The second series of Race Across the World began airing on 8 March 2020 with five teams setting off from Chapultepec Castle in Mexico City in a race to the most southerly city in the world, Ushuaia in Argentina, covering a distance of 25,000 km in 2 months, passing through 7 checkpoints in Honduras, Panama, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, and Argentina. Each racer was given £1,453 for the whole trip, roughly £26 per day. Filming started in September 2019.
In this series, the five teams of racers were siblings Dom and Lizzie, mother-and-son Jo and Sam, married couple Jen and Rob, couple Shuntelle and Michael, and uncle-and-nephew Emon and Jamiul. No one was eliminated this series but two teams decided to quit; Shuntelle and Michael left after losing half their money in leg 2 of the race, while Jo and Sam withdrew after they had run out of money in leg 7. The no-fly rule was abandoned this series due to civil unrest in Ecuador which made land travel through the country unsafe, and all the teams were flown from Colombia to Peru to continue the race. The winners were Emon and Jamiul.
The number of episodes increased to nine this series; eight episodes on the race followed by a reunion special.
Contestants Name Relationship Occupation Age From Ref. Dom Slater Siblings Teaching assistant 22 Wetherby Lizzie Slater Chalet host 21 Emon Choudhury Uncle and nephew Entrepreneur/business owner 35 Oldham Jamiul Choudhury Architecture graduate 25 Jo Gardiner Mother and son Physiotherapist 54 Manchester Sam Gardiner Landscape gardener 19 Jen Lambra-Stokes Married Resourcing consultant 33 Reading Rob Lambra-Stokes Systems engineer 33 Shuntelle Greenidge Dating Project manager 40 South London Michael Greenway Health and safety construction consultant 47
Results summary Colour key:
TeamsPosition (by leg)12345678Emon and Jamiul5th4th1st3rd1st1st2ndWinnersJen and Rob3rd5th2nd2nd2nd2nd1st2ndDom and Lizzie2nd1st4th4th4th3rd3rd3rdJo and Sam1st2nd3rd1st3rd4th4thShuntelle and Michael4th3rd
Route The checkpoints in the second series were: LegFromTo1 Chapultepec CastleMexico City, Mexico Clarion HotelCopán Ruinas, Honduras 2 Clarion HotelCopán Ruinas, Honduras JW Marriott Panama, Panama City, Panama 3 JW Marriott Panama, Panama City, Panama Bethel Bio Luxury Hotel, Tatacoa Desert, Colombia 4 Jaén Airport, Jaén, Peru GHL Hotel Lago Titicaca, Puno, Peru 5 GHL Hotel Lago Titicaca, Puno, Peru Grace Cafayate, Cafayate, Argentina 6 Grace Cafayate, Cafayate, Argentina Pousada Portal do Sol, Ilha Grande, Brazil 7 Pousada Portal do Sol, Ilha Grande, Brazil Park Hyatt, Mendoza, Argentina 8 Park Hyatt, Mendoza, Argentina Summit of Cerro Alarkén, Ushuaia, Argentina
Race summary Mode of transportation Rail Boat / Ship Bus/coach Taxi Private car AeroplaneActivity Working for money and/or bed and board Excursion that cost time and money
Leg 1: Mexico City, Mexico → Copán Ruinas, Honduras
The first checkpoint was Copán Ruinas in Honduras. Shuntelle and Michael decided to travel to the northern Caribbean coast of the Yucatan Peninsula enroute to Belize. Dom and Lizzie chose to go from Oaxaca City to Guatemala via the Pacific coast route, but visited the infinity pool at Hierve el Agua while waiting for a bus at Oaxaca City. Emon and Jamiul chose the interior route so they could see the Mayan ruins at Palenque. Initially they had intended to go via Tonalá, but found that it would mean a six hour detour, and so changed bus half-way through.
Jo and Sam also initially intended to go to Belize, but a stranger in San Cristóbal de las Casas advised them the ideal route was via Guatemala. This proved fortunate as it allowed them to reach Copán Ruinas first on day 6 of the race, despite stopping along the way to work for money at an organic farm in Antigua Guatemala.
At Belize, Shuntelle and Michael and Jen and Rob managed to catch the boat from Placencia to Puerto Cortés in Honduras, but had to take shelter in Honduras after getting caught in Tropical Storm Karen on their way to Copán Ruinas. Emon and Jamiul missed the boat despite taking an expensive taxi ride to Placencia and had to wait until the following day for a boat. They finished last in this leg.
OrderTeamsRouteTime behind leadersMoney left1 Jo and Sam → San Lázaro (TAPO) → San Cristóbal de las Casas → La Mesilla → Antigua → Copán Ruinas 87%2 Dom and Lizzie → Northern Bus Terminal → → Oaxaca City / Hierve el Agua → → Tapachula → Tecún Umán → Lake Atitlán → Copán Ruinas 6 88%3 Jen and Rob → Puebla → → Puebla → Frontera Corozal → Bethel → Belmopan → Placencia → Puerto Cortés → Copán Ruinas 224 Shuntelle and Michael → Mérida → Tulum → Belize City → Caye Caulker → Belize City → Placencia → Puerto Cortés → Copán Ruinas 23 78%5 Emon and Jamiul → → Palenque → Belmopan → Placencia → Puerto Cortés → Copán Ruinas 33
Leg 2: Copán Ruinas, Honduras → Panama City, Panama
Jo and Sam chose to go through El Salvador to get to Nicaragua. Although they were the first team to leave, they worked for a day at a hostel in El Cuco, El Salvador collecting turtle eggs to earn some money, which lost them their lead. In an effort to get to the front, Dom and Lizzie decided to travel non-stop in Honduras from Santa Rosa de Copán on back-to-back buses, hopping from town to town, and became the first team to cross into Nicaragua. After stopping in Limón, Costa Rica to work in a farm with the Bribri tribe, they arrived at the checkpoint in Panama City first on Day 14 of the race.
As they were a long way behind, Emon and Jamiul took the faster CA1 route via San Salvador to make up time. They also took an expensive direct bus ride from Managua to David, Panama. They overtook Jen and Rob, who took a break in León and the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and were the last team to arrive at Panama City.
In Honduras, after buying food at a stop, Michael found that he had lost his money belt containing £1,155, more than half of the team's remaining funds. Even though they tried to earn some money at the Ballena National Marine Park, Shuntelle and Michael decided to quit the race at the second checkpoint as they felt they could no longer compete with so little money left.
OrderTeamsRouteTime behind leadersMoney left1 Dom and Lizzie → Santa Rosa de Copán → → Peñas Blancas → Limón → Panama City (Albrook) → Plaza Francia → JW Marriott Panama 74%2 Jo and Sam → San Salvador → El Cuco → Managua → → Panama City (Albrook) → Plaza Francia → JW Marriott Panama 2.5 75%3 Shuntelle and Michael → Santa Rosa de Copán → Comayagua → → → Managua → Ballena National Marine Park → Panama City (Albrook) → Plaza Francia → JW Marriott Panama 4.5 14%4Emon and Jamiul → Santa Rosa de Copán → San Salvador → León → Managua → David → Panama City 20 60%5Jen and Rob → Santa Rosa de Copán → León → Monteverde / Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve → Panama City 21.5 74% Shuntelle and Michael withdrew from the race after losing over a thousand pounds.
Leg 3: Panama City, Panama → Tatacoa Desert, Colombia
The original destination was to be Quito, Ecuador; however, due to civil unrest, the checkpoint was moved to the Bethel Hotel near Villavieja in the Tatacoa Desert of Colombia. The teams were instructed to avoid the Darién Gap, so they travelled by sea over the northern coast of Panama from Puerto Tupile in Cartí to the Colombian town Capurganá.
Although Dom and Lizzie were the first to leave, they had to stay overnight at Playón Chico and then missed the boat from Capurganá to Necoclí. As a result, all the teams met up at the port, just as two teams were queuing to leave for Necoclí. Jen and Rob managed to catch the next boat 5 minutes later, but Emon and Jamiul wrongly believed they had missed their chance, and decided to stay for a day at Capurganá and worked at a local scuba-diving school. Fortuitously, they were advised by the locals to travel on an obscure route from Medellín to Neiva. This choice helped them leap to the front, and they reached the checkpoint in the Tatacoa Desert near Villavieja first.
In order to save on accommodation cost, Jen and Rob took two night buses to reach Bogotá via Medellín. After a night in Bogotá, they took a bus heading to Neiva, but arranged a drop-off near Villavieja to avoid a detour. They then trekked to a river, crossing it by boat before reaching the checkpoint to finish second. Jo and Sam decided to take a break at Medellín to relieve the stress of travelling. They then travelled via Cali where they tried to work in a dance club La Matraca, although Sam failed to complete his work as he found it stressful. Dom and Lizzie took a detour to work at Guatapé before going to Bogotá. However, this choice cost them the lead, and they finished behind all the other teams.
OrderTeamsRouteTime behind leadersMoney left1 Emon and Jamiul → Cartí → Ustupo → Capurganá → Necoclí → Medellín → Neiva → Villavieja → Tatacoa Desert 44%2 Jen and Rob → Cartí → Playón Chico → Capurganá → Necoclí → Medellín → Bogotá → Magdalena River → Villavieja → Tatacoa Desert 2.5 57%3 Jo and Sam → Cartí → Capurganá → Necoclí → Medellín → Cali → Neiva → Villavieja → Tatacoa Desert 9.5 54%4 Dom and Lizzie → Cartí → Playón Chico → Capurganá → Necoclí → Medellín → Guatapé → Bogotá → Neiva → Villavieja → Tatacoa Desert 12 53%
Leg 4: Jaén, Peru → Puno, Peru
Due to the continuing civil unrest in Ecuador, the teams were not allowed to travel to Peru by land or sea and were flown to the nearest airport in Jaén in Peru to continue the race. The teams left the Jaén airport in the same order that they arrived in at the checkpoint in the Tatacoa Desert. All the teams went down to the coast to travel to Peru's capital Lima. Emon and Jamiul went to Trujillo and they worked with fishermen for bed and board at Huanchaco, while Jen and Rob went via Chiclayo to a sanctuary for the spectacled bear. They again employed the strategy of travelling on a night bus to save on accommodation.
Both Jo and Sam and Dom and Lizzie also went to Lima via Chiclayo. Jo and Sam chose a more expensive bus ride for greater comfort, as well as taking a break to go sandboarding in the desert oasis of Huacachina near Ica before travelling to their destination in Puno, which depleted their funds. However, as they did not stop to work along the way, Jo and Sam reached the checkpoint first, a hotel on an island connected to the shore of Lake Titicaca at Puno.
Both Emon and Jamiul and Dom and Lizzie went from Lima to Puno via a steeper route through Cusco. Although ahead of the others, Emon and Jamiul took a detour to see the Rainbow Mountain. Jen and Rob travelled in a slower but more gradual climb to Puno via Arequipa. They reached Puno at the same time as Emon and Jamiul, and beat them to the second spot at the checkpoint on Day 27.
Dom and Lizzie spent a night working at a bar in Cusco. It delayed their journey to Puno, and they finished last for the second time.
OrderTeamsRouteTime behind leadersMoney left1 Jo and Sam → Jaén → Chiclayo → Lima → Ica → Huacachina → Puno 2 Jen and Rob → Jaén → Chiclayo → Chaparri Reserve → Lima → Arequipa → Puno 1.53 Emon and Jamiul → Jaén → Huanchaco → Trujillo → → Lima → Cusco → Rainbow Mountain → Sicuani → Puno 1.5 37%4 Dom and Lizzie → Jaén → Chiclayo → Lima → Cusco → Puno 8.5
Leg 5: Puno, Peru → Cafayate, Argentina
All three teams apart from Dom and Lizzie went through Bolivia to reach their destination in this leg, which was at a vineyard outside of Cafayate in Argentina. The three teams travelled via La Paz but needed to pass through Bolivia within three days due to a pending election which would close the border.
Emon and Jamiul visited Valle de la Luna near La Paz and worked at the salt flat of Salinas Grandes to earn some extra money, but still managed to reach the checkpoint Grace Cafayate first on Day 33.