on BBC One and can be obtainable instantly after the ultimate on BBC iPlayer.

The groups will look again at their thrilling journey, the place unseen moments can be proven and stunning revelations made. The pairs can even expose how they ready for the race, share tales on the great meals they tried, the native folks they encountered, and the cruel realities of life on the street.

Atone for all episodes of Race Throughout the World on BBC iPlayer.

The BAFTA-award profitable collection is the largest BBC Factual title of the yr to this point, and the primary two episodes are amongst the BBC’s top-rated episodes from any style this yr. They each attracted an enormous 7.1 million viewers, practically 1,000,000 up on final yr with nearly half the viewers watching on BBC iPlayer. The 16-34 viewers was an enormous 1.2 million, doubling the scale of the earlier collection common.

Q&A with Alfie and Owen

How does it really feel to have gained Race Throughout the World?

Owen: Doing it was such a giant factor. Getting on it was such a giant a part of it and doing it was such a giant a part of it. After which, I do not know the profitable simply appears like an add-on although the profitable is technically the largest a part of it. I do not know, you possibly can’t actually digest it.

Alfie: I believe it simply feels full, to be sincere. It appears like we took residence some unimaginable recollections, unbelievable experiences. We did this as soon as in a lifetime factor with one another, being the youngest two to ever do it. After which to win it as effectively, I imply, it’s unimaginable.

Owen: Cherry on the highest!

And may you sum the expertise up in only a few phrases?

Owen: Troublesome. Extremely troublesome, however extremely rewarding. That’s how I’d put it.

Alfie: I believe if there’s one phrase for it, it’s unforgettable.

Who did you inform first?

Owen: After I walked by the door and informed my dad and mom I had gained the race, my mum began crying and my dad regarded like he’d seen a ghost! My canine appeared fairly glad too!

Alfie: I informed my nan and my uncle as quickly as we received again they usually couldn’t consider it. I believe they knew the indicators have been good as a result of I used to be happier than standard, however they’ve each simply been itching to see it!

What do you intend on doing with the cash?

Owen: I’ll undoubtedly take my dad and mom away, do one thing good for them. After which you understand, deal with my brothers to a bit of cash, get my brother out his overdraft, as a result of I am positive he’ll want that.

Alfie: I’m going to the Caribbean after which I must go and reside someplace. So, I’ll must be sadly accountable with it… If it makes it by the Summer season!

VHW