Original subtitles

Narrator: 45 days ago,

a once-in-a-lifetime race began.

For six pairs of ordinary brits,

an extraordinary 12,000-mile journey from London to Singapore

without taking a single flight.

All they had... The price of an airfare

on the day of departure. - What am I doing?

Holy moly, that's going to be tough.

Narrator: They've crossed deserts...

This is where you get to find out about yourself.

Narrator: Seas...

The storm is coming!

Narrator: And jungles.

- Whoa! A snake! - Oh, my god!

Narrator: They've battled extreme weather...

I'm at breaking point.

Intense heat...

I need to just sit down a minute.

I'm going to be bare bones and a pile of sweat.

And a typhoon...

Why the hell did I do this?

All without the trappings of modern-day life.

We may not be eating tonight.

Woman: I'd give anything for a flight.

No smartphones...

Is that where it is?

And no bank cards.

No euro?

No euro.

Oh, that's a problem.

The rewards have been great.

Woman: I've been able to appreciate the world.

Most people would go from "a" to "b" on a plane,

but then they'd miss all this.

This is what we were searching for.

Narrator: A £20,000 prize awaits the winners...

I'm going to start playing dirty.

- Are you? - They're playing mind games

and intentionally trying to stress us out.

Man: That's the best thing that's happened in this entire trip.

This is just once-in-a-lifetime.

It's an amazing privilege. - Come on, come on!

Narrator: As they approach the finish line...

Shift your butt. Come on!

On their "race across the world."

50 days... blood, sweat, tears.

Narrator: Previously...

It's race day!

With Singapore getting ever closer...

Nice to have a little jog in the morning

with 60 kilos on your back!

The teams raced through Southeast Asia...

We need to be quick.

To the penultimate checkpoint.

Koh rong.

By stopping for cash...

Every little bit of money is going to count.

Narrator: And to feed the locals...

I hope these bloody elephants are hungry.

Darron and Alex grew ever closer...

Doing something like this, we've bonded even more.

Narrator: But gambled with their lead.

- Tony and Elaine in a tuk-tuk. - Seriously?

Narrator: Taking full advantage...

You're kidding me!

Tony and Elaine hauled themselves back into contention

with the father and son team

to finish the leg as joint leaders...

Yes!

While for the other two teams...

Shameema! Josh and Felix.

Storm clouds gathered... - There's a flood.

Leaving them washed up in last place.

I'm signing in.

Man: All four teams, they're in it still.

♪♪

Narrator: Checkpoint five.

A last chance for the teams to catch their breath.

With money in short supply,

they're about to begin the dash

to the finish line in Singapore

1,500 miles away.

♪♪

Dad! Come on.

You ready, big man?

Let's come back to this resort.

Tony: Just for a day or couple of days?

Couple of days.

And then go to the party island for a bit.

Tony: Will you bring your Chinese girlfriend with you?

Oh, shut up, Tony! I'm single!

Narrator: Setting off with a 16-hour lead over their rivals,

retired teachers Tony and Elaine...

Elaine: This is going to be nice and sweaty for you!

And darron and Alex.

Let's go get one of these.

[ Whistles ]

We're definitely not here just to make up the numbers.

We're here to win. It's as simple as that.

Darron: Alex has got a lot more people skills,

where I'm probably more logical, calculated.

I think those skills combined make us a very effective team.

Definitely.

How are you, dazzle, this morning?

Shivering and vomiting through the night.

- Ah! - Oh, no!

Think it's sunstroke or something.

Yeah.

Really pleased to hear about that.

[ Laughter ]

♪♪

We're extremely competitive. I didn't realize Elaine was,

but she's actually more competitive than me.

Elaine: I'm competitive within myself.

So, like, if I do a half a marathon in two hours,

then I want to do it in one hour, 59 minutes.

I'll push myself to improve performance.

We're going to win this race.

Narrator: With a mammoth 11,000 miles behind them,

this final leg will see the teams race

the length of Thailand and into Malaysia,

before heading for the finish line in Singapore.

First, they need to head out of Cambodia.

Tony: First one to Singapore... Take your marks.

Get set. - Alex: Go!

Tony: Our philosophy is, we've got to keep moving.

We've taken the expensive way - a taxi to the border,

which is 500 kilometers.

We have around $500,

but all our money's going to go on travel this leg.

Narrator: With the healthiest budget remaining,

Tony and Elaine are taking a direct route

along the coast to the Thai border town of trat.

But with public transport options limited,

taxis are a must.

$60. Best $60 I've ever spent, I think.

Elaine: We've made the choice. We've just got to stick with it.

It's pretty nerve-racking at this stage.

It'll be people that haven't got the money

that will go the other way.

We only have $200 exactly to get to Singapore.

Narrator: Cash-strapped darron and Alex are taking a different route,

back to the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh.

I think we've made that decision

because we have very little money.

There, they can take advantage

of cheap and frequent public transport

to the Thai capital, Bangkok,

but it will add 200 miles to their journey.

Darron: Our strategy will be save on accommodation

by traveling at night,

eat just before we pass out and die,

and we always use someone else's toilet paper.

Not used toilet paper.

I think if we did it in four days,

we would be expecting to come in first.

I suspect it's going to be closer to five days, and...

Anybody's.

As two teams head towards Thailand,

the others must wait to leave the checkpoint.

Natalie: Right now, us two,

Josh and Felix are in last place.

- Shameema: Yeah. - It's anyone's game.

Tony and Elaine, they were two days behind.

They've gone from last place to first place twice.

Natalie: I know.

With everyone this close coming into this last leg,

there will be a moment where we go,

"this is that roll of the dice,"

and we're going to leap ahead of everyone else.

And it's possible. Like, it's possible.

We want to win this race.

There's no second chances any more.

This is it. It's the final.

This last leg needs to just be just about the race.

The race.

We need to go at 12:30.

As soon as possible.

We can't sit here for two hours.

Two?

Ow!

Narrator: Gearing up for a six-hour bus journey

to Phnom Penh, darron and Alex...

Oh, my god!

It's mainly me shoulders what are burning.

- Looks painful. - It's very painful.

Just be gentle, Alex, please.

My skin is on fire.

Alex: I feel like we've done all this.

We can face most things now.

And you know when locals are looking at you,

going, "that must hurt!"

They do, don't they?

- Phnom Penh? - Yeah.

- Thank you. - Next stop, Phnom Penh.

Alex: And then from there, Bangkok.

[ Laughs ]

Narrator: 100 miles to the west...

Leaving Cambodia with a beautiful smile!

Tony and Elaine are the first team to cross into Thailand.

Drawing over 35 million visitors a year,

Thailand is celebrated for its Buddhist history.

Once known as the kingdom of siam, its capital, Bangkok,

is home to the world's largest solid-gold Buddha.

At 3 meters high and 5 1/2 tons,

it has an estimated value of $250 million.

We're in Thailand!

And it's the best border crossing going ever!

Some of the borders we've come over,

it's just, like, scary hairy.

This is...

Everybody's welcoming you, and it's party time.

It feels good.

We're over the border in 10 hours.

When do we go? How long?

Heading to the Thai town of trat...

- Go now? - Yeah.

- Oh, good! Thank you. - 1,200... two people?

- Yeah. - Yeah.

Narrator: They aim to catch an onward connection to Bangkok.

You are joking me! Oh, god!

A yogurt split all over his back.

Who put it in there? What a bloody dipstick.

Who would put a yogurt in my pocket and not tell me about it?

Well, where else did you want me...

If we bring a yogurt in the baking heat to eat...

Who put it in the side of a rucksack?

Oh, geez.

160 miles behind...

Well, we're in Phnom Penh again, dad.

Darron and Alex have arrived in the Cambodian capital.

This bustling city is home to over two million people.

It seems to be a continuous rush hour.

It never seems to stop.

And at this time of year, the population swells

even farther for the bon om touk water festival,

marking an extraordinary annual phenomenon,

when the monsoon rains cause the tonle sap river

to reverse its flow.

Alex: Try and get to Bangkok tonight?

Alex, I'll wait out here, let you do the dealing.

- Hello. - Hello.

Bus to Bangkok?

9:15, Bangkok? - Okay.

$21 each possible? Please?

$42? Please? Please? - No.

No! - Please!

We can't afford $25 for a ticket to Bangkok each.

We're planning on $50 a day budget.

Even if it's a dollar cheaper per person,

that's massive for us.

It means we can have a... We can eat.

It's that significant.

Please?

- Okay. - Thank you.

I hate begging, but I'm doing anything that I can

to make it to Singapore.

I've got to do it.

Thank you. Thank...

Thank you very much. Thank you.

Oh, my gosh!

I'm so uncomfortable.

It's only for 12 hours.

Darron: Alex has got a lot more life at the moment.

He's gained his focus.

And I'm hoping, until I recover, his energy will drag me along.

Alex: It's a bit weird now. We've swapped roles.

That used to be me... "wah! Can't be bothered. I'm tired.

I'm stressed. Don't want to carry on no more."

And now, I'm trying to tell him he's got to get on with it.

Otherwise, we're not going to make it.

Good luck.

Good night.

My sunburns hurt so much!

[ Laughs ]

♪♪

Narrator: 8:00 A.M.

Entering the final leg of the race,

Natalie and shameema and Josh and Felix.

Felix: Bye, island! Getting to the finish line

is going to be a massive achievement.

That's the main race for us.

$257.27.

How long is that going to last?

Josh: Felix and i's ability to rely on each other,

even when the going gets really tough,

our ability to take risks,

hopefully that will stand us in really good stead.

Feel like I'm getting really emotional!

It has been an opportunity of a lifetime.

Winning, to me, is not about the money.

Being able to spend all that time with my sister.

Don't make me get out the stolen toilet roll!

[ Laughs ]

Shameema: I like to win everything.

On sports days,

I've won every mums' race for the last 15 years.

Nobody wants to race me anymore.

It's okay, baby.

[ Laughs ]

God!

[ Car horn honks ]

Josh: We're absolutely brass knuckles broke.

Narrator: With money worries of their own,

Josh and Felix head in the same direction

as darron and Alex...

Felix: We're going to get the 3:30 bus to Phnom Penh.

Narrator: Opting for cheap public transport

to get them to Thailand.

Felix: We know that it's probably 12 hours from there to Bangkok.

Josh: We don't really have the funds to pay for accommodation.

It's always good to be on the road.

Every road leads to Singapore, apart from this one,

which goes in the opposite direction.

- Natalie! - Yeah?

- There's a taxi here now for $60! - Let's go!

Narrator: With their healthier budget,

Natalie and shameema can afford to travel in style.

Natalie: We are heading to the border.

We're starting off our journey fast and in comfort...

Shameema: Fast and furious!

Because we have the money to do that.

As much as we like saving money, we really enjoy spending money.

So, why not spend it in the last leg?

When I started off, I wanted to do this for my girls,

I wanted to do it for my friends,

I wanted to do it for my family.

But now I feel like I'm doing this for myself.

I want to do this for myself.

And for our team and for you.

Don't look at me. Don't touch me!

[ Both laugh ]

Narrator: As the last two teams make their way out of Cambodia,

darron and Alex cross the border into Thailand.

I feel a little cheerier today.

And with darron's appetite returning...

How much, please?

They grab a budget breakfast.

- Ugh! - Go on, just get it over with!

It's a locust.

It's not bad at all!

It don't taste too nice.

Cheap, high in protein.

The larvae are the worst bit.

They, like, got a gooey center.

You can finish them. They're horrible.

Let's go catch a bus anyway.

- Ugh! - Ugh!

[ Laughs ] - Ohh!

Narrator: Still 1,300 miles from Singapore...

$20, $40, $60, $80, $100, $125.

Ouch.

We are royally screwed, aren't we?

[ Laughs ]

Desperately in need of cash,

Alex searches the jobs directory for local work.

This.

I'm not looking after dogs.

It's the best one.

I don't care. I'm not looking after dogs.

I hate dogs.

Do we need money? Yes, we do.

What's your favorite three words?

"Suck it up."

150 miles further into Thailand,

Tony and Elaine have already reached the capital.

I wonder if there's a Metro in Bangkok.

Well, this is it.

Well, this is overland, not underground.

Bangkok, the most visited city in the world.

Its grand palaces and temples

compete with a vibrant nightlife and bustling street stalls.

Elaine: We've been up since 4:00 discussing every route,

every possibility of timings.

You know, we're going out of our way

to find the cheapest, quickest.

I don't think we've worked as hard on any other leg

as we're working on this leg.

Right, hold my hand, Elaine.

Narrator: Aiming to increase their lead, the couple are booking

an overnight bus to the coastal town of krabi.

No time for the beach. We're in a race.

The fact that we can keep moving is absolutely Bobby-dazzle.

Can you put these on for me, please?

Oh, my god. You're 60, not 80.

♪♪

That's it. We're on our way to krabi overnight.

I thought we might have a little pod to sleep in,

but we've just got an upright seat,

but it's comfortable so far.

[ Dog barks ]

Darron: I'm so not going to like this place.

Narrator: Darron and Alex have arrived for a shift

at a canine training school on the outskirts of Bangkok.

[ Dog barks ]

Darron: I'm only here because of the money.

Okay. All right.

Narrator: With 300,000 stray dogs on the streets of Bangkok,

the authorities have been clamping down.

They're going to be on the lead all the time?

And for owners who can afford it,

a number of day-care centers have sprung up.

Just to look at them scares me.

Look.

The center offers dog training and walking services

for Bangkok's wealthy residents.

Darron: We've been stuck on a ship

full of drunken, quite violent sailors,

but this is way out of my comfort zone.

We essentially need to do things we're uncomfortable with doing

to make it to Singapore, 'cause otherwise,

I feel like we've got no chance.

I mean, look. I've got a mad dog at the side of me.

Purely for the money.

[ Trainer speaks indistinctly ]

Narrator: For £45 and a free night's bed and board...

Come on, pepper.

The boys will be employed as dog walkers.

Pepper, sit.

Alex: I can't believe we're getting paid for this.

It's literally just walking a dog back and forth,

teaching it a couple of tricks.

Hey!

Darron: Dogs are not my thing. We don't get on.

I don't particularly like cats, either.

I don't feel comfortable around them.

I don't like hamsters, either, to be honest.

Hamsters can be quite mean.

But dogs are a little more out and about.

Hamsters are easier to avoid.

I think he's doing well. I'm proud of him.

Dad, you coping all right?

How are you feeling?

I've had better days.

Oh, god.

It just feels horrible.

- You missed a bit. - [ Chuckles ]

Narrator: While darron and Alex get their hands dirty...

Natalie and shameema are closing in on the leaders.

We're in Thailand!

Their decision to take a taxi to the border

means they're just 250 miles behind Tony and Elaine.

The dream is an overnight bus or train to Bangkok.

The dream is happening right now because I am in Thailand.

[ Laughs ]

♪♪

Thai food in Thailand.

We're happy.

God, it gets bigger and bigger.

Too much choice.

Shameema: Thailand is... It just looks incredible.

Feel like there's so much to do.

But we really want to come first.

It's about winning this leg

and just trying to make a decision

that gets us from last place to first place.

The other teams have done that, so it's possible.

So we want it to be possible for us.

Narrator: Still in Cambodia...

Two people, $1. $1, come on.

Do me a favor. I've had a really long day.

Go on. $1. Go on.

Narrator: Josh and Felix have made it to Phnom Penh.

Trying to keep pace with the other teams,

the boys race to make an overnight connection to Bangkok.

If we hotfoot it across town, we might well be able

to book our passage to Bangkok.

- Is this the bus? - Yeah, yeah, okay.

This one takes us there to the border at 5:00 A.M.,

and then 1:00 P.M., we'll be in Bangkok.

So quite happy. Pretty seamless transition.

Josh is a little bit nervous about the sleeping conditions,

but I think it's going to be great.

Josh: It's like being in a coffin.

Narrator: After one day of racing, Josh and Felix

are the last team to leave Cambodia,

while Natalie and shameema are closing in on the Thai capital.

We are on a bus to Bangkok.

Long-term goal achieved in one day.

Still stationary, darron and Alex

are on the outskirts of Bangkok,

staying overnight in the free room

provided by the day's dog walking.

Alex: Ohh!

Darron: You're a totally different person now.

Mainly more mature.

Generally speaking, I think we've done pretty well.

I do.

We'll do what we can to get to Singapore.

It's not over till we've got $1 left.

I've got total faith in you.

Since the race began 47 days ago...

We've got to be at least jogging.

Darron and Alex have gained more than just stamps

in their passports.

Darron: Alex and I used to be really close.

Without a shadow of a doubt, we have drifted apart.

What do you want to do? - At first...

I don't want to sleep outside.

Things were far from plain sailing.

You said don't want to do that. What do you want to do?

Don't have a clue.

And, at times, they were pushed almost to breaking point.

Am I allowed to bang his head against the wall on camera?

Narrator: But as the race gained momentum...

Good morning, Vietnam!

Oh, no, shut up.

Their confidence in each other grew.

Come on, dad. I'm guessing it's around and up.

Let's do this.

Alex: We're doing it together, and he's been there for me

more than what he would have done before.

A hug?

Narrator: Now just over 1,000 miles stands between them

and the £20,000 first prize.

♪♪

7:00 A.M.

Tony and Elaine are 723 miles from Singapore

and are currently the closest team to the finish line.

Oh, god almighty.

But 12,000 miles have come at a cost for 61-year-old Tony.

After our coach journey down here,

the last thing you want to do is stretch down and twist

and try to put your shoes on.

And that is exactly what I've done this morning.

Narrator: He's aggravated an old back injury.

Tony and Elaine's race is at a standstill.

During this race, I think age will be a challenge.

You know, it's a long, long way.

Getting out of bed on a morning, you know, there's a few aches,

and things don't quite work the way they used to.

I'm sure we would have found it a lot easier

maybe 20, 30 years ago.

- Tony's back is bad. - Are you sure?

We will spend the day in the swimming pool,

see if we can get Tony's back better.

♪♪

What I'm trying to do here in this very cold swimming pool...

The water's got no heating in...

And I hope that will take some inflammation down on my back.

And I'd need four or five hours in here today,

just moving it and hopefully free it up.

Elaine: Tony definitely doesn't look in a good way.

I'm really concerned about him

because when it's like this, it could just go at any time.

And at the moment, he's moving, but once it goes for real,

he cannot move.

That's it. We're out of the race.

Narrator: Josh and Felix have reached Bangkok.

Hey, man. We're trying to get to khaosan road.

Tickets booked, the boys head off

to explore a budget hot spot.

So, this is it. Khaosan road.

I've never seen so many harem pants in one place.

Known as the center of the backpacking universe,

the 400-meter-long street is packed full of budget hotels,

cafés, bars, and restaurants,

filled with travelers from every corner of the world.

Very much the gap-year traveler mecca.

Narrator: Josh and Felix are used to life in each other's pockets.

Josh: We're the perfect partnership.

I've spent probably eight hours with him a day

for the last eight years.

Narrator: But with their current business, a music and arts venue,

coming to an end...

Josh: In four months' time, unfortunately,

none of this will be here.

It'll be knocked down and turned into luxury flats.

Felix: We've got two months to decide what our future is.

Their next venture together isn't clear.

I just really want what we build next,

I want it to be, like, long-term.

If you want security, then become a teacher or a banker or something.

Why don't we just sit down there and have a beer?

During the boys' trip...

This place looks way better.

There have been bumps in the road.

You're such a douchebag sometimes.

- Wow. - What?

Why say that?

Narrator: But with the end of the race fast approaching,

what they'll do when they get home is coming into focus.

Felix: Both of us are feeling really creative

and feeling like we've soaked up so much culture,

food, excitement, atmosphere that we'll have the energy

which we needed to start something afresh.

Traveling through these incredibly, like, different and wonderful environments,

like, that's going to bring some completely mad flavor

back to what we do.

I'm excited.

I'm hyped.

Felix: Whenever we go away together,

there's moments of absolute epiphany.

We want to start a small restaurant

which we want to be inspired by this trip

and some of the sights, sounds, and flavors

of the street markets

and the drama of food preparation that we've seen.

There's been loads of moments of inspiration.

How can you not be inspired

by walking through the backstreets of xi'an

or wandering on deck at midnight on a ship in the caspian?

Josh: I feel so inspired, and I've seen people all over the world

who work really, really, really hard just to get by.

One of the things that this journey has really reminded me

is that there is magic out there.

You just have to look up from your smartphone to see it.

Train information desk.

Narrator: Across the city at Bangkok train station...

Which way's the quickest to Malaysia?

Natalie and shameema hatch a plan

to overtake their rivals.

Right. Get a train from here to surat thani.

Then you're eight hours away from the border.

They've secured a cheap ticket for a fast train

down the east coast of Thailand to surat thani.

Josh and Felix are boarding an overnight bus to krabi,

following the same route as darron and Alex,

who departed only an hour earlier.

All three teams are eating into Tony and Elaine's lead,

as they've been unable to move since this morning.

An afternoon in the pool seems to have worked wonders

on Tony's bad back.

He's keen not to stiffen up and decides to self-medicate.

Free shots.

[ Laughter ]

- Whoo! - Whoo!

♪♪

Tony's mc-ing.

Whoo! Whoo! Whoo! Whoo!

I've never downed a shot in my life.

However, I'm drinking this bottle of vodka.

[ Laughs ]

♪♪

Cheers.

[ Laughs ]

Mmm! [ Laughs ]

What this race has taught me is, actually, I need to explore

and visit places and be on the move

and see things before it's too late.

Because that is what makes me really happy.

This beer pong game is really complicated.

It's a really good drinking game.

- [ Laughs ] - Oh, my!

Elaine: I just gave my last drink to Tony

because I've got to get up at 5:00,

got to be out of here by 6:00, and it ain't going to happen

if I have too many of those vodka things.

I'm going to be very sensible because I'm in a race.

Tony: How are you going to feel, as it's coming to being all over?

Yeah, it'll be difficult, 'cause it's become a way of life.

Quite an appealing way of life.

I know. That's what I'm here thinking,

and I've got really mixed emotions about it all.

I know. I'm not sure I'm ready to go back to life.

I think I want to carry on.

♪♪

Narrator: As dawn breaks, Natalie and shameema's overnight train

has arrived in surat thani.

Shameema: We can check out the train station now,

and then later, we can check the buses.

Narrator: Known in Thai as "the city of good people,"

it's the main jumping-off point for travelers

heading to some of Thailand's more famous islands.

The town also has great transport links

to the Malaysian border.

So we've just got to surat thani after...

I think it's been 13 hours on the train.

Has it been 13 hours? - Yeah.

I didn't sleep at all.

Before we make ourselves exhausted,

we need to rest so we can get back on the road.

So it's nice to able to spend a bit of time here.

Narrator: The girls head to the tranquillity of a local temple.

When you're doing a journey like this, you can't help but reflect

on your day or your life.

♪♪

About six years ago now,

I got hit by a car on the way to work.

And I nearly died.

So that's why I decided to go away.

Traveling has meant to me that I have been able to

just appreciate the world and appreciate people.

Could I hug you? - Okay!

Natalie: And I can just look at this amazing thing we've done,

all the different parts of this journey

where we've made connections with people, had amazing times.

Do you have any Euros?

♪ We've got the tickets to thessaloniki ♪

Where's your shoes?

Do you want this?

And we can just pocket that, and when I'm feeling down,

there will be my flashes of,

"Natalie, you're quite badass."

♪♪

Narrator: 95 miles west... Krabi bus station.

Darron and Alex have just arrived

on the overnight bus from Bangkok.

They were sat there.

They're obviously now going to be buying onward tickets.

Tony!

Just get in. What are you doing stuck out there?

Do you like all this cloak-and-dagger stuff?

40-odd years of marriage,

and I didn't realize you were so sneaky.

[ Laughs ]

Everyone has the potential.

She should be in the mi5.

Through the bushes.

Behind a Van.

And now she's hiding behind a blue bus.

Narrator: Despite her covert mission,

Elaine is spotted by Alex.

- Look who there is. - Hello!

- How are you? - I'm all right. You?

Good to see you.

- Hello. - How are you?

Did you go through Phnom Penh?

Or did you go the coastal way?

We went through Phnom Penh.

You went through Phnom Penh? Wow.

How long you been here?

At this stage in the game...

Okay.

Next time, I won't tell you anything.

Well, I've heard him telling him a load of things

that we haven't done, so I'd rather not lie.

You've just told him stuff. - Yeah.

Which are a load of lies.

You can't kid a kidder, as they say.

She just said they're a load of lies.

We're tactical now.

Yeah.

Hey-up, this is coming in here.

Well, good luck.

See you later.

Narrator: Tony and Elaine board their coach

to the border town of hat yai.

Alex was so disappointed when I wouldn't tell him

our route and stuff like that,

and I just felt really bad.

It's horrible. It's not right.

Narrator: With the finishing line in sight,

the pressure of the competition is hitting Alex hard.

"Oh, we can't say anything. Oh, we're keeping quiet.

I don't want to lie."

Well, they haven't been like that before, so they've changed.

It's ridiculous.

Darron: Alex.

Just leave me alone.

Let's go and enjoy the beach.

Narrator: With three hours to spare before their coach to hat yai departs,

darron takes Alex for some time-out.

It's a pretty cool place to spend some time, isn't it?

Alex: Yeah.

I'd love to visit all the islands.

Not all of them but some of them.

So would I.

You never know.

Might be back here next year. - Maybe.

Jumping on a boat, exploring these islands together.

I'd love to.

You never know, do you?

I am really, really proud of what you've achieved.

- Thank you. - You've done some amazing things.

Proud of what we've achieved together.

Yeah, but there's been times when I've struggled

or there's been times when you've

just upped your game big time,

and I'm really proud of you for doing that.

I probably don't tell you enough,

but you know I love you to bits.

I love you, too.

Can't believe it's coming to an end.

I know. It's going to be sad, isn't it?

It is quite sad.

And then when we go back, it's going to feel really, really weird.

It is.

I won't know what to do with myself.

I will be gutted if we don't come first.

I want my hug, even if we don't.

♪♪

Is there anything near you? - Sorry.

Oh, I'm as bad now. It were a leaf.

- Try and keep dry. - I know. I'm sorry.

I freaked out.

It must be a carnivorous leaf.

It's coming for you now, Alex.

Don't. I've got my passport and that in it.

Right.

Let's get on with the race.

♪♪

Narrator: A third team arrive in krabi.

Felix: Budget is not so much dripping away as pouring away.

Got about $118 to get from krabi to Singapore,

which is about $18 for food,

accommodation for the next three days.

Narrator: Josh and Felix are running on empty.

"Night of discomfort, dawn of happiness."

Lack of food and money

means they'll need to work to reach Singapore.

Through the jobs directory, they've secured

some manual labor at a beach-side hostel.

Yes, please.

In the heat of the midday sun,

their job... re-level the floor of the beach bar

in exchange for free food.

Very hard to carry.

You're looking thinner than you were before you set off.

Yeah, I haven't eaten for about four days, mate.

Neither have you.

It's good to be able to earn our keep.

[ Grunts ]

This is digging for victory.

♪♪

Now we're going to have some food.

This is the best thing to happen to me in days.

Mmm! Mmm!

Shift over, stomachs filled, and batteries recharged,

Josh and Felix get back to the race.

Oh, why are we leaving?

With their noses back in front, 180 miles away,

Tony and Elaine have made it to the border town of hat yai...

A major jumping-off point for travelers

heading to and from Malaysia.

Singapore.

They're aiming for a direct connection

to the finish line 550 miles away.

- No, today. - Today.

Yeah. Two persons.

Narrator: With only limited buses each day,

tickets sell out fast.

♪♪

- 6:00. - 6:00.

Tony: That's good. That's good. Perfect.

That's nice.

Oh, that is such a relief.

I thought there'd be no tickets.

Narrator: They've managed to get the only remaining tickets

on the last direct bus to Singapore.

Utterly beside myself getting on the last, last big transport

we're going to ever get on to finish this race.

How good is that?

Here we go to the border.

[ Chuckles ]

Tony: When we started the race, we didn't have much hope

of finishing in too high a position.

And now we have a really good chance of doing ourselves proud

and anybody over 60 proud, you know,

because we are in with a shout of actually winning it.

♪♪

Over here. Quickly.

Narrator: But hot on their heels, it's darron and Alex.

Learning there's no direct bus to Singapore,

they have to settle for the next quickest option...

A fast bus via the Malaysian capital...

To Kuala Lumpur tonight.

- Now, now. - Now? Sets off now?

- Leaving right away. - How much?

We really, really need this connection.

Hopefully, we've got something

and we've got enough money.

- 600. - 600 baht.

For two tickets?

[ Brakes hiss ]

For two tickets, how much more do I need?

50?

We have 520.

And 20. - I've got them.

♪♪

Thank you.

We got our connection.

Wow, that was intense.

We knew it we were going to be.

Can't believe we made that connection.

Good call about grabbing the bags and I running in.

- Yep. - That's a game changer.

Narrator: Front-runners darron and Alex and Tony and Elaine

are racing the length of Malaysia.

Further north, Josh and Felix... - Kuala Lumpur.

Narrator: And Natalie and shameema are trying

to make their connections.

We want to go to Kuala Lumpur.

Yes, please.

Ugh! Yeah. -That's it? That's the last train?

Narrator: Stranded in hat yai, the two teams

have fallen even further behind the race leaders,

who are fast approaching Kuala Lumpur,

the last capital before the finish line.

200 miles from Singapore

and a significant bump in the road for Tony and Elaine.

[ Loud thud ]

Elaine: Oh, you are joking.

The bus has broken down.

Tony: My back's worse.

This is just exactly what I feared, really.

Narrator: The Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur,

220 miles from the finish line.

To Singapore beach road. Two tickets.

- Please. - Please.

Passport.

Narrator: Darron and Alex are booking their final connection.

We've got the tickets.

♪♪

We've now got to change coaches.

Yeah. Great.

Is it this one? - Yeah.

♪♪

Whatever lead we had has now been lost.

They'll be going faster. They won't be having as many stops.

We haven't got that speed.

Tony: Of course we have.

We don't, really, not with you as you are, Tony.

♪♪

Narrator: Singapore... The furthest point from London

accessible by road and rail.

It normally costs between £800 to £1,500 to fly here,

but, without taking a single flight,

the first of our teams who have traveled

over 12,000 miles in 50 days

are just arriving on the outskirts of the city.

The £20,000 prize awaits the winning team.

Taxi to Singapore.

- Where are you going to, please? - Just to the center.

Narrator: Lying one degree north of the equator,

the island city state of Singapore.

5.6 million residents

are squeezed into this former British colony

made up of just 278 square miles,

half the size of London.

In 1819, sir Stanford raffles founded colonial Singapore

as a trading post of the British east India company,

and it has developed into a hub for finance,

technology, and innovation.

If you see an old man and a young boy carrying rucksacks,

just mow them down for us.

Yeah, they're our rivals.

Today, Singapore is generally considered to be

the most expensive city in the world.

This is it, dad. Singapore. This is the moment.

- Final destination. - Oh, I'm excited!

Ahh!

Final checkpoint. Let's do this.

- Alex, keep focused. - Let's do it.

Go, go, go.

Darron: We're racing close to the checkpoint,

but we've still got to be aware of money.

We don't know what else is going to happen.

We may not even have enough to get us there.

♪♪

Could be in that taxi in front. Just don't know any more.

Narrator: At the mouth of the Singapore river

stands the country's national symbol,

the merlion statue...

Tony: Thank you so much.

A mythical sea creature

made up of a lion's head and a fish's body.

Elaine: Here it is. A mer-lion, literally.

Right, let's have a look. What's it say?

Tony and Elaine receive details of their final destination

on their GPS tracker.

"Proceed on foot over the jubilee bridge."

"Past the grandstand," which is over there.

"To the checkpoint at the Marina bay sands tower one."

And could that be where that boat is, on top of that?

That would be awesome.

The Marina bay sands hotel is the final checkpoint.

Built in 2010, it boasts three hotel towers,

2,500 rooms,

and, today, a £20,000 prize awaits the winners.

Don't you do your back in! We said we'd go steady.

We said we'd go steady.

Don't go too fast, Alex. You burn out, then.

Alex: I know, but... It's tough.

♪♪

Oh [bleep] they're there. Look at the lion.

- Can you see them? - Yeah, I can see them.

Shift your butt. Come on. - Are you sure?

- I think it's them. - Oh, Tony!

Yeah, they're on the bridge. Just keep moving.

- I'm moving! I'm moving! - We don't have time to stop.

♪♪

Alex: I'm digging deep for the finish line... Right now.

Catch my breath. - Come on, Alex.

Keep the pace up.

It's right there...

In touching distance.

Tony, check-in's here.

♪♪

Hello, there. This is for us?

Yes.

- The finishing line... - It's at the mast on the observation deck.

Where's the observation deck?

Narrator: The finish line and the £20,000 prize

is now only a lift ride away.

But there is one final hurdle... Entrance to the observation deck

costs 23 Singapore dollars each.

Observation deck.

Just two.

Please.

U.S. dollar?

But we only have U.S. dollar.

Oh, no.

You're kidding me.

I told you.

Where?

♪♪

Watch them come down as we go up.

Oh, just shut up, Tony. Just get the bloody money changed.

Alex, it says this way.

Hotel here.

♪♪

[ Gasps ] Oh, my god, they're there.

No, they're not.

I bet they're bloody sitting up there, having a beer.

Having a beer.

Two, please.

Thank you. Oh, we've got change.

♪♪

- Darron and Alex are going to be there. - Yeah.

- And if they're there... - We've just got to congratulate them.

Well done.

Absolutely fantastic. - You know what I mean?

We've come all this way. 50 days.

Blood, sweat, tears.

20k could be up there right now.

Let's just get there, Alex.

Narrator: The Marina bay sands observation deck

soars 57 levels above the heart of Singapore,

boasting spectacular views of the entire city.

There it is, the famous book.

Elaine: Oh, the book! [ Chuckles ]

♪♪

- Are you ready? - Do it. We'll do it together.

- Are you ready? - Oh, Jesus.

♪♪

[ Laughs ]

Oh, my!

Oh, my god! We did it!

Yes! Yes!

Oh! Well done!

[ Laughs ]

We've done something... - I know.

[ Speaks indistinctly ]

-Oh! -I knew it, I knew it. Fair play to them.

Whee-ha!

It's surreal, isn't it? It's surreal.

It's like Leicester winning the premiership.

I'm feeling ecstatic.

- Totally elated. - Yeah.

We're the oldest team in the competition by far.

- First place. - Down in one?

And the pensioners... We are o.A.P.S.

We've beaten all these youngsters.

How that has happened, I'm not quite sure.

Oh, that's nice.

Mmm!

Mmm.

Alex: Well done, Tony and Elaine.

Actually doing this experience and doing this journey,

I've seen a lot, I've done a lot.

I've learned a lot about my dad along the way,

and that's the main thing, really.

And the fact that we did it, we did London to Singapore,

I'm happy.

Look where we are.

We made it after 50 days.

Darron: We've had a fantastic time together.

We've bonded more than either of us really expected.

Definitely.

Ultimately, it were a success.

What we've seen and what we've done along the way is priceless.

Before this journey,

we were estranged father and son, really.

Now we are father and son, and we will always be that,

but I think now we are friends, as well.

Do I get my hug?

Oh, finally.

Well done.

What an amazing journey it's been.

What a phenomenal time we've had together.

I wouldn't change it at all.

♪♪

Look who's here.

- Hey! - Congratulations.

- Well done. - Proud of you, my boy.

Proud of you.

Look at us all, all Yorkshire folks here.

Looking stronger.

I said all along, you'd be my favorite second.

It's just we happened to be second.

Elaine: And now you're myfavorite second.

When Tony opened the book and it was blank, I was like...

"yes! The oldies did it!"

When a yorkshireman's got a chance to win money...

I know! I'll tell you what.

He'll do anything, won't he?

You beat us. - Yeah.

Well done. I'm happy for you.

We've done London to Singapore.

- Yes. - Look at that accomplishment.

-Look at it. Look at it. What an incredible city. -It's beautiful.

It's amazing.

- One hell of a race. - Exactly.

- One hell of a race. - It is good.

♪♪

Narrator: After 51 days, the end is also in sight

for the two remaining teams.

Natalie: Tower one, tower one.

Still unaware of their place in the race,

next to reach the observation deck... Natalie and shameema.

56?

♪♪

We made it! We made it!

♪♪

Natalie, we're not last.

And we made it before Josh and Felix.

It's all good. It's all good.

It's over.

♪♪

Can't stop thinking about my children.

They will just be so amazed.

They thought we wouldn't make it out of London.

I can't wait to see them.

I've always wanted to be, like, a role model to them,

to show that there's nothing they can't do.

And I know that that's what they're going to take away from this,

that their mum was able to come from London to Singapore

without a single flight, with $60 left in her pocket.

[ Both laugh ]

We made it before Josh and Felix at least.

Natalie: Oh, my god. Let's go and get a drink.

Josh: Thank you.

♪♪

How much is one ticket? We've only got 6.

- No. - We have 6.

And $20 U.S. we can give you $20 U.S. -and we have $20 U.S.

- Find it? - We've come all this way,

and I haven't asked anyone for a dollar.

So I'm not going to start now.

Narrator: But for Josh and Felix, the finishing line

looks like it's just out of reach.

We slogged our guts out.

Think about what a wonderful achievement it was

to spend seven weeks traveling halfway across the world,

seeing the land change and the people change.

Like, how... what a privilege it was.

We worked really, really, really hard to get to this point,

to get to Singapore, and it just feels

a little bit galling to get all the way here,

to the foot of the checkpoint,

and be denied access.

♪♪

Narrator: But help from above...

What are they doing?

Might be at hand.

Natalie: Our strategy through the race

was to rely on the kindness of strangers.

How are you guys doing? - Very good.

Every step that we took, so many people have helped us.

Why didn't you pay to come up the lift?

We only have $23.

- You've only got $23? - Yeah.

We actually got to Singapore with $140.

Golly.

So now I'm thinking it's really important to finish it.

Yep. Thank you so much.

No, it's not about a thank you. Like, it's important to finish it.

Shameema: We all have to, everyone who's been through

the 51 days of this journey,

has to go in and has to sign that book,

because nobody else knows it. - And have that moment.

Yeah, have that moment. - Definitely.

- I don't know why we're shaking hands! - Group hug!

Natalie: We both believe what we put out is what you'll get back.

Sweaty group hug!

Cool. All right, come on, let's all go.

♪♪

Thanks, guys.

♪♪

- All right. There's your book. - Sweet.

All right. Thanks, girls.

Couldn't have done it without you.

Okay.

Felix: Tony and Elaine won!

Aw, well done, Tony and Elaine.

Yes! I'm so happy.

Aw, mate... Well done.

Just need a beer.

Tony: Somebody's got to cross the line first

in a race like this,

but I think it's a win-win situation for everybody.

The race we've been on really has changed our lives.

We're about to cross the world.

Yah!

Come on.

Woman possessed in a bus station!

We've never experienced anything like this.

Tony: We have seen places we would never, ever have visited.

It whets your appetite. - Yeah, it's changed us.

Tony: Being married 40 years has seen us through

some difficult moments. - Yeah.

- A crazy, wacky, whoopy place. - I want to help you.

Bye!

For the next five years, whilst we're still able,

go and do a bit more.

Tony: We could get used to this.

♪♪

Captions by vitac... www.Vitac.Com

captions paid for by discovery communications

♪♪