Race Across the World S4: When does it start, who are the contestants and where do they race?

We’ve seen contestants race across Europe, South America and Canada. Now, BBC's Race Across the World returns with one of its most epic, culturally rich and scenic travel competitions yet.

Series four of Race Across the World will see five intrepid duos take on a 15,000km race across several countries.

But for those who don’t know yet, it’s not as simple as catching a flight. Travelling overland, the racegoers leave their smartphones, internet access and credit cards behind and rely on a limited budget, their team's travel knowledge, and the kindness of strangers to help them complete each leg of the race.

They can go in any direction they choose but need to carefully consider the time and cost of each route. The winning team who make it across the finish line first will receive a cash prize of £20,000.

With the first exciting episode hitting our screens very soon, read on to find out who is taking part, where exactly they're racing, and where you can watch it.

Who is taking part in Race Across the World series four?

Just like previous series, there are five teams of two taking part in series four of Race Across the World.

The youngest contestants joining the race are best friends Owen and Alfie from Hertfordshire, both 20 years old. Alfie is a football referee whereas Own is a trainee pilot – so we’re eager to see how easy he finds it keeping his feet firmly on the ground.

Betty, a 25-year-old social media manager for a gym, has partnered up with her 21-year-old brother, James, a sales consultant – both are from Yorkshire. 

Residing in Barking and Birmingham, 60-year old teacher Eugenie is taking on the challenge with her 25-year-old daughter Isabel, a trainee clinical scientist.

Another mother-daughter duo are 52-year-old Sharon and 25-year-old Brydie. Both from Kent, Sharon is a cleaner and Brydie is snowboard instructor.

And finally, Stephen and Viv are both retired and the oldest contestants taking part in the series, both 61 and 65 respectively. Will the married couple from Rutland show the rest of the teams how it’s done?

Where are they racing this time?

In this series, the contestants are taking on a 15,000km race across Asia. They begin in the Japanese capital of Tokyo, crossing eight borders and six seas to reach the finish line in Lombok, a paradise island in Indonesia close to Bali.

Travelling along the path of the volcanic ring of fire – one of the most treacherous geological regions – this race is gearing up to be one of the most challenging yet.

When does Race Across the World series four start?

Race Across the World begins at 9pm on 10 April on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Episodes will then be aired at the same time on Wednesdays until the series finale. 

To get in the mood, catch up on previous series on BBC iPlayer now.