Plot Synopsis

RACE TO SURVIVE is a a one-hour competition series that features teams of two who vie for a cash prize by enduring inhospitable terrain with nothing but what they can carry. Contestants must utilize a combination of endurance racing, primitive survival skills and bushcraft as they navigate the mostly unchartered wilderness with sprawling mountain ranges, ancient glaciers, threatening wildlife and suffocating rainforests.

The first season, set along the wild and dangerous Alaskan coastline, is titled, and features eight teams of two, who vie for the $500,000 prize by enduring more than 100 miles of inhospitable terrain. The stakes couldn't be higher for the teams as they race across unforgiving land in the ultimate test of person verses nature, where winning is the goal, but survival is the challenge. Over the course of six weeks and six races, the eight teams of two will traverse through the harshest Alaskan landscapes, having to source their own food and water while charting their own path on previously unexplored terrain. The duos must survive off the unwelcoming land as they battle every element while being relentlessly pursued by their competition. In each leg of the race, the last team to reach the finish line will be eliminated from the competition. Tested like never before, participants will endure physical pain while forging alliances and backstabbing their way to claim a spot in the finale and the chance to win the $500,000 if they can survive the hostile land ... and each other. The eight teams include: brother and sister duo from New York, Bella Crane (25) & Cason Crane (29); inseparable friends and climbing partners from Seattle, NAKED AND AFRAID alum Max Djenohan (33) & Christian Junkar (25); fierce competitors and rock-climbing experts, Albuquerque, NM, local Favia Dubyk (34) & Kingston, NY, native Genevive Walker (33); Wasilkla, Alaska, couple with a shared interest in the outdoors, Brett Gatten (46) & Esther Sanderlin (40); Inupiaq brothers native to the Alaskan terrain, Oliver Hoogendorn (25) & Wilson Hoogendorn (23); martial arts training partners, Hakim Isler (45) from Fayetteville, NC (and KICKING & SCREAMING alum) & Justice Norman (38) from Park City, UT; new friends with a shared passion for adventure, hailing from Del Mar, CA, Elizabeth Killham (36) & Miami Beach, FL, Robin Moore (45); and father-son duo with adventure racing in their blood from Canton, GA, Hunter Leininger (21) & Jeff Leininger (53).
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RACE TO SURVIVE: NEW ZEALAND, the second season of the series, debuted on Monday, May 20, 2024 at 11pm ET/PT on USA Network, with a simulcast on Syfy. In Season 2, challengers must rely on a combination of endurance racing, survival skills and intuition as they navigate 150 miles of New Zealand's harshest terrain. From the depths of ancient caves to frigid alpine summits, every step and every calorie is hard-earned. However, strength and speed alone won't be enough to win $500,000. Rather, only those with the strongest will to survive can claim this life-changing prize. Nine teams of two navigate the deceptively beautiful New Zealand landscape, tasked not only with sourcing their own food and water, but beating their counterparts in a race to the finish as well. The duos must brave the foreign land and elements while realizing the fastest route might not always be the safest. In each leg of the race, the last team to reach the finish line will be eliminated from the competition. If the teams can endure physical pain, an unforgiving environment and each other, for long enough, they just might be able to claim the $500,000 grand prize. The nine teams participating include mountain climbers, smoke jumpers, river guides and recent divorcees among others. The full list of contestants willing to test their limits are:

- Fierce endurance athletes and mothers: Rhandi Orme (40) from Kaysville, UT and Ashley Paulson (42) from St. George, UT.

- Climbing kings from New York: Mikhail Martin (33) and Steffen Jean-Pierre (35).

- Divorced daredevils from Salt Lake City: Creighton Baird (34), and Paulina Pena (31).

- A son and father-in-law: Bronsen Iverson (20) from Hurricane, UT and Ryan Stewart (43) from Lehi, UT.

- White water river guides from Jackson, WY: Oliver Dev (29) and Spencer "Corry" Jones (26).

- Ultramarathoning friends: Donald "Jeff" Watterson Jr. (46) from Newcastle, IN and Coree Woltering (33) from Chattanooga, TN.

- Elite airborne firefighters: Ethan Greenberg (32) from Boston, MA and Tyrie Mann Merrill (28) from Reno, NV.

- Rhode Island racers: Emilio Navarro (56) from Cranston, RI and Heather Sischo (42) from Warwick, RI.

- Oil rig workers from Alberta, Canada: Nikola "Nik" Milutinovic (37) and Kennedy Taylor (26)