The winners of BBC One’s Race Across the World 2025 have been revealed following a thrilling conclusion.
After travelling thousands of kilometres across China, Nepal and India, one pair claimed the £20,000 prize after reaching the final checkpoint in Kanniyakumari.
The final leg was the closest the teams had been in 51 days, with just 19 minutes separating first and second place.
However, for the first time in the show’s history, a mother and son pairing have won after Caroline and Tom were declared winners following the 14,100km race across the world’s largest continent, Asia.
Sprinting to the finish line, sisters Elizabeth and Letitia, who have remained consistent throughout the race, came in second place.
They were followed by teenage couple Fin and Sioned, while brothers Brian and Melvyn, came in fourth.
It was a race to find a boat towards the fishing village of Arockiapuram and there, find the Vattakottai Fort where the last and final sign in book was waiting. As Caroline and Tom turned to the page to discover they had reached the final checkpoint in first place, they hugged, overcome with emotion.
An emotional Caroline cried: ‘We must never doubt ourselves again. Ever, ever, ever.’
Writing their names in the book, Tom said: ‘That’s a really good feeling, I’m lost for words, I can’t believe it. 51 days racing through countries I never thought I’d go to, I never thought we’d come this far, I never thought we’d achieve so much and I’ve never been prouder of my mum – she got me through it.’
As sisters Elizabeth and Letitia turned the page to claim second place, Elizabeth said: ‘Ah Tom and Caroline, so close, 19 minutes,’ with Letitia adding: ‘I’m proud of us.’
Just 45 minutes behind the winners, Fin and Sioned arrived in third place. Fin said: ‘We’ve done well.’
He added: ‘It would have been incredible to have come first, but obviously we can’t all come first.. we’ve gone more than 12000km…’
Sioned continued: ‘It’s been more than just the distance, it’s been a journey for us.’
Brian and Melvyn, who arrived in fourth place, only 3 hours and 5 minutes behind race winners, said: ‘We’ve done very well actually. Really pleased for the guys that have won it. Beer? Desperately, and definitely!’
The final episode saw Caroline and Tom began the last leg in the lead, 6 hours and 54 minutes ahead of Elizabeth and Letitia.
They started from the 7th checkpoint, Panaji in Goa with just over 1000km to traverse across the southern Indian states to reach the finish line at the southernmost tip of India in Kanniyakumari.
Arriving into Kanniyakumari by taxi, Tom said how nervous he was, and worried more when he exclaimed: ‘I’ve just seen Fin and Sioned, I promise you, I have, oh no.’
Getting caught in a traffic jam, Caroline and Tom were visibly despondent.
Receiving their first instructions to reach the tip of India, Caroline and Tom raced through huge crowds of people trying to watch the incredible sunrise but with little time to appreciate the stunning views: ‘It’s a nice sunrise, bit hard to focus on, but it’s nice.’
Hot on Caroline and Tom’s heels, Elizabeth and Letitia received the next instructions to proceed on foot to the front of Our Lady of Ransom Shrine.
Not hesitating to ask multiple people for help, the teams made their way and discovered they must then take a boat to Arockiapuram fishing village.
Caroline and Tom secured a boat for 1000 rupees, stressing that they were in a race and the need for speed to their driver. Still worried about having seen Fin and Sioned, Tom said: ‘I still can’t see Fin and Sioned, I don’t know if they can see us.’
The teams received a message instructing them to head on foot to the Vattakottai Fort. Running through the winding streets, trying to find the beach, Tom said: ‘It’s so far out of the way.’
On reaching the entrance to the Fort, Caroline and Tom ran in with Caroline asking ‘Can you see anyone else, Thomas?’ and Tom replying; ‘I don’t see anyone.’
The pair reached the book and discovered they had won the race of a lifetime and a prize of £20,000.
Over the eight-part series, the four pairs have raced over 14,000km over 51 days.
The teams have successfully journeyed across the world’s largest continent, Asia, taking in three of its most diverse and fascinating nations – China, Nepal and India.
They’ve had to navigate crowds, congestion and cultural barriers, as well as a multitude of vast ranging landscapes on an epic journey from The Great Wall of China in northeastern China all the way to the southernmost tip of India – Kanniyakumari – all without smartphones, internet access and bank cards, and armed only with the cash equivalent of flying the route.
Following the final episode of Race Across the World, the teams will return for a heart-warming reunion celebration, which airs at 9pm on Wednesday 18th June on BBC One.
Race Across the World is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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