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00:12Mongolia, the eighth and final country of the race, vast, remote, and unforgiving.
00:26This is now more than a competition, it's an expedition, across endless steppe, over frozen
00:34peaks, and deep into the unknown.
00:40Mongolian temperatures can plunge beneath minus 20, and its biting winds and isolation
00:46could test every decision and every ounce of resilience the teams have left.
00:52In the far west, in the shadow of the Altai Mountains, there are few roads, and even
00:59fewer large towns, only scattered settlements separated by hundreds of miles.
01:08At the edge of this frontier lies Olgi, where all four teams have landed, unable to continue
01:17their race through China.
01:22But this remote outpost brings a new kind of challenge.
01:27Right, we're going to... carcoring.
01:32Carcoring?
01:33Oh, hold on, hold on.
01:36On many international maps of Mongolia, the roads are not accurate.
01:40Shit.
01:42So that means that this map will not be accurate.
01:44In fact, we've got to trust people's words more than the map.
01:48With outdated maps, and paved roads that dissolve into unmarked dirt tracks, teams must travel
01:55boldly as they venture into central Mongolia to the penultimate checkpoint.
02:02Harhorin, once an imperial capital under the son of Cenghis Khan, its ruins and sacred monasteries stand
02:11as a reminder of the country's powerful past as the largest contiguous land empire.
02:20First, to make their move, race leaders Joe and Kush.
02:24Let's go, let's go, let's go.
02:25Bye bye.
02:27Can't lie though, that looks sick.
02:31It is just absolutely beautiful.
02:34It's genuinely like Narnia.
02:36Literally, I care because I'm not steroids.
02:40I can't wait to try and explain this one to my mum.
02:57As-salamu alaykum.
02:59How much for two?
03:01Cheapest room?
03:02120,000.
03:05Utilising their 14-hour lead, Joe and Kush have taxied to the closest provincial capital,
03:11Hovd.
03:13Hey, this is Sam.
03:14We've got a kettle.
03:16Cup of tea, that's all.
03:18Mongolia, day one, flying down snow-capped hills, it was just, it was mental.
03:24Temperature was a big surprise.
03:26It's just Baltic.
03:28It's like through your jacket, into your bones.
03:30My legs don't normally get cold, but I can feel it through my kex.
03:34All right, so let's have a look on that.
03:36There is carcoring.
03:37That looks to be a fair distance.
03:40Yeah.
03:40And so, it'll take quite a length of time.
03:43And also, that's quite off-road.
03:46That's going to be so sick.
03:47That's boss.
03:48Teams face a 1,550-kilometre journey to Harhoran,
03:54across a country where public transport is scarce.
03:58To make progress, they'll need to rely on car shares, taxis and hitchhiking.
04:04But lifts aren't necessarily free.
04:07Local drivers expect payment.
04:09And with fuel prices rising, every mile comes at a higher cost.
04:15Teams could head north via the city of Wulangong to pick up the paved road east.
04:22Or go south, following an established route skirting the Gobi Desert.
04:29Whichever path they choose, parts of the journey will take them off-road,
04:33across unmapped trails and landscapes few tourists travel.
04:40Wulangong seems like the biggest city around.
04:43So, there should be best transport connectors.
04:44Choosing to go up north, we have that highway that covers pretty much the entire distance.
04:50That might be our only opportunities to get public transport, which would save money.
04:54So, we got to Wulangong and then do a little homestay, stay in the year.
04:57That'll be good.
04:57Hoping to preserve cash for the final leg,
05:00the boys will head north in search of a free homestay,
05:04planning to pick up local buses between towns as they head east.
05:08You can see the finish line. It's not far away now.
05:11Everyone wants to be first, but you only really want to be first on the last leg.
05:15And so, getting to this point now, it does feel like there's a little bit of, sort of, pressure.
05:19Because we are so close to the finish line, it's like, all on our own.
05:23Like, we can't afford to make any mistakes.
05:36Shall I get out of the map?
05:39Ulgi. Mm-hm.
05:40All the way to Karkurin.
05:42That is quite a journey. Wow.
05:45Back in Ulgi Airport, teams are released in the order they arrived into the last checkpoint of Almaty.
05:52In second place and ready to depart, Mark and Margo.
05:56It seems from Ulgi, we could actually go north, up to Wulangong.
06:01But I think it swings and roundabouts, which way you go.
06:03Do you?
06:03It's a bit of punch in the dark, isn't it?
06:05It is.
06:05Yeah.
06:06I'd say that in a go.
06:07Yeah, I'd love that, yeah.
06:09We've got to make some ground up to catch up with them.
06:11That's going to be tough, I think.
06:12It's not impossible, though.
06:14We are behind the boys by quite a stretch.
06:16Let's go.
06:17Our strategy is to try and catch up in whatever way we can,
06:21but we have no idea what it's going to cost in Mongolia,
06:23so we want to protect our budgets before the final leg.
06:27Let's go.
06:31Right.
06:36We just need to get going.
06:38Yeah.
06:38This is the worst part.
06:40I look forward to just sitting here and doing nothing
06:42and thinking of the other teams gaining advantage.
06:48I love your positive.
06:50That's true.
06:50You're welcome.
06:58Margot!
06:59What?
07:00What do you sign up?
07:01I smiled last time I made them stop.
07:07Are you going here?
07:08Kovt?
07:09Kovt?
07:10No.
07:10No.
07:11OK, thank you.
07:11OK.
07:14In Algy town, Mark and Margot tread the same path as Joe and Kush,
07:19having to travel south to Hovd before heading north via a homestay in Nyingad.
07:26Hello.
07:27We need to go to Kovt.
07:28Kovt.
07:29Can you take us there?
07:30No.
07:31250?
07:32No, no, too much.
07:34Yeah, too much.
07:34No, no, thank you.
07:35Do you go to Kovt?
07:37And of course, 250,000 books.
07:39Whoa!
07:40No, it's too expensive for us.
07:42Sorry.
07:42Thank you very much.
07:44We are a bit stuck at the moment.
07:47People are stopping who actually just want to hire themselves out as a private hire
07:51and they just want too much money.
07:53We thought traveling and Margot would be cheaper, didn't we, Margot?
07:56Where's my credit card?
07:59On the penultimate leg, budgets are now running low.
08:03Three teams have around 20% remaining.
08:06Every bit of cash counts and every ride must be fought for.
08:12200,000.
08:13Ah, no, we only have little money.
08:15120?
08:16120, yeah.
08:18150.
08:19I think 150 should just take it.
08:21OK, yeah, yeah.
08:23We're on the move.
08:24Welcome to Longolia.
08:26You're going to have to pay through the nose.
08:27I'm sure it's going to get easier on the busy areas, isn't it?
08:31If it doesn't, our budget is done.
08:34We're cooked, Mark.
08:36We're cooked.
08:39As Mark and Margot make their way to Hovd...
08:43We need to get to Ulanggob soon as really.
08:46I know.
08:46Joe and Kush are already looking for a way out.
08:49Sharing a minibus will be cheaper.
08:51As-salamu alaykum.
08:52You drive?
08:53Yeah.
08:57Thank you, thank you, my friend.
08:58We've paid for a 10-seater van, but we are waiting for it to fill up.
09:02I don't know how long it'll take, but hopefully not too long.
09:06Let's see if we can get him to just go.
09:08Oh, Ned, you're faster.
09:12It is vital to save money, but it depends.
09:16We have to be time conscious.
09:17We need fast.
09:18If it does take six hours for this van to fill up, we might as well grab a taxi.
09:24Go.
09:25Go.
09:26Go.
09:26No.
09:27He's saying it'll go.
09:28We're sorted.
09:33There's a lot of pressure now that all the other teams are being released today.
09:36We've just got to try and maintain our position.
09:38We've done all the planning yesterday.
09:40We've got a plan.
09:41We know where we're going.
09:42The boys are pushing north to reach a homestay that will position them close to the Hirgas Highway
09:47that runs directly towards the checkpoint.
09:50But they must first navigate 250 kilometres of unforgiving off-road tracks.
09:56You've got to be joking.
09:58Sick.
09:59You have got to be joking.
10:01Whoa!
10:04We've been driving on a normal, regular road, and suddenly it's taking us on a little shortcut
10:11across the desert.
10:13It's a help of the shortcut, because this is absolute hell.
10:19Oh!
10:22Oh, God.
10:32I mean, the van did take some hits.
10:35We were definitely, like, airborne for five seconds at one point.
10:42Who knows?
10:43This could be five minutes or an hour.
10:47Oh!
10:49We are absolutely in the absolute middle of an hour.
10:52Like, this is absurd.
10:53Could have been years since someone's actually stepped exactly where we are now,
10:57because there is nothing here, and I mean nothing.
11:00I can't even see a single animal inside it.
11:02It's just empty.
11:08Ah, I feel sick.
11:11With the boys at a standstill...
11:15I love how flat it is into, like, absolute mountains.
11:19I'd like to see you're saying.
11:20Andrew and Molly are ready to race.
11:24How long?
11:25One hour?
11:26One hour?
11:26Two hours?
11:27Twelve?
11:28Mm-hm.
11:29Or one?
11:32Thirteen, Molly.
11:33OK, sir.
11:33OK, thank you.
11:36Setting off in third place, the pair are straight on the road to Altan Teal in a local car share.
11:44So, we are going to do a homestay tonight.
11:46But it's getting distance covered now, early.
11:48We're on the main road.
11:49Yes.
11:50South.
11:50But I do think today we need to make sure we're in position for tomorrow.
11:54Yes.
11:54And the day after.
11:55And that's why, Molly, we need to spend the money and just get it done.
11:58A hundred percent.
12:00The first team opting to head south, the aim to gain ground and spend big.
12:06We need speed, and we've been in third or fourth continually,
12:09and we would like to climb up the leaderboard and get competitive for the last leg.
12:14We've got the money to be able to spend, so we need to spend it.
12:18And I keep saying to Molly, there's no point in being rich losers.
12:21I have said to you from the very beginning, you only need to win one.
12:23Yes, only need to win one.
12:31I'm really, really excited for Mongolia. I mean, I don't really know what to expect.
12:35Last to depart.
12:36We're fourth.
12:37Yes.
12:38And we need to catch up.
12:39Katie and Harrison plot their route out of Ulgi.
12:42In terms of racing quick, mix of north and south seems like a decent route.
12:48Yeah.
12:49Because we're mixing the best of the two highways.
12:51Do you know what I mean?
12:52See if we can get on with transport to Derby.
12:55Their plan, head south to Derby before tackling a shorter off-road section
13:01to join the middle of the paved northern highway, then push on to the checkpoint.
13:07We need to get to Derby.
13:09You can go to Hop City, nearby Derby.
13:13There is a lot of pressure on the flag. Mongolia is going to provide so many different challenges
13:18that we've really not experienced so far in the race. The only thing we can take with us that
13:22we've learned on the race so far is asking people and trusting people.
13:25Okay, so 30,000, 30,000.
13:28Yes.
13:29Let's go.
13:29The fact that you cannot rely on the map is not good for Harrison. Without his comfort map,
13:35he is nothing. Let's just hope he doesn't lose his calculator, then we'll have to go home.
13:41Will anyone else be in the taxi?
13:44For one person. Go with you, please.
13:45Yes. Okay.
13:50Smells nice. Smells very good.
13:55We've finally got our first journey in Mongolia properly underway.
13:59As they head to their first stop in Hovd.
14:01We're last, so we need to be quick. 21 else is what we've got to catch up.
14:06Three hundred kilometres ahead, Andrew and Molly are arriving into Altan Thiel.
14:13Look where you are. This is so cool.
14:21Tucked in the valley of the Batur Harhan mountain, which rises to nearly 4,000 metres,
14:27they are sampling a taste of rural life with the Bayan monks at their nomadic encampment.
14:33Hello, hello. Hello.
14:35What have you just killed? Cow, right? Okay, wow.
14:38Where the family are preparing home-reared livestock for a feast in their honour.
14:44Size of the liver.
14:46I expected, like, to have traditional life,
14:49but to actually be thrown into them slaughtering a beast, it's different to put it that way.
14:55Just totally surreal. Not what I expected in any way whatsoever.
15:01On the steppe, hospitality is a way of life. Strangers are welcomed with food and shelter,
15:08a tradition shaped by the harsh realities of the land. Made out of felt and wood, circular gurs are
15:15a symbol of nomadic life. Still home to over a million people, on the move, or in settled communities,
15:21and built to house entire families.
15:25It's so warm. Thank you.
15:28Oh, it's lovely and warm.
15:29Wow.
15:30Wow.
15:31Thank you. Thank you. Hot, hot.
15:34Hot, hot. Very hot.
15:35Very hot.
15:36Are you family here?
15:39Yeah, yeah, yeah.
15:40Yeah, yeah, yeah.
15:41Brothers.
15:42Yeah, brothers.
15:42Oh, brothers.
15:48Mmm.
15:54I'm going to eat a piece of this.
15:58Oh, wow.
16:02Very nice.
16:04I'm doing really well. Coming from a girl that can't eat fish fingers from Tesco's.
16:08Mm-hmm.
16:09Yes.
16:10Oh.
16:11Hello.
16:12Hello.
16:14It's a great evening. It's kind of just amazing to see people come and go. People eat out of the
16:22same bowl. They share everything and enjoy the family time. What is it?
16:29I think drink it and find out. Vodka. Vodka. Oh.
16:40It was just lovely that you never took from the cup unless it was offered to you. And it
16:47was all about the respect for the head of the household. There's a community spirit. Just
16:51a lovely thing to witness tonight. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
17:01We love your home. Beautiful. Very beautiful. Also taking shelter at a local girl, Mark and
17:10Margot have reached me and Gad. This is like the ultimate design for compact living. It's so
17:17cleverly organised. I don't think I could do girl life. My girl would be an absolute tip.
17:22I don't like it. Tea. Mongerjan tea. Tea, is it? This is different from any of the tea we've seen
17:28before, isn't it? It is, yes. Guests are welcomed with sooty tea, a rich savoury tea
17:34blend of milk and salt seasoned with fermented butter oil. Monger tea. Yeah. It is customary to
17:41try any delicacies offered by your host. You don't normally drink tea, do you, Mark? I don't, no.
17:48Thank you very much. Thank you. It's very bitter. I like... You like that? It's good. I quite
18:03like it. Delicious. Look at him delicious. Good. It's very good. Yeah. The family that live here are
18:10really, really joyful. Do you ever play Noughts and Crosses? Do you know this game? Yes. Go on.
18:19These two are school teachers and they're living in a ger on this site.
18:25This is a nomadic tent. You're meant to sort of be able to take down and transport wherever you go.
18:32This is now a permanent one. Oh, neither of us do it again though. Neither of us win, do we?
18:37And they've been in really homely. It's fantastic.
18:43You win. To put one to you.
18:49What's this one?
18:52With their earlier setback behind them, after a makeshift repair to their minibus,
18:58Joe and Kush have finally made it to Naranbulag. What is that?
19:06Oh, bro, that's horse poo.
19:11It is very resourceful as well, using the leftover horse, excrement, as a fuel source.
19:20I'm so happy we did this. I love the boots. I like your boots.
19:27I'd well wear a pair of them. Yeah, bro.
19:29The Mongolians are just the baddest pimps of all. They're just tons.
19:33Massive fur coats, eagles, and knee-high boots.
19:36Tants, tants, tants, tants.
19:39Dance?
19:39Tants, tants. Shall we?
19:42Mm-hmm. Tants.
19:43Ja.
19:44Davai. Davai.
19:54Their host, Batzend, has arranged a night of traditional dance and music at the local community hall.
20:14I wish they could dance for longer. Just a really mad experience. I feel very privileged to be in a
20:21position to witness it firsthand, you know?
20:26This is so random.
20:28Me and Kurt.
20:30We both have a very musical family.
20:33And a passion for music.
20:36I believe it's such a healthy way of expressing yourself.
20:41I play drums, trombone and a baritone horn.
20:47My dad played guitar his whole life.
20:50That's how I got into it. I've got my dad to thank for that.
20:54You want to play?
21:00I love you.
21:07I love you.
21:16Historically used by male herders to mimic nature, Mongolian throat singing was brought to the stage in the mid-20th
21:23century.
21:29I've been listening to this one Mongolian song for, like, years.
21:32My dad showed me it back when I was, like, 11, 12.
21:35We started playing this song, yeah.
21:37It was insane.
21:39I could have cried in that moment.
21:48To hear something I'd been listening to for seven years, it's so mind-blowing.
21:53It was just beautiful.
21:56I'm going to cry.
21:57I'm actually going to cry.
22:01I wish I could show me dad.
22:03He would be, like, on the floor laughing.
22:05It would be hilarious.
22:10Oh!
22:17That's so good.
22:18I can't believe that.
22:20I've heard Mongolian throne singing live.
22:22That was sick.
22:24That was so good.
22:26This is, like, the best thing I've ever done in my entire life.
22:30This guy is so cool.
22:31I don't know how you do that, my friend.
22:33I don't know how you do that.
22:34This is what I was wanting out of Mongolia,
22:36was this kind of, like, experience.
22:41Can't believe it, what's going on today.
22:43I'm so thankful for this experience.
22:54I need ear moths.
22:56My ears are freezing.
22:59Katie and Harrison wake up in the city of Hovd.
23:02You want to bring a hat?
23:03Where's your hat?
23:04You've got a hat, dickhead.
23:05You're such an angry person.
23:07You should really try to be just a little bit more calm.
23:13Home to a diverse range of ethnic groups,
23:16including the Erat Mongols,
23:19Kazakh and Ouranhai people,
23:21its population of 30,000 residents
23:24makes it one of the largest settlements in Western Mongolia.
23:29Which way do you want to go?
23:30This way.
23:34Where are you going?
23:36I don't have a clue.
23:40Oh, hang on.
23:42Is that a bus there?
23:43But even the biggest cities
23:45don't have an immediate or obvious way out.
23:48Bus.
23:50That's a bus.
23:51Is it?
23:52He's just showing us his bus.
23:54OK, so, Darby.
23:56Yes?
23:56I think it's quite difficult here
23:58just because you just feel like
24:00you're stranded constantly.
24:02I found the bus station.
24:03It's a little bit more difficult
24:04to find out information,
24:05but it's also more difficult
24:06to locate what you're looking for.
24:10People are understanding
24:10after Voxel
24:11as the same they did in Kazakhstan
24:13and Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
24:15But in those countries,
24:16there's a big grand Soviet building.
24:19It's just a shed.
24:21This is where we need to come back to.
24:23What time?
24:24Half ten?
24:24Ten, yeah.
24:25Ten?
24:25Ten, because we can get a ticket.
24:27Then we can find somewhere to sit.
24:30As the siblings await a bus to Darby
24:32for a homestay...
24:36Good morning, goat.
24:37..in Altantil,
24:39Andrew and Molly
24:40wake up in their local stopover.
24:42Look at this, Molly.
24:44Oh, shit.
24:45Like, in the middle of nowhere.
24:49Gorgeously peaceful.
24:51Look at that.
24:52It's beautiful.
24:53I love Mongolia.
24:56I didn't want to get out of bed either.
24:59In return for last night's bed and board...
25:02I just go?
25:03I'm OK, yeah?
25:05..they are pitching in
25:06with the morning routine.
25:08I've never built a cow like this before.
25:12It's just such an amazing place.
25:14People working the landscape
25:16and using what they're being given.
25:18And the morning job is
25:19picking up the frozen cow dung.
25:21They use it for fuel.
25:24I think I might be done.
25:27Yes.
25:29She doesn't believe me.
25:31Wow.
25:32It is gorgeous, isn't it?
25:34It's amazing seeing Daddy in Mongolia.
25:36Yeah, does it?
25:37I think he's just loving it.
25:39It's absolutely unreal.
25:41Molly.
25:42I can't see you over the cow.
25:44Are you just moving the...
25:47Dung.
25:47Boy job.
25:48Enjoy.
25:49Good job.
25:51Wakes you up in the morning anyway.
25:53It's really important for Daddy to seize this.
25:57This is his opportunity
25:59to prove to himself that he can do it.
26:02Because three years ago,
26:04my Daddy had a heart attack
26:05and it was probably the worst day of my life.
26:09That really shook me
26:11and I think it really shook him.
26:14Daddy realised he wasn't invincible.
26:20The heart attack knocked my confidence.
26:23Over the years,
26:24it has just caused me a huge amount of stress
26:26and a huge amount of anxiety
26:29that I've never been able to kind of fully get rid of.
26:34I don't know
26:36if I'm doing it right or wrong.
26:38Well, no, we're right.
26:39That's us now.
26:42And there's one of the things I kind of said to Molly,
26:44we need to get through elimination
26:44because I need to finish this.
26:47Mongolia has been
26:48a pinch me moment that I'm here,
26:50I'm standing here.
26:51It's just something that I've always wanted to do.
26:55This is my way of putting a full stop on heart attack
27:01and the ability to say,
27:03no, it's not going to affect me anymore,
27:05but it's going to give me positives
27:08as I make the way of the journey through life.
27:11I cannot thank this whole journey enough
27:15for flicking that switch
27:17and allowing me to move on.
27:21OK, job done.
27:25We need to get into town,
27:27get a bus.
27:28Can you drive us in?
27:29Yeah.
27:33Mongolia.
27:33There's only one word for it, it's magical.
27:35It's absolutely magical.
27:38It's just amazing to see him back the way he was.
27:40How excited he is for everything.
27:42So thrilled, so, so thrilled.
27:44Like, he's been given the health all clear,
27:46but this is mentally the all clear.
27:49Right, away we go.
27:51Go, go, go, go.
27:52Go, go, go.
27:55As father and daughter continue south towards Altai,
27:59180 kilometres away in Mee and Gad,
28:02Mark and Margot look for a way to head north.
28:06I think if we left here now,
28:07we could get to Oolongom for this evening.
28:10If we go up to Oolongom,
28:11we're actually thundering along to the checkpoint.
28:14We are, we need to get moving.
28:15We need to get moving.
28:17So, hello, hello, do you want to, where do we want to go to?
28:21Oolongom.
28:22How do we get to Oolongom from here?
28:24Do you want to, do you want, do you want, do you want,
28:25we have to go back to Hovd?
28:26We have to go back and then up?
28:28Yeah, yes.
28:29I don't want to go back to Hovd, do you?
28:31No, we might have to, though.
28:33She's sending us backwards to go forwards.
28:37How do we get back to Hovd?
28:39Can we get a taxi from here?
28:43No taxi here, no taxi here.
28:44If we go, if we go on the road and go.
28:49Let's just do that.
28:50That's what we'll have to do, isn't it?
28:52Thank you so much.
28:55Originally, we wanted to shoot straight up from Oolongom,
28:58from where we are now.
29:00Come on, let's go.
29:01Our ger host made it clear, that's not a possibility.
29:04We have to go back to Hovd.
29:05Very disappointing.
29:07If we want to catch up with the boys,
29:08we need to move fast.
29:11I don't want to wave, I want to lift, mate.
29:15Hi!
29:16You go to Hovd?
29:18Yay!
29:21Come on!
29:23So good of you.
29:26Goodbye.
29:33After a night in Naranbulag,
29:35Joe and Kush are aiming to catch
29:38one of only two daily buses
29:39that pass through the town.
29:41An opportunity to travel
29:43450 kilometres
29:44to Tosantzenghel.
29:48Oh, wait.
29:48Is that our bus?
29:50Hello.
29:52So, let me go.
29:53Tosantzenghel?
29:54Two?
29:55How much?
29:56160,000.
29:57It's leg seven out of eight.
29:59So, realistically,
30:00we want to be really budget conscious.
30:02And so, we have backup funds
30:03for the final leg.
30:05Should we haggle?
30:06100,000 for two?
30:07We said 160,000.
30:09We're going for 100,000.
30:10That leg is where it's going to be.
30:12That taxi versus that bus
30:14will make or break ours.
30:16And we want the money
30:17to be able to spend that taxi.
30:18That's okay.
30:19Thank you, my friend.
30:21Thanks, bro.
30:22It was so easy
30:23getting on this bus.
30:24Yeah, it was good.
30:25Like, it was so easy.
30:28Bro, I'm gassed at that price.
30:29I mean, this place is so bougie
30:30for what we paid.
30:31This feels like first class.
30:33This place is so cool.
30:35That comfy girl
30:36has got a bit of a journey.
30:38As the other teams forge on,
30:40the in-laws are back
30:41where they were 24 hours ago.
30:45Thank you so much.
30:46Thank you so much.
30:48How much money?
30:49What?
30:50You want money?
30:51Yeah, how much?
30:5250,000.
30:53No.
30:54No.
30:54It's not a taxi.
30:5640.
30:57You're saying 40.
31:00Well, there you go.
31:02It's a bit of a shock because...
31:04When they pick you up and then they...
31:05And they don't say anything
31:06at the beginning or whatever, but...
31:07It's a little bit gross, this is it.
31:09With the unexpected fare
31:10denting the remaining budget,
31:12they try to find a cheaper way out.
31:15A bus.
31:16Is there a bus?
31:19So, not tomorrow.
31:22Saturday.
31:23Saturday.
31:24So, there's not another bus
31:25till Saturday.
31:31A very bitter pill to swallow.
31:34Keeping your spirits up
31:35when you're doing everything you can,
31:38you're making decisions
31:38that you think are strategic
31:41and it's just all going wrong,
31:43it is crushing.
31:44It does get you down.
31:47You know, tomorrow's another day,
31:49but today...
31:53Sunsetting, it's getting cold.
31:55It's a cheap hotel.
31:57As they bed down...
31:58That's how much money you've got left
32:00for this lake.
32:0129.
32:02The reality of their delay
32:04hits home.
32:06Oh, dear.
32:07With the budget we've got,
32:08it's budget over racing, isn't it?
32:11Mm, it is, yeah.
32:12It's coming down to the wire, isn't it?
32:15It's just so expensive, Mongolia,
32:17and our budget has been decimated.
32:20We'll spend two nights in this area.
32:22We'll only spend...
32:23We intend to spend one.
32:26We just want to get to the end.
32:27That's what we want to do.
32:31Dumplings.
32:32I want to look like a dumpling
32:33after all of these.
32:35340 kilometres east in Darby...
32:39Dumplings, God.
32:40Yeah.
32:41Katie and Harrison
32:42have made it to their homestay,
32:44where they are experiencing
32:45Mongolian hospitality
32:46for the first time.
32:48Thank you so much.
32:49Thank you so much.
32:49That was very nice.
32:52Now let's enjoy the dance.
32:54Let's, yeah.
32:55Maybe we'll finally get to pull, Harrison.
32:58I can't do it in Manchester
32:59where there's a couple million people.
33:01What chance have I got in a small village in Mongolia?
33:03Yeah.
33:06Phil?
33:07Harrison, I think the men have got to ask the women to dance.
33:11I'm young, single, and available.
33:15Young, single, available, and full of dumpling.
33:18What more could you want?
33:24Hello.
33:25Hello.
33:26Oh, OK.
33:30Oh, my God, no.
33:31This is time.
33:32She's all over the place.
33:34This is too confusing.
33:36Are you going to come in?
33:38There was definitely a routine,
33:40and I'm not quite getting it.
33:42I keep pumping into it.
33:45Bye-bye.
33:46How was that?
33:47That was the best experience ever.
33:49Yeah?
33:50I'm an absolute disaster on the dance floor.
33:53Your turn.
33:54That's not happening.
33:55I can't dance.
33:56Harrison, please.
33:58Harrison, you have to.
33:59Katie, on this trip,
34:00I've had to speak to running people,
34:01stay in people's houses.
34:02I have not felt anxiety in my chest like this once.
34:07This is your song.
34:08It's not my song.
34:09OK?
34:10Let's go.
34:11Harrison.
34:12Mihi.
34:12Oh.
34:13Yeah.
34:14OK.
34:15OK, where's this going?
34:16OK, same one.
34:18Oh, where are we going?
34:20There.
34:21Huh?
34:24Oh.
34:27You're getting that going.
34:28God, this is terrible.
34:32Back, yes, yes, back to you.
34:34She's smiling at me.
34:35And I'm just trying my best.
34:38Ah, thank you.
34:42That's the best thing.
34:45She's going to go and say that's the most...
34:48The biggest plank I've ever danced with.
34:51To turn up to this village,
34:5380 kilometres off the main road,
34:55there's a Mongolian disco hall as well to go with it.
34:58Full of surprises, this place.
34:59You just don't know what to expect next.
35:01People of all ages having a dance together,
35:04choosing different dance partners,
35:05and it's really wholesome.
35:07It's like the most uncomfortable situation
35:09you could have put me in.
35:10That's what the race is about.
35:12So I'm just trying to, I suppose,
35:13broaden my mind and better myself a little bit each day.
35:18I can't take the smile off my face.
35:20I'm so glad Harrison did dance.
35:22For a couple of minutes of embarrassment
35:24in front of a few people,
35:26he's got, like, a memory for a lifetime.
35:29We're always going to look back and laugh
35:31when we look like the right pair of videos.
35:33Definitely, this is the best memories we've had so far.
35:59Oh, that is chilly.
36:04Joe and Kush have woken up in Tosant Sengal,
36:08a remote Mongolian sum,
36:10or rural district,
36:12with under 10,000 residents.
36:14We've got a job from five
36:16that we can work in a bar.
36:17We're trying to find a bus that leaves
36:19after our shift
36:20and it'll get us to the checkpoint.
36:22Can you help us get a bus to Karkurin?
36:34Yes, 3 a.m. in the morning from Tosant Sengal.
36:40You are amazing.
36:41We've got to basically, well, go to work
36:43and then after that get to checkpoint.
36:45I don't think any team's could have done it faster.
36:48While they wait for their shift...
36:50This one here, yes?
36:51This one.
36:52OK.
36:52Andrew and Molly are also pushing on towards Half Horan.
36:55We've covered the ground, Molly.
36:58Travelling via Arvai here on a local bus service.
37:02Feeling good, actually.
37:03Feeling good.
37:04The dream scenario would be
37:05if we could get within touching distance of the boys
37:07within three or four hours,
37:08hopefully we can get close to them
37:10and put them under pressure.
37:12It'd be majorly impressive.
37:14Fingers crossed.
37:16230 kilometres behind...
37:18Hello.
37:19We want to go to Altai.
37:22Katie and Harrison are trying to reach Altai
37:24where they plan to head off-road
37:26towards the Northern Highway.
37:30Autobus, uh...
37:31What time?
37:33Two.
37:35That's way too late.
37:37Yeah.
37:37We would be stuck there tonight.
37:39Right.
37:40So that's the only bus.
37:42Yes.
37:42If we get that bus,
37:43we probably won't get to Karkar in Samarim.
37:45And it would mean we could be two days behind teams.
37:49Taxi?
37:51Taxi, no.
37:52No.
37:53I don't know the answer.
37:55I think we need to change our plans.
37:58OK, so...
38:00The bus doesn't stop in Altai.
38:02It goes all the way to Bayan Congor.
38:04Does it?
38:05Yeah.
38:05So I think a better route would be
38:07to follow this bottom highway through,
38:10end up...
38:11Bayan Congor.
38:12Bayan Congor.
38:12So we're moving closer to checkpoint tonight.
38:15Good to get as far as possible.
38:16Yeah.
38:18Katie's new proposal.
38:20Continue east on a bus to Bayan Congor,
38:22putting them within 360 kilometres of the checkpoint.
38:27We've kind of got a plan.
38:29Katie's very smart.
38:30Really happy that she sort of took the lead
38:32and had the ideas of where to go.
38:34We were 21 hours behind when this work started,
38:37so important that we do close the gap on Joe and Kush.
38:41We're on the bus.
38:42We're on our way to Bayan Congor.
38:45I thought, no energy.
38:47I'm tired.
38:48This is your route now.
38:51Mongolia's your problem.
38:52Enjoy.
38:53Mongolia's a pretty big problem to have.
39:00Well, let's go and hitch.
39:02This is a one-horse town, isn't it?
39:04Definitely.
39:06Still in Hovd, where Joe and Kush left two days ago...
39:09Actually, no one here.
39:11..and with no buses north today,
39:13budget-strapped Mark and Margot
39:15will search for a way forward.
39:17Not speaking the language,
39:19not having a phone,
39:20having to get money,
39:21it is really, really tough.
39:24We're now going into uncharted territory.
39:28No, he's going straight past.
39:30We set off with Julia as inspiration for us actually working together on the race.
39:37When we arrived in Mongolia, it really felt so different, so alien.
39:41I couldn't have any sense of Julia here.
39:44Go on, Marg.
39:46They're going in there.
39:47It does feel as though now.
39:49We're on our own.
39:51How much you want?
39:53We haven't got that, thank you.
39:55We've only got a little bit of money.
39:56She's looking down upon us and saying,
39:58you're on your own now.
39:59It's just you two to find your friendship together.
40:02It's the biggest challenge we've had so far,
40:05but I want us both at the end of the race to stand proud and go,
40:09we did it.
40:10Being teammates, being friends.
40:12I'll ask him.
40:14Which is what she wanted.
40:16Are you going to Oulangom?
40:18Are you going there?
40:20Oulangom?
40:21Yeah.
40:21Oulangom.
40:22OK.
40:24Oulangom.
40:26Good to get on the move, Mark, isn't it?
40:28It's very good to be on the move.
40:30I never thought we'd be leaving.
40:32And we're going back up the same road for the third time.
40:37After retracing their steps north,
40:40the in-laws finally face the winding dirt track to Oulangom.
40:46Fasten your seatbelt, you're in for a bumpy ride.
40:49Right, yeah.
40:52Give us more.
40:55Across a vast, arid steppe,
40:57dotted with salt lakes and roaming herds of goats, camels, yaks and horses,
41:03it transforms to snow in the colder months.
41:07This is made up for the last two days.
41:09Oh, is it, Mark?
41:10It's unbelievable, this.
41:12This is just priceless experience.
41:14Absolutely priceless.
41:17Oh, Margot.
41:19Oh, camels, camels!
41:21Two double-amps!
41:22Atari camels!
41:23Can we stop to see the camels?
41:25Whoa!
41:27Wow!
41:28Hello, camel.
41:30Ho-hoo!
41:35Hello!
41:38Hello!
41:39I'm a friendly human!
41:42I'm a friendly human!
41:44Aw!
41:47What an amazing place to see them!
41:49It was brilliant!
41:50Camels and snow!
41:52I know.
41:53All at once!
42:04As Mark and Margot lift their spirits...
42:07Come on!
42:09600 kilometres closer to the checkpoint in Toussaint Sengel...
42:14Everywhere I step, I leave more of an imprint than there was before I started mopping.
42:19Am I going to do this?
42:19Joe and Cush are coming to the end of their bar shift
42:22before they take their pre-booked bus.
42:24After I'm mapping backwards?
42:27Yeah, that's the idea.
42:28Hopefully this shift should pay off our bus tickets.
42:31I think this last leg is going to be a taxi race
42:34and we need as much money as we can.
42:37Hello.
42:38Hello. Hi, it's us from the bus stop.
42:41Ah.
42:42We were just wondering if there's any way you could find out
42:45the exact time the bus will arrive in Toncentengel.
42:50The bus will arrive in Toncentengel at about 2.30am, right?
42:5512.
42:56Actually, actually, according to the timetable,
42:59the bus had to arrive in Toncentengel
43:01after around 3am, OK?
43:05OK. I think there's been a miscommunication.
43:09There's so much confusion about these bus times.
43:12It's, like, minus 15, so we can't just wait outside
43:14because we need to know exactly when the bus is
43:16so we're not standing in the cold for three hours.
43:18It's not that.
43:19Yeah, it's not that.
43:22It's not that.
43:23It's 2am, doesn't it?
43:25Yeah?
43:26Mm-hm.
43:27OK.
43:28No.
43:28If we hadn't called and checked the bus times,
43:31we would have missed it because it's coming an hour early.
43:34Thank you so much.
43:37Without the phone call, we would have missed it.
43:39Their perseverance paying off.
43:42Just 470 kilometres stand between the best friends
43:45and the seventh checkpoint.
43:52It's such a rewarding feeling that me and Kush are capable
43:55of winning this race.
43:58We are more than capable of doing whatever we want
44:02and succeeding.
44:05I feel like I'm going to be going home 10 times bigger
44:08than I was, you know?
44:10The lad, look at his bus.
44:11Oh, my days.
44:12VIP.
44:13Welcome to VIP.
44:14Are you messing?
44:14I realise there's so much opportunity for me.
44:19It's, like, almost mine for the taking.
44:22Chef, made it, bro.
44:24You know what lessons today is?
44:27Persistence.
44:28Gaff.
44:29We're going to the car for the lad.
44:45Last checkpoint.
44:46Isn't that really weird?
44:47That is weird.
44:48With Joe and Kush making headway through the night,
44:51morning brings a change of pace for Andrew and Molly.
44:54Checkpoint, here we come.
44:55Yeah.
44:56The lads were 17 hours ahead of us.
44:59Yes.
44:59And to pull that back is going to be a huge effort.
45:02But if we're in four or five hours of them,
45:04it would be an amazing result.
45:06Any closer would be an absolutely unreal result.
45:10Oh, goodbye, nice road.
45:12Welcome to the real Mongolia.
45:13Making good on their strategy to spend big and move fast,
45:18they've opted for a private taxi along the off-road track
45:21to the checkpoint.
45:24I actually think I'm falling in love with Mongolia.
45:28Ooh!
45:29Oh, jeez.
45:30What's wrong?
45:32What's wrong?
45:32They're in a big red light on the dashboard.
45:35Jesus.
45:44Is this actually a joke?
45:46Oh, shit.
45:49Jesus, marrying the wee donkey.
45:54Car? Good?
45:55I don't know.
45:56No.
46:01It looks as if he's trying to fix his battery, but I don't know.
46:04I don't know at the moment.
46:05I don't know what to do.
46:06I'm really quite sick.
46:07There's nothing he gets.
46:08It's quite cold.
46:10And...
46:10It could be a long wave.
46:12Yeah, but...
46:12There's nobody around.
46:15Can we say a prayer?
46:16I think I'm on my third Hail Mary.
46:22290 kilometres behind,
46:24having made it to Bayan Hongar...
46:27Going in with some money.
46:28We need it.
46:29Katie and Harrison grab the opportunity for a local job
46:32to bolster their budget for the final stretch.
46:39Strong winds and intense sunshine
46:41are driving Mongolia's renewable future
46:44with ambitions to triple green energy by 2030.
46:48But for now, coal remains essential
46:51to survive its brutal winters.
46:55That is a lot of coal.
46:57He's got two shovels out.
46:59I guess I'm backing this 1600s for a day.
47:03Right, let's get to work.
47:04The man's looking at me.
47:08Keeping Mongolia warm single-handedly.
47:11I guess in countries where maybe the infrastructure
47:13isn't as well-developed,
47:15and stuff like this is needed.
47:17Katie, you've got something on your face.
47:19You look like a Victorian school child.
47:21I look like a chimney sweep.
47:24Yeah.
47:25Katie's happy to crack on with anything, really.
47:28I'm still just feeling a bit tired and under the weather,
47:31so she'll definitely be a little bit more chirpy whilst doing it.
47:35I'm working away here. I'm sweating.
47:38You can do the hard grafts a day.
47:40Well, yeah, I work for both of us.
47:42Yeah.
47:42You do time and half, I'll do half.
47:44Yeah.
47:46You're good at helping people out when they need help.
47:49Me?
47:50Yeah. That's nice.
47:52You were really good with Mum, like, with the emotional support.
47:56I was too focused on what I wanted to do and...
48:01Well, that's...
48:02I just wanted to say, erm, like...
48:04I suppose thank you for...
48:07...for being there and being...
48:09Well, that's really nice to hear, actually.
48:12On the race, I've heard, like, more about how much you were there.
48:17I felt more and more, like, guilty that I wasn't there.
48:22I don't think you should feel guilty, but I really appreciate you saying that,
48:26because...
48:28I don't know if I felt, like, angry towards you,
48:31but I do have very specific memories.
48:34Like, one when an ambulance came to the house
48:39and Mum was just screaming out in pain,
48:41and, like, I come into your room and I try to tell you
48:44and you're like, well, there's nothing I can do,
48:46and then I can hear you laughing on the Xbox.
48:51I remember just crying my eyes out, cos...
48:55I don't know, I feel like I just felt like,
48:56why is this affecting me and it's not affecting him?
48:59Like, how does he seem so OK about it all?
49:03I don't know if I was feeling fine, cos I also remember that.
49:07And that's the regret, is, like, sitting in my room,
49:09but for the time... Yeah.
49:11..I don't know how to deal with that.
49:13So you're not going to deal with it at all.
49:14So, kind of, probably don't deal with it.
49:16Yeah.
49:17I am sorry. I'm sorry to you.
49:19I'm sorry to Mum.
49:22To hear you say, like,
49:24that you actually recognise that it was tough for me
49:27is really quite healing.
49:32I now just feel a lot more supported.
49:35You're just a much better human, really.
49:38Yeah, different.
49:40Don't plan on ever going back to that.
49:42No.
49:42Wow.
49:43Yeah, we have a top 1% relationship
49:45in terms of a brother and sister.
49:47Yeah.
49:47And then we've probably just added a little extra dynamic to it.
49:52It was important to let Katie know that if Mum needs something
49:55or if Katie needs something, I won't hide away and be as selfish.
50:00We'll carry on being pretty mean to each other, messing about.
50:04But if needs be, we're both there for each other.
50:08Perfect.
50:10The race has just accelerated this growth and change in him.
50:14One full truck of coal.
50:16At the start, we still weren't really comfortable having these conversations
50:19and now it's just easy, it's natural.
50:22It's really lovely because I do feel like I have a proper big brother by my side.
50:27It's glorious. I'm really quite proud.
50:30So am I.
50:37Yay!
50:39It's working!
50:41On the road again.
50:43Father Potty.
50:45You've done so much for me.
50:48Back on the move, Andrew and Molly.
50:50This is the last one.
50:52Jesus.
50:55Kirk Horn should be not too far away.
50:58Checkpoint, here we come.
51:05The seventh checkpoint.
51:08Har Horan.
51:10Home to Irdinzu Monastery.
51:13Built in 1585, it's a rare survivor of the Stalinist purge
51:18which destroyed hundreds of Buddhist temples.
51:22First to touch down...
51:24What?
51:25Joe and Kush.
51:26Hey, bro. Let's go.
51:30All right.
51:31Follow the footbridge to find Irdinzu Monastery.
51:35Once inside, locate the golden lotus bud on the temple.
51:39Irdinzu.
51:42Oh, Joe.
51:44Bro.
51:45Bet you it's that massive monastone.
51:47I bet you it's that massive monastone.
51:48I know, I'd like to see it.
51:49It's just so cool.
51:51This whole place.
51:52Isn't it?
51:56Oh, here we are.
51:57Here we are.
51:58Okay.
51:58Ready to rock.
52:01Follow the footbridge to find Irdinzu Monastery.
52:07That's the monastery.
52:09True?
52:09Yeah.
52:10Look at this place.
52:11This one.
52:11You're just stormy.
52:13This apparently was the capital of Genghis Khan.
52:15Yeah.
52:17Locate golden lotus bud.
52:20Brings to the top of that one over there.
52:22That whiter-looking one.
52:24Yeah, it looks like a lotus bud.
52:25Do you start like that and then you flower outwards?
52:27Yeah, yeah, yeah.
52:30Exit the monastery on Foz Head West
52:32and sign in at the checkpoint Ich Koram Hotel.
52:37What way is west?
52:38West is...
52:39It says it's going like this way.
52:42Maybe that exit.
52:44So let's just get out of here.
52:46I think that's it there.
52:47Yeah, it looks like a flower, doesn't it, yeah?
52:49It looks like...
52:50Okay.
52:50You sure?
52:51No.
52:51What's the name of it?
52:52Golden lotus bud.
52:54I think that's...
52:54That's a cross.
52:56Because it looks like a bud now, but...
52:59They all look like bloody buds.
53:00There's somebody over there, Molly.
53:02We've got people who ask.
53:04There's a monk.
53:05Even better.
53:11I can't spot any building that looks like a hotel.
53:14Can I see that compass?
53:16Is this west?
53:18North are a bit screwed, lad.
53:19You seem to stay in my place.
53:22It does.
53:23I also don't know where we're going.
53:24No, me neither.
53:26I've been going a further away from it, you know.
53:28Should we take a gamble?
53:29Go straight?
53:30Yeah.
53:30We'll just keep going.
53:35This is it.
53:37Exit the monastery on foot and head west and sign in at the checkpoint.
53:42All right, Molly.
53:43Here we go.
53:44You think anyone's around?
53:45I hope not.
53:48Keep going.
53:49There's not much left in the tank.
53:51I know.
53:51I am absolutely right.
53:54Just list that building dead ahead.
53:55Saw the clock.
53:57That's it there.
53:58Come on.
53:59I think we've done tremendously well.
54:02Don't jinx it, bro.
54:02We've just got to maintain our position.
54:04Reception.
54:04Wait a minute, Molls.
54:05Over.
54:06Molly, wait.
54:07Run it in.
54:07Come on.
54:08Come on.
54:09Reception.
54:12After you.
54:18God, let me be fierce, bro.
54:22Congratulations.
54:24You have successfully reached your seventh checkpoint.
54:33Last.
54:37Bro, what a boss leg we've had.
54:39I think that's the best leg so far.
54:41Everything while it's time.
54:42We're doing something right, bro.
54:43What's it?
54:44Fun.
54:45At this point, the win is everything.
54:47We've done so much to get here.
54:49This is where you want to be on leg seven.
54:51First place, bro.
54:52I'd love to see you in the empty book.
54:55One more time and we won it.
54:57I think the pressure is the hardest thing that we're going to have to try and keep under control.
55:01We've got to keep fighting until the very, very last moment.
55:04We're so close.
55:05Failure is not an option right now.
55:07Well done.
55:07Well done.
55:09If anyone does rad today, props to them.
55:13Whatever it will be, all right?
55:15I'm so excited.
55:16Come on.
55:19Oh, we're second.
55:24Oh, well done.
55:26We're second going to the final.
55:29Well done.
55:30Well done.
55:31Well done.
55:32Well done.
55:32Well done.
55:33This is our first time just being above third.
55:36And five hours is nothing.
55:38We're in touching distance.
55:39We just need to follow it up now with the final leg.
55:41And hopefully then we finish the job.
55:43Finish the job.
55:43So a 90-minute winner, Molly.
55:45I still see it sliding on my knees.
56:05It is so cold.
56:07Yeah.
56:08Oh, my God.
56:09This is the coldest of a bit.
56:11I'm just trying to focus on surviving.
56:13There it is.
56:17No idea where we're going to come here.
56:19Last.
56:23So nervous.
56:26Oh, my God.
56:28Third.
56:29Still so far behind first.
56:31By a lot.
56:33I'm really happy we've come third.
56:35We're not last.
56:36But I am really devastated.
56:39We've just not made up that much time.
56:41Mongolia is tough to travel through.
56:43I think the phrase we've been Mongolia is something I'll use for a while.
56:48We're third, which is great.
56:50We've climbed up a spot.
56:51I really want to win.
56:52And I do think we could come first.
56:55Anything's possible.
56:56We've done fourth to first before.
56:57So, yeah, we'll give it all we've got.
57:05Look at the blue sky.
57:07We're doing blue sky thinking today.
57:09That's all we can do.
57:11With three teams checked in, one team is still 470 kilometres away.
57:18What price are we going to start with?
57:20Are we offering them?
57:21We'll see if they take us for nothing.
57:22Nothing.
57:23Nothing.
57:25If we get a lift now to the checkpoint, I can expect us paying at least $80 to $100.
57:31Which is completely blows a budget.
57:33The final leg.
57:34Is this a good place?
57:36It's not the busiest of highways, is it?
57:38No.
57:41Do you think we missed a rush hour?
57:44Do you think?
57:45If we don't get to the finish line, go and sign that book, it'd be a real shame.
57:51We're so close.
57:52We're so close.
57:53And we made so many sacrifices and we budgeted.
57:56And all the skanky accommodation we've done.
58:01I'll be really gutted if we don't get to the end.
58:04It'd be really, really disappointing.
58:13The thing is if you do more than a five minute walk in Mongolia, you're suddenly in the middle of
58:19nowhere.
58:20We've done fourth to first before.
58:23We can do third to first.
58:24Come on you.
58:25Do you think we can get to the end?
58:28I don't know.
58:29It's never been about the ten round for me.
58:30I just want to say I've won it.
58:32What the hell?
58:33We may have made a really bad decision.
58:36This morning we've got another chance of winning.
58:38And now, finishing will just be a great job.
58:41Let's go, go, go.
58:43Absolutely epic.
58:44This is eight weeks in the making.
58:45Palermo, Fuskado, Istanbul, all in one for this moment.
58:49I'm so excited.
58:50Mission out of Gal is a go.
59:19darüber, no.
59:20Toive the miracles in the frustration are shaped up.
59:21And there should be even more scents to engulfing around that insecurity in the lust that existed.
59:22It's definitely rough.
59:22Please do turn it up.
59:22It's so excited for you.