The survival of the fittest
WORLD’S TOUGHEST RACE: ECO-CHALLENGE FIJI
BEAR Grylls is hanging off the side of a helicopter about to leap off...
This is standard Bear behaviour. He likes to make an entrance.
The survival expert is in Fiji, where 330 competitors in teams of five, from 30 countries, will race non-stop for 11 days across 671km of rugged terrain.
They will encounter mountains, jungles, oceans and swamps, taking on relentless challenges designed to break them down physically and mentally.
“This iconic race is bigger and more punishing than ever before,” says Bear. “This is an expedition with a stopwatch. All of them are going to suffer.”
For once, he doesn’t seem to be exaggerating.
The teams have no access to modern technology as they race to find five hidden medallions during each leg and reach the finish line first.
If they sleep, they lose time.
If they go wrong, they’re out. And there are accidents and injuries throughout. It’s all pretty brutal.
Within 10 seconds of the teams heading off in canoes, one boat capsizes.
On day one, the teams have a river paddle that leads to the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean.
Then they reach a 20km loop around an ancient volcanic crater in the jungle, before facing more ocean navigation through the darkness of night.
These are all experienced adventurers, but it’s not long before the race begins to hurt. Bear is on hand throughout to remind us what peril awaits them if they do the wrong thing.
He warns them: “Respect the wild. Embrace the hurt. Never leave a team member behind.”