01x07 - I’ve Been Waiting To Do This The Whole Race

[bunniefuu]

[Bear Grylls] As Day 6

of the World's Toughest Race begins

the remaining 58 teams

are spread out all across Fiji,

as they brave its harshest

and most unforgiving of climates.

This is worse than the bilibili.

[Grylls] Having exhausted

themselves on Vuwa Falls

This is taking a lot longer

than we expected.

the first-place Team New Zealand

fights to hold onto their lead,

as they make their final push

to Camp 4.

And with the frontrunners

within striking distance

of taking first place for

themselves,

victory is still anyone's game.

[Grylls] You're number two,

you can catch them.

[Grylls] Having just hit rock

bottom last night,

Team Bend Racing turned on

their own.

I made a horrible nav error.

You don't want to follow me,

that's-- I understand that.

I've lost all of my confidence

of knowing where we are.

[Grylls] Team Stray Dogs

continue to race against the clock,

just hoping to beat the cutoffs

one more day.

Because of the ravages of a few

extra years,

we are really trying

to get each other through this.

[Grylls] Succumbing to the

freezing waters of the rock pools

[ exhaling ] How long is it?

Team Summit's Race is

jeopardized

when Fran is taken down

by severe hypothermia.

[Dr. Carachi] I need you to sit

up for me.

So, there's different stages to

hypothermia,

and, ultimately, you can develop

heart arrythmias and can die.

[ groaning ]

[ music ]

[Grylls] Team Summit's race is stopped

down at Checkpoint 22's warming hut,

as they nervously await

a change in Fran's condition.

- [Dr. Carachi] I want to see his head.

- Alright.

Fran? Fran, can you hear me?

How are you feeling just now?

Are you feeling better?

- Yes? Okay.

- [Emma] ¿Sí?

When he came in here, he wasn't able

to coordinate his movements properly,

and the priority for the medical team

here is to get some warming blankets

and just try and re-warm him

as quickly as possible.

Can you give me a hand just

bringing him up?

[Emma] Yeah.

[Dr. Thorne] Okay. Come back.

Well done.

[man] Okay.

[Dr. Thorne] Do you mind just

asking what's wrong for me?

Do you have cramps, Fran?

- [Emma] Cramps.

- [Dr. Thorne] Cramps?

[Dr. Thorne] Okay, let's get

some electrolytes

- [Emma] Yes, I give you

- [Dr. Thorne] You've got some?

[Emma] Yes.

[Dr. Thorne] Electrolytes

helps with the cramps, okay?

It tastes very sweet.

More.

[Emma] Fran was really in the

limit of the unhealthy state,

so, we didn't know

if we could finish the race.

But if we have to quit for

medical reasons,

let's do it, no problem.

[ Fran groaning ]

[ exerting himself ]

[ groans ]

[Dr. Carachi] His condition did improve.

I don't want to label him as

out from this,

but, definitely, he needs a

period of rest for the next few hours.

Try this one. It's pretty good.

Pass me a spoon.

[Dr. Carachi] Fran

[ in Spanish ] How are you?

Perfect.

[ Emma laughs ]

How are you feeling now?

I've had better days, yeah.

[Grylls] Fran's condition

is significantly improved,

but medical's prescription to

rest means Summit's race is in jeopardy.

Currently in eighth place, their standing

will surely plummet come morning.

Team New Zealand has been going

all night at a breakneck speed,

as they press on to maintain

their first-place position.

Having finished the last segment

of the highland leg,

the Kiwis dig deep to keep going

and fortify their grasp on the lead.

[ applause and cheering ]

Bula bula.

[Grylls] It's 3 a.m.

as they arrive to Navala village,

the location of the fourth and

last camp of the racecourse.

[ sighs ]

[Nathan] I think, for us, the race

is really gonna start from here on out.

We know that there's some teams

not far behind us,

but it's still 10 to 12 hours

of outdoor adventure sport,

and, yeah, accidents happen out there, so

we just have to be really sensible now.

I think it's-- it's probably our race to lose

as opposed to our race to win.

[ rooster crowing ]

- Going to the ocean.

- Ocean.

Thanks again, you're awesome.

See you there.

[Grylls] With the sun rising on

Day 6,

New Zealand departs their final camp,

saying goodbye to their

assistant crew for the last time.

The next time they'll reunite

will be at the finish line,

over 100 kilometers away.

The fifth and final leg

of the World's Toughest Race

is the island leg,

a punishing 135-kilometer stretch

across five checkpoints

employing five disciplines,

spanning sun-scorched grasslands

to the rough, open waters of the Pacific,

before finally arriving at the

finish line.

The first segment is a grueling

77-kilometer mountain bike ride,

and in the middle,

the teams must repel 60 meters

down a sheer rock face

to obtain the final medallion.

So, the racers are going to reach this point

at the top of the spectacular Qalivuda Falls.

[Grylls] At the bottom is the final,

the fifth medallion.

And it's not going to be easy to get.

That's the key to the final bid

in this race.

One medallion.

[Grylls] The leg continues on for

the remainder of the mountain bike section,

to the small coastal village of

Natalau,

where they'll transition

to standup paddleboards.

From here, they must make their way

12 kilometers to the ocean,

where they'll switch to outriggers

for a demanding 45-kilometer paddle

against the choppy, windswept

waters of the Pacific.

Even for lead teams, this will take

all the stamina they have left

just to get to the end of the race.

Team New Zealand may be

frontrunner in this race,

but for the rest of the lead teams,

their victory is not a foregone conclusion.

- [Bob] Yeah, it's-- it's in there.

- Okay, perfect.

[Bob] Everyone's just super excited

and super pumped to have a shot.

Who knows, it's expedition racing.

Anything can happen.

[Grylls] The race is still

anyone's game,

and Team Canada Adventure

is hoping it's theirs.

Go get it! See you on the other side.

[Grylls] Hot on their heels

is Australian Team Gippsland Adventure,

who's eager to get themselves

patched up and back on the road.

Every team knows victory is

within reach,

and it only takes one mistake

for the leader to fall out of position.

Since Bend Racing's breakdown

last night,

the team has found their way

back on the racecourse.

Seventy kilometers behind their lead teams,

they begin Day 6 with renewed spirits.

A lot of emotions right now.

I lost a lot of hope last

night, and so,

this has already been an epic race,

just in terms of, um rallying.

- [Jason] Yeah.

- And to lose it all last night, um

So, to-- to feel that hope again

is really nice.

[ sighs ]

Cool. I want us to get back on the chase

of the lead pack, and hopefully

See what we can do once again.

[Melissa] An adventure racing team

is a lot like a family.

We kind of went through

this emotional roller coaster of

"We're gonna make it! We're gonna make it!

We're not gonna make it."

But we race our game and do what we do,

then we let the chips fall as they may.

I don't know, I think we're finally

getting into our groove, guys.

Feels like we could just be out here

doing this forever.

That's a joke. [ laughs ]

I keep thinking I see trails on the sides,

but I think those are just people, like,

hopelessly trying to escape.

[ Dan laughs ]

[ Melissa laughs ]

- Claw marks in the mud.

- [Dan] Why are we out here racing?

[Melissa] We didn't have anything else

to do on a Sunday afternoon.

[Dan] Yeah, Sunday was clear,

so we cleared Monday through Saturday.

[ Melissa laughs ]

'Cause that's how that works.

We are definitely like a family,

and if we can walk away as friends

and successfully finishing this race,

then that just sets us up

to come back the next time.

You guys that we've been out here,

we've all been tested a lot, I think.

Adventures like these kind of show us all

what we're made of, and

[Jason] I mean, this is a

pretty extreme way to do that.

[ Melissa laughs ]

[Grylls] As Bend Racing soldiers on,

the back-of-the-pack rookie teams

are still contending with

sections of the course

which even gave the elite teams

a run for their money.

Hold it together, hold it together.

[Grylls] The Khukuri Warriors do their best

to conquer the rafting section of the course.

Whoa, whoa!

[Tashi] Every day was super tough,

super challenging,

and obviously very exhausting,

but, yeah, we really have to keep going.

I mean, we have to push

ourselves at certain points,

and when you think you can't, then,

obviously, you have the team with you,

but we make sure that

everybody's doing well.

Nice work, team.

[Brandon] This makes the bike

section worth it.

Yeah!

Paddle forward!

[Grylls] And just a short way back,

the Able Abels try to keep

a positive outlook,

even though the racecourse

is taking its toll on the sisters.

Things just get substantially

harder as time goes on.

When your hands double in size

Okay. Here we go.

When I crossed the

finish line in Eco-Challenge 2002,

the first two people that I

greeted were my daughters.

This has been kind of

part of our family lifestyle

is doing adventure races.

I feel a humungous amount of pressure

looking out for the safety of my daughters.

If we can't finish the race

for whatever reason,

it's gonna be a huge

disappointment.

[Grylls] If they can't pick up their pace

and make it to Camp 3 by 4 p.m. tomorrow,

their race will be over.

And in dead last place,

the Stray Dogs contend with the

mud-covered mountain bike section.

Not only does this team also

face Camp 3's cutoff tomorrow,

but a more immediate deadline--

the safety dark zone at Checkpoint 17.

If they can't make it to the

rafting section by 4 p.m. today,

they will not be allowed on the

river until 6 a.m. tomorrow,

all but ensuring their

elimination from the race.

We don't appear to be putting

much speed into our progress.

- You okay?

- [ sighs ]

[Adrian] Unfortunately, Dr. Bob

was showing signs of not feeling well,

couldn't really eat much

or rehydrate very well.

[Adrian] Bicycles are kind of

machines of truth.

If you just don't have the strength,

you don't get very good progress.

[Grylls] With Dr. Bob's health

in question,

the odds are stacked against

the seasoned group of adventure racers.

Almost 50 kilometers ahead,

Stray Dogs former teammate Mark Macy

has just completed the rafting section.

Team Endure has found their rhythm

of helping Mark through the course.

Let's cool off a little bit before we go

sweat in the jungle, huh?

[ rooster crows ]

[Grylls] They've stopped at Namuamua

village to claim the third river leg medallion

and hire a porter to help them

to Camp 3.

Bula.

- Welcome to Namuamua village.

- Thank you. Thank you.

- Thank you!

- Bula vinaka!

Bula!

[Dannelle] What's your name?

- Kali.

- Kali. Nice to meet you, Kali.

[Travis] We had a really solid

start to the trek.

We were holding a really good pace.

We hired a couple local guides,

which was great, 'cause

they're fun, they're strong,

they're athletic,

and they know where to go.

- [Courtney] Hi, Travis.

- [Travis] How are you?

[Courtney] Good, how are you?

[ laughs ]

Hey, Trav!

- Hey.

- How you doing? Good to see you, buddy.

- You enjoy the river?

- [Travis] Yeah. You guys having fun?

- He loved it.

- [Courtney] Lovin' it. So good.

- Beautiful.

- [Courtney] Wasn't it beautiful?

[Shane] It wasn't uncommon for us

hiking up the hill,

and all of a sudden, this team comes by,

and everybody goes, "Mace!

Thank you, Mace!

You're inspiring me.

You're one of the reasons that I'm not--

I'm gonna keep doing this.

You're one of the reasons

that our team won't quit. Thank you.

Thank you for what you're doing."

- CAMERA OP: Mace, you amaze me again.

- For?

CAMERA OP: You're k*lling it on foot.

You're so fast.

- [man] Let's go, guys!

- I ain't k*lling jack, man.

- Could k*ll myself, maybe. [ laughs ]

- [man] Keep on rollin'! Vámonos.

Really inspirational.

Very inspirational.

[Mark] Thank you.

- You guys ready to go?

- Ready.

It just blows my mind, man.

It's just it's so inspirational.

I hope I'm-- I hope I'm moving

like that.

Even at our age, the way we're moving

around now

and just gliding straight past.

[Shane] There's a lot of

amazing stories here.

We have drawn inspiration from

all these different athletes that are here,

but what we have found is that,

over and over again,

the camaraderie that we got from the

other teams was mind-blowing,

and, very specifically,

everybody knows Mace here.

The fact that he is older

and that he's doing this with Alzheimer's,

pretty special.

Guys, look at that waterfall

over there.

[Dannelle] Oh, wow.

Check it out.

- Oh, yeah.

- [ Dannelle laughs ]

Right here. Now, look.

Behind you.

How sweet is that?

- Nice.

- [Shane] Awesome, dude.

Lots of waterfalls in Fiji.

- [Shane] Whoa!

- [ Dannelle laughs ] They're beautiful.

[Shane] Beautiful.

[Grylls] Just a few kilometers back,

the Able Abels have completed

the rafting section,

and their bodies are feeling

the effects of six straight days racing.

Um, yesterday was a

It was a brutal stage.

Yeah. Sufferfest.

We ended up going to sleep at

like 3:30, and we were up at 5:30, so

We're pretty beat.

We need to [ sighs ] reassess.

[Grylls] They decide to stop

down for a recharge

before they start out

on the marathon trek to Camp 3.

But with a 15-hour hike, they'll be cutting

it close to make the cutoff.

- [Dan] Hot lemon tea.

- Perfect. Thank you so much.

My pleasure.

[Dan] She was so sweet to bring

us in and let us recoup.

We're gonna sleep for one hour,

and our goal is to leave

for our 15-hour hike to Camp 3.

[Grylls] Almost 100 kilometers to the north,

Team Summit mounts their paddleboards,

eager to make up for lost time,

in a quest to place on the podium.

Fran's bout with hypothermia

has caused the team to slip two

positions, into tenth place.

But with the rest of the team,

he's determined to dig deep

and reclaim their status.

[ speaking Spanish ]

What's really important

is not throwing in the towel

and continue on with tenacity.

And the truth is, we didn't want

to miss out on this experience

because we've come here to compete,

to enjoy the race.

But once you finish,

you realize it was all worth it.

- Team number

- 40.

Perfect.

We came here to fight for

the first three places,

because we knew we-- we had the speed

and-- and the energy and experience.

So, you keep on going,

'til the limit of the pain or the injury.

[man] Bula! Gracias.

Thank you.

Right now, 4th to 10th place,

which we are in, are six hours apart.

There are three teams ahead of us,

who did the rafting with us.

They're right there.

[Grylls] Further ahead at

Checkpoint 27,

Team New Zealand has tackled

the first half of the mountain bike section.

It's a little after 9 a.m.,

and this exhausted team

has officially been racing

for six straight days.

- Bula bula!

- Bula!

[ applause ]

[all] Bula!

[Grylls] Knowing the other teams

are just moments away,

the Kiwis pick up the pace

to Qalivuda Falls,

the location of the fifth

and final medallion.

Bend Racing has finally reached

the pinnacle of the entire racecourse:

the ambitious road climb

to the top of Vuwa Falls.

Up here, at the moment,

you've got Bend Racing,

and that's the team that went off

at that blistering pace to start.

One of their team members got

heatstroke.

We thought they were gonna be out,

but they're still going.

And to see them up here

at this stage of the race

is a real testament to grit.

They're in the gnarliest section.

I can't wait to see if they can get

through this part.

I can't believe we have to

ascend that thing.

That's what we have to climb.

It's a beauty.

I've never seen a ropes

course like that.

[ music ]

[Jason] I just think it's amazing, because

even though we're exhausted and frustrated,

we also get to be so happy, like,

standing here at the base

of this amazing waterfall, so

that's that's what we're gonna do,

we're gonna keep racing.

Get back into the flow.

You guys ready?

[Jason] If you had asked me about my

biggest motivation a couple of years ago,

I think all of us on the team

would have said something different,

but right now, our biggest motivation is

to make ourselves and our kids proud.

Since we all have been racing

in this sport for a while,

is that now, we're all parents.

So, Mel has an 8-month-old and

a 3-year-old.

Daniel's boy is turning one

while he's in this race.

Stephen has a 9-month-old.

Wow!

It's hot, but

but worth it, I think.

[Jason] So, I have a little tiny baby,

and I have a 2-and-a-half-year-old.

Uh

Two and a half years ago, my wife and

I gave birth to twin boys,

and one of them, what we call Baby B,

didn't make it.

So, he died at birth.

It was a big surprise to all of us.

And-- and part of our healing--

We just named him. His name is Spirit.

Um, Spirit B.

And when he got cremated,

we've been carrying little bits of him

on all our adventure races

and just around the world,

and sending him with friends,

and, um

the plan is to bring his

brother, um

back, when he's older,

and visit all the places in the world

that Spirit already is.

And when times get really tough

up here,

and one of the reasons we still do

these races as as parents is just, uh

so that we can be with Spirit,

you know?

We figure that he's he's out here

in all these majestic places,

in the birds and the rainbows

and the rain and storms,

and he's just telling us

to keep living our dreams, um

and, you know, hopefully that

will translate to his brother, so

I've been waiting to do this

the whole race, so

When I had my darkest moments,

like, it was okay,

you know, because I-- I was

with him

and so, it was just-- there were some

really happy moments at my darkest,

because, you know, I just got

to be with him.

And he, you know, it was like

the opposite.

It felt like he was holding me

and just saying, "It's okay, Dad."

It's like, "This is-- You want to be here."

[ music ]

Spirit's now in Fiji.

- It's been an emotional day.

- [Stephen] Yeah. [ laughs ]

He'll get to watch over a lot

of people

and a lot of amazing, amazing

weather and waterfalls,

and we'll come back to visit him.

Hello.

Afraid you nipped a big man again.

[Grylls] Team New Zealand has just arrived

at the fifth and final medallion location,

at Qalivuda Falls.

[ water rumbling ]

[Grylls] This is one of Fiji's hidden gems,

a towering waterfall over 60 meters tall.

[ whistling ]

[ scream ]

[ music ]

Ah, that was an amazing waterfall.

Really, really pretty.

This is quite nice, to take a

bit of a break

from the continuous slog

that you're often doing, so, uh

Yeah, that was very--

very, very nice activity.

Good job.

[ music ]

Woo!

[ applause ]

- Take care. See you.

- Thank you.

Bye. See you, Nathan.

[Grylls] Having the medallion

doesn't mean it's easy going from here.

New Zealand must still continue

the rest of the island leg

during the peak temperatures of

the day.

Team Summit is just a short way

into the 36-kilometer trek to Camp 4,

and just trying to navigate

through the thick Fijian jungle

is proving harder than expected.

Yeah, it's a trail. Come on.

[Emma] We decided to go through

a shortcut.

But [ exhaling ]

the jungle is so difficult.

So many trails and

we lost 2 hours and a half

trying to find this shortcut.

[Grylls] Emma and her team

have not advanced their position

since Fran's hypothermia incident.

Catching the lead teams and

finishing as one of the top contenders

is quickly becoming a fleeting dream.

[Emma] I have twins, 10 years old,

and I have a daughter of 13.

In the race, I I think a lot

about them.

One of the things that I am

remembering and sometimes I feel sad is,

when I have to be out of home

more than one week,

in this case, 20 days,

but especially when they are

very young,

that they grow so fast,

and I lost some things.

I did. It makes me feel a little guilty.

I have-- I need to be more with them

before they leave and they say,

"Mom, let me go."

[ laughs ]

[Grylls] The Spaniards will

have to reconcile

they won't be one of the top

three teams on the podium,

and they must now find new

motivation to complete the race.

[ applause ]

[Grylls] Returning to where

they parked their bikes

and noticing no other teams,

New Zealand can plainly see

their lead has increased.

Empty bike stands.

So, that tells us we've got

a couple hours' lead, really.

Other than that, I have no idea

what's going on behind us, but

[ clears throat ]

The finish line's in front of us.

We'll look at it that way.

[Grylls] With the finish line

getting a little closer,

this exhausted team is finding

a little relief

with every kilometer they check off.

Ooh! I can see the ocean!

[Grylls] And the lead teams are fighting to

try and catch up with the New Zealand team.

These guys are now on a leg,

30 kilometers on their bikes,

through this spectacular terrain.

And then they've got to find

their final medallion,

they're on foot, back on their bikes,

heading for the final bit

of the standup paddleboards,

down to the coast,

outrigger, 40K, and finish line.

How hard can it be? Hard.

[Grylls] With New Zealand

pulling further away from the pack

[Rea] Yay! Bula bula, bula!

[Grylls]both Canada and Gippsland

Adventure relentlessly persist

Guys, the next team is 50 minutes behind.

Come on, let's hustle.

[Grylls] as they vie to lock

in second place.

And both get to work retrieving

the island leg medallion.

[Rea] Come on, Ryan!

Woo!

[Rob] With Team New Zealand going out

in the black at night climb

and paddles right past the last

checkpoint,

it's probably unlikely that we're gonna

catch them at this stage,

but Team Canada is certainly

within shot.

[Grylls] New Zealand's lead

goes unchallenged

as they approach Natalau village

for the final standup paddleboard segment.

[ kids yelling ]

Just the worst stage is to go now.

All going to plan, going to finish it today.

It's pretty exciting.

[Grylls] With their final sendoff

from the people of Fiji,

New Zealand gets back on the water,

in their attempt to win

the World's Toughest Race.

[ music ]

[Grylls] On route to Checkpoint 16,

last place team Stray Dogs

are making a final push to avoid

the rafting section's dark zone.

- [ applause ]

- [Nancy] Cool.

- We made it.

- [ cheering ]

[Nancy] I'm so happy to be here.

It just took a little while.

But we're here, and we're moving on.

[Grylls] Despite Dr. Bob's waning health,

the Stray Dogs have made it

to the rafting section.

[Man] Okay, you've made the cutoff.

Checking you in at 15:18.

You're still in the race.

[Grylls] Now the teams have a chance

to complete the trek to Camp 3

before tomorrow's 4 p.m. cutoff.

[Bob] Bula! Glad I made it.

With the help of my teammates.

[ thunder ]

[Nancy] Maybe to other people

it seems odd

that older people like to do

all this kind of stuff,

but I'm glad I'm gonna have

this memory to last a long--

you know-- it should hopefully

last a long time.

Ew!

The reason I keep doing these races

is being able to see places that

other people would normally never go.

And being able to do it

with people that you love,

challenges like this,

allow you to experience that,

and that's just experiencing life, so I just

want to experience life to the fullest,

as long as I'm alive.

[ thunder ]

[Grylls] The long trek is

wearing on Team Endure,

and they stop at a local

village to reassess.

At this rate, they're in danger of missing

tomorrow's Camp 3 cutoff at 4 p.m.

[Travis] The cutoff is looming, so

We could get a horse

and put all our packs on it.

[Shane] Maybe a person too.

We have that much?

I'm not riding on a horse.

- You get thrown off a horse.

- [Travis] Yeah.

[Travis] Dad's back is pretty messed up.

He's had chronic back issues

probably for more than 15 years,

and it's not surprising that

that's flaring up in a situation like this.

Just the bags on the horse,

and we walk next to the horse.

Okay.

[Shane] Tell him speed is key.

[ man speaking Fijian ]

[Shane] We've been super consistent.

We travel all day, and then we've been

stopping every night

and getting a good 7, 8 hours of sleep.

But we have 24 hours before the cutoff,

and we already know that

we have to push a little to get there.

And we're gonna have to push in

the jungle,

which means we're basically

going to go until we probably

start falling apart a little bit.

We have to deal with the

challenges of Mace's cognitive abilities

as he gets more and more and more tired.

Tonight, it could be an issue.

So, it's something we're being

really cognizant of as a team,

and it's going to be a

challenge.

I tell you, Mace, just another day

in the World's Toughest Race.

I know. It is.

[ Shane laughs ]

It's proving itself today.

[ thunder ]

[Grylls] Tired but unbeaten,

New Zealand has finally made it

to the western edge of Fiji's main island.

Now, they must choose an outrigger

from one of the race management's selection

before they can attempt

the daring multi-hour ocean crossing.

We can just about taste it.

Yeah, I'm looking forward to

getting into the ocean canoe.

[Grylls] Here at Loma Loma Beach,

they'll transition to a full-size outrigger

of their choosing.

The unforgiving waters

in this part of the Pacific are perilous,

demanding a bigger boat to make it

the entire 45 kilometers to the finish line.

[ applause ]

- Bula.

- [woman] Bula!

[man] Bula, welcome.

[ clapping ]

Bula. [ laughs ] Bula.

We'll take this one

[Sophie] I love the adventure

aspect of it.

I love experiencing these crazy

experiences.

And countries all around the world

with three friends is

It doesn't get much better than that.

[Nathan] Great. Okay.

[Sophie] And these long races,

they're not won on the first day.

You know, they're won at the

end of the race.

And so, it's about looking after yourself

and keeping your team healthy,

so that in those final days, the rest of

you are able to race at your capacity.

Fiji!

[Nathan] I think to win an Eco-Challenge,

you obviously need a great team.

You need to be highly skilled,

very determined.

You need to be prepared to

suffer a lot.

And I think you just need

a little bit of luck.

You just need the gods to go,

"Hey, these guys are nice guys.

Let's give them the--

let's give them the first prize."

Woo! Yeah! [ laughing ]

[ music ]

[Grylls] So, right now, flying over

the World's Toughest Race,

in a final bit, away from

the main island of Fiji

and towards one of these

outlying islands,

those totem poles,

where the finish line is going to be.

And it's looking like the New

Zealanders now,

they're paddling,

they're powering hard.

But they've still got a big

distance ahead of them.

But, really, they've got such a strong lead.

Unbelievable what they're doing.

Woo hoo!

[ music ends ]

[Grylls] Back at Checkpoint 18,

the Able Abels wake up in

Namuamua Village

to one of Fiji's frequent and unpredictable

torrential downpours.

[ thunder ]

You know where my shirt is?

It'll get really bad if we go

out there.

I can barely move.

Like, who hikes 30 miles in

this weather on zero sleep?

I've hiked 30 miles on fresh legs

and I can barely do it then.

[Ashley] Yeah.

[Lauren] Dad, I think we're done.

- OK.

- Thank you.

Fletcher, I know, like, you're

you're ready to keep going.

But I just

I agree.

Let's call it.

Let's just radio in and tell 'em

pick us up in the morning.

OK.

Just sucks.

Yeah, it sucks.

But also, it's pretty awesome.

[ laughs ]

I mean, what you guys did in

the last six days

you've turned yourselves inside out, so

it's pretty cool too.

[Lauren] My dad and sister are

They're everything. Like

[Lauren] This is just a race,

and I have them, and that's

that's really all that was

important to us.

[ crying ] I'm sorry.

It's OK.

It's OK. Don't be sorry.

[Ashley] It's hard to see this

chapter end.

[ sighs ]

Especially for my dad, 'cause

it's been a huge part of my life

watching him race, and

now I'm getting to race with him.

I'll miss it.

I love you.

Race HQ, this is Team 44.

We are at the village

where you get the third medallion,

and we're pulling out of the race.

Over.

[ thunder ]

[Grylls] As nighttime falls

over the World's Toughest Race,

many teams are struggling,

as the rain has made this difficult march

to Camp 3 even more treacherous.

Pushing through the dense jungle,

the Khukuri Warriors have teamed up

with the Mad Mayrs.

They can help each other

through this difficult part.

[Courtney] Ready to go, Team India?

- Yes!

- Yeah, we're ready.

Australia and India unite!

Let's go, team!

[Brandon] It's about 7:00 at night,

and we still have about--

maybe 30 kilometers to go.

Come on, come on, come on, you got this!

Got this, got this, come on.

[Tashi] I was like, holy sh*t.

Don't even have to get inside

of it and swim cross.

I thought, "I'm going to quit."

Honestly, I was like, "Nah.

I'm just, like, too scared of the water.

I don't want to go in."

And we were all scared.

So, we did tie up with teams.

And so, then we were like,

"You guys, let's just follow this trail.

Let's just keep up with one

another, and we'll make it."

It's gonna flood, so we--

we have to really move, guys.

A guy has just told us

the rivers have come up,

and it's going to flood,

so we really have to move,

otherwise, none of us will make it.

All good?

- Yeah.

- Okay.

GUIDE: You guys pick it up, eh?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

We're comin', we're comin'.

Yeah, so, he suggests that we keep up.

Everybody stay on their heels.

[Grylls] Just a little way ahead,

the storm has passed, and Team Endure

continues to push into the night,

in order to make tomorrow's

Camp 3 cutoff.

[Travis] I'm good.

This, uh

This night has been kind of a

spiritual experience.

I've enjoyed it. I've enjoyed being present

with my friends and my dad.

Honestly, doing this has allowed me

to embrace just the

the shift of roles and the

and the circle of life,

and that it's okay for

for me to to hold his hand.

Even if I am the one showing

the way,

like, I still get a lot of comfort

from holding my dad's hand and

[ voice breaking ] it's a really special

part of our relationship.

[ sniffs ]

Dad said today in the in the raft that

his biggest fear about Alzheimer's

is that his grandkids won't remember

who he really is.

This is kind of flat right here.

This is good right here.

Do you want to get on a horse?

Now?

[Dannelle] We got to a point in

the race where Mark could barely walk,

and he was suffering.

CAMERA OP: You all right, Mace?

Yeah.

- CAMERA OP: Just stretching your back?

- Yep.

[Dannelle] It's really hard

seeing Mark that way,

seeing him push through the pain

for so long.

I didn't want to tell him

that it's time to stop,

because that's what he needs to do,

but I almost felt bad letting him go.

Should we get him on the horse here?

- You have an extra?

- GUIDE: Yeah.

He has an extra.

Can we put him on his horse?

Mace, will you try it?

They think they can hold you.

Oh, they think they can hold me.

[Shane] What? They have-- What?

It's up to you, Dad.

[ horse whinnies ]

- [man] Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

- Oh, there we go.

[ man yelling in Fijian ]

That's comforting.

[ horse whinnies ]

That's real company. Comf--

I'm not riding him.

Look at him. He's got fire in

his eyes.

I'm not--

You want me to do it?

I think it's-- I think it's up to you.

I think it would be faster, and

there's some risk.

You know, probably

probably

Can your horse handle me?

- [guide] Yeah.

- [Travis] This one-- this one has a saddle.

- [ guide speaking Fijian ]

- [Travis] This one has a saddle already.

Okay. I got to tell you,

I'm scared shitless to do this.

[Dannelle] You want to try it?

And if it's scary, then you could get off.

Well, I assume I could get off anytime.

[Dannelle] I mean,

the guide will be right there.

- [Mark] All right.

- [ man clicking tongue ]

[Shane] Just stay right there, Mace.

Stay right there.

The horse you're getting on

is right behind you.

You've got to hold on tight.

It's not a fun ride.

[Mark] What do I hold onto?

Is there reins?

- So, is this good?

- Yeah.

Balance yourself.

- Yeah? Balance yourself.

- [Dannelle] Make yourself comfortable.

Okay, let's go.

Fire in the hole!

[Dannelle] Okay.

[Travis] Shane and I will be right next

to you whenever we can, Dad.

It took a lot of ba*ls right there, Mace.

Sorry.

Don't apologize.

Don't apologize.

Let's get her done.

[Grylls] Mark Macy's condition

is declining.

The rest of Team Endure can only hope

to come out on the other side of this trek

without incident.

[Nathan] Just paddle through.

Paddle through.

[Grylls] Making their way across

the dangerous waters of the Pacific,

Team New Zealand must navigate

the small island at night,

and the long stretch through high surf

makes it that much harder.

And back at Checkpoint 29,

Teams Canada and Gippsland Adventure

jump onto their paddleboards,

hopeful they'll place on the

podium shortly after Team New Zealand.

[ all cheering ]

[man] Team Canada! Team Canada!

Ozzy, ozzy, ozzy!

[all] Eh, eh, eh!

[boy] Ozzy, ozzy, ozzy!

[all] Eh, eh, eh!

[ cheering and clapping ]

[Nathan] Whoa, whoa!

NATHAN: Hold the ama, hold the ama!

HQ, HQ. This is Team New Zealand

on Channel 3

calling for help.

[woman] Team New Zealand, go ahead.

Can you tell me your situation, please?

[ static ]

We're all four in the water.

The boat is semi-submerged.

HQ, HQ. Do you know our location?

[ static ]

[ voice breaking up ]

Advised, it's a Mayday.

Mayday, Mayday.

[ flare sh**ting ]

[ music ]