World's Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji (2020) s01e07 Episode Script

[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 killing it on foot.
You're so fast.
- [man] Let's go, guys!
- I ain't killing jack, man.
- Could kill 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 shit.
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 balls 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 shooting ]
[ music ]