ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
RACE ACROSS THE WORLD: THE EXPERIENCE LONDON
TEAM iK REALLY ARE COMPETITIVE, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO CHALLENGING OTHER TEAMS- AND OF COURSE, WINNING- THAT COMPETITIVE STREAK RISES TO THE FORE WITH GUSTO!
BY SOPHIE SHORTER
With a festive treat in order, Sam and Adam surprised the team with Race Across the World: The Experience London, an adventure based on the award-winning BBC TV show Race Across The World. The challenge navigates teams of two to eight players through a 5km race split into three legs across London’ s iconic landmarks, hidden gems, cosy coffee shops and pubs.
Team iK took on the newly unveiled, limited-edition West End adventure, where orienteering, teamwork and puzzle-solving are essential. Team iK, however, stumbled at the first hurdle. A coded message revealing our secret escapade proved challenging for everyone, but once we ' d rearranged our capital letters to crack the code, it was time to celebrate and embark on our team journey armed with our only clue: a map pin on the edge of Piccadilly Circus.
Naturally, no trip would be complete without a coffee in hand, so with the elegant Chestnut Bakery marking the first checkpoint, the team eagerly announced:“ We’ re here for the race!” to the staff. But, of course, became immediately sidetracked by their irresistible pastries and focaccia, delaying our start time- thank goodness for the generous game pauses!
Once the race officially began and we were presented with our Race Across the World: The Experience pack, the team’ s money-making prowess kicked in. With only £ 20 to spend and the‘ easy’ route threatening to drain the entire budget on the first leg, there was only one option- get to work. With anagrams, numerical challenges and trick questions ahead, we relied on each other’ s strengths to work quickly, boost our in-game funds and shave precious minutes off our time.
The three legs of the race introduced new obstacles, tougher clues and even trickier questions, including a man with his brush to the sky that sent the whole team into confusion- at one point, someone even guessed‘ the drains’ as an answer … Safe to say, we were incorrect.
As we wandered through London’ s festive streets, we nearly lost a few stragglers as the team became distracted by beautiful window displays and seasonal treats, but with no time for shopping, leader Sam swiftly regrouped the crew and guided us back on track to the next checkpoint- although by this point, Adam had wandered off to take selfies with local statues; a photo opportunity he simply couldn’ t resist.
Between the laughs, the selfies and more statue poses than we’ d like to admit, team iK tackled the race with determination and our signature level of chaos. Upon reaching the final checkpoint and collecting our honorary Race Across the World: The Experience magnet, we turned eagerly to the leaderboard. Drum roll please … Team iK ranked first place with a time of 1 hour and 39 minutes- a win we celebrated with a well-deserved feast.
Race Across the World: The Experience London isn’ t just a competitive challenge( although we did that bit well, too), it’ s a
brilliantly engaging adventure that brings teams together, harnesses strengths and showcases some of London’ s much-loved businesses along the way.
Location: Central London Group Size: Suitable for groups of 2-8.
Duration: 2- 3 hours; varies depending on how competitive you are!
Booking: Pre-booked game only.
Food & Drink: Refuel during the game with breakfasts, lunches, coffee and sweet treats from the businesses involved in the experience.
Extra Touch: Race Across the World: The Experience London also offers limitededition seasonal experiences- Race Across the World: The Experience West End.
Cost: £ 70- £ 280 depending on group size.
raceacrosstheworldexperience. com raceacrosstheworld. experience
www. insidekent. co. uk • 35