Race the World


Race The World is a Chinese reality television series that aired on Jiangsu Television in 2016 that features twelve contestants that formed teams of two in a race around the world to win a grand prize of ¥500,000 and a lifetime usage of an Infiniti Q50L.
Joe Cheng and Ariel Lin were the winners of Race The World.

Production

Development and filming

Race The World drew on the format of the series The Amazing Race, with tasks and obstacles similar to Detours and Blind Detours, Yields, Intersections, and Head-to-Heads included in the show, and included themes of the Olympic Games to coincide with the 2016 Summer Olympics, airing the same year as The Amazing Race China 3 which had a similar theme. Like The Amazing Race, the show featured teams of two in a race around the world to win a grand prize. Teams had to complete various challenges to receive clues sealed in a relay race baton to reach an end point. Unlike The Amazing Race, the teams of two were shuffled every two legs with the goal of testing different partner dynamics during the run of the series with contestants choosing their partners much like The Amazing Race 29. Also, the team that completed all of the challenges in a leg and reached the final destination first would win 100 points. When subsequent teams reached the final destination, they would earn one less point for every two minutes they finished behind the lead team. After nine legs, the eight individuals with the most points would remain in the Race with the four individuals with the lowest scores eliminated. The teams would then reshuffle for the final time to complete the final legs.
On March 3, 2016, the cast and premise of the show were announced in a press conference. Filming for the series ended on May 14 in Nanjing. After filming ended, contestant Baron Chen was discovered traveling to Taiwan to receive medical treatment for a torn cruciate ligament. The following month, Chen's agent threatened a lawsuit with the show's production company over delayed insurance compensation.
After Leg 1 ended, Sheng Yilun discovered that he had lost his passport and was unable to compete in the United States legs. Harry Yuan was brought in as a substitute so all racers could compete with a partner but was not eligible for the grand prize.

Cast

The cast of Race The World consisted of Chinese celebrities including Taiwanese actor and model Baron Chen, Taiwanese model, actor and singer Joe Cheng, Taiwanese actress Evonne Hsieh, Hong Kong actor Leon Lai, Taiwanese actress and singer Ariel Lin, short track speed skater Wang Meng, actor Daddi Tang, pop singer and actor Vision Wei, gymnast Li Xiaopeng, professional pool player Pan Xiaoting, actor and model Sheng Yilun, and actress and singer Zhu Zhu.
Li Xiaopeng previously competed on the first season of The Amazing Race China with his wife Li Anqi in 2014. Zhu Zhu and Harry Yuan competed on separate teams on the second season of the Race in 2015. A year later, Joe Cheng and Evonne Hsieh competed on separate teams on The Amazing Race China 4.

Marketing

, which previously served as a sponsor on the Chinese Amazing Race, served as the primary sponsor of Race The World and provided all of the cars during the legs.

Results

  1. As Sheng Yilun could not compete in Legs 2 and 3, he received half of the points the person who would have been his partner earned.
  2. Vision Wei & Wang Meng traveled in a private vehicle instead of a taxi during Leg 3 and were penalized 15 points.
  3. Li Xiaopeng & Wang Meng earned 10 points during the Highland games task that was added to their score. Vision Wei & Pan Xiaoting lost two games and received a ten-point deduction from their score.
  4. Vision Wei withdrew from the show after Leg 8 ended for personal reasons. As Sheng Yilun did not have a partner in Leg 9, his score at the end of the leg doubled.
  5. Li Xiaopeng & Leon Lai, Pan Xiaoting & Evonne Hsieh, and Ariel Lin & Wang Meng failed to complete the bicycle task after eight attempts and were penalized 15 points.
  6. Several teams received five point penalties for each duck they lost during the duck herding task. Li Xiaopeng & Leon Lai lost 4 ducks. Joe Cheng & Zhu Zhu lost 3 ducks. Daddi Tang & Baron Chen lost 3 ducks. Pan Xiaoting & Evonne Hsieh lost 2 ducks. Ariel Lin & Wang Meng lost 3 ducks.
  7. Li Xiaopeng announced to the contestants after Leg 9 concluded that he would be withdrawing from the show as his wife Li Anqi was about to give birth to their second child. As Vision Wei also withdrew from the show, the two contestants with the lowest scores were eliminated.
  8. Baron Chen & Wang Meng and Daddi Tang & Pan Xiaoting elected to quit the final task of Leg 11 and had to wait out a two-hour penalty before they could continue racing. While attempting the task, Zhu Zhu had a bad fall and injured her right foot leading to her needing medical treatment. As Sheng Yilun could not complete the task without his partner, he had to wait out a two-hour penalty as well before he could continue racing.

    Pairings

Race summary

Leg 1 (China)

Airdate: April 8, 2016
;Tasks
Airdate: April 15, 2016
;Tasks
Airdate: April 22, 2016
;Tasks
Airdate: April 29, 2016
;Tasks
Airdate: May 6, 2016
;Tasks
Airdate: May 13, 2016
;Tasks
Airdate: May 20, 2016
;Tasks
Airdate: May 27, 2016
;Tasks
Airdate: June 3 & 10, 2016
;Tasks
Airdate: June 10, 2016
;Tasks
Airdate: June 17, 2016
;Tasks
Airdate: July 8, 2016
;Tasks