Jo Diop and Kush Burman win BBC Race Across the World 2026

Best friends Jo Diop and Kush Burman have been crowned the winners of the BBC's Race Across the World 2026, reaching the final checkpoint in Hatgal, Mongolia, first to claim the £20,000 prize. The Liverpool duo completed the 51-day journey across Europe and Asia ahead of three other pairs in a dramatic finale that aired Thursday.

The final leg required the teams to sprint through snow-covered forests to the finish line at Lake Khövsgöl. Jo and Kush arrived first, celebrating by embracing in the snow. Kush exclaimed he couldn't put the feeling into words, while Jo said it was hard to get his head around the victory, adding it was a first win for Liverpool.

Father and daughter Andrew and Molly finished second, approximately three hours behind the winners. Siblings Katie and Harrison placed third, and in-laws Mark and Margo arrived last, more than 24 hours after the leaders, yet expressed joy at simply completing the journey.

The race began in Palermo, Sicily, with five teams challenged to travel over 12,000 kilometers to northern Mongolia without smartphones or bank cards, using only a cash allowance equivalent to an airfare. The course took them through Italy, Greece, Turkey,...