I tried the Race Across the World Manchester experience

The Herald Scotland

3 days ago

Now, viewers can try their own race across London and soon, Manchester.
After success with the London experience, City Days has created a new Manchester experience and I decided to see if I've got what it takes.
There are some pubs on the route (Image: Newsquest) Gathering a group of six family members and friends, I made my way to Manchester with excitement rising during the two-hour drive.
I tried the Race Across The World Manchester experience – here's how it went
As the experience takes a few hours, it's worth taking a portable power bank with you because you use your phone constantly (especially if it's only set up on one phone).
Smooth set-up
The experience is booked online beforehand and a few days before, I was able to set up the WhatsApp chat.
You receive all your instructions through WhatsApp, and it was really easy to respond with replies and next instruction came through in a second or two.
I thought having it on one phone would keep it simple, but one of my group members pointed out that being able to read the instructions on their own phone might've been better, so next time I'd make sure I added the group to it rather than reading from my phone and passing it around after.
It's easy to do this, I just thought one phone would be enough.
The Race Across the World experience involves lots of walking through Manchester (Image: Newsquest)
Tight budget
Ahead of the race, each group has a £30 virtual budget which is updated several times throughout via WhatsApp so you can keep an eye on your spending.
This total is quite low when some routes you can choose between cost £25 or £15 for example.
But that's where working comes in.
Tough puzzles
To work and earn some extra money for your budget, you'll need to message the word 'work' on WhatsApp and then you'll be given a puzzle.
Except our puzzles were mostly riddles so you might want to revise them before you start!
Our team wasn't great at the riddles and I think this is where it got quite tough.
The race includes lots of different locations and you have to look for lots of clues (Image: Newsquest) I must admit, while you're not supposed to use your phone or maps (unless you get lost and ask for a location pin to be sent to you), one member of the team did Google a solution to a riddle which left us all scratching our heads.
Being so competitive and feeling beaten by Google, this was a little frustrating for me but looking back, I'd still be there now if it wasn't for that sneaky extra clue.
Local pubs are part of the race
Along the way, we stopped at two pubs where we had to ask for props to help us solve a puzzle at each location.
I won't spoil it but you can expect to stamp your game passport at one and find a few souvenirs at another.
I really enjoyed this interactive part of the race and thought it was nice to be able to sit and solve something over a drink as breaks were definitely needed along the way.
We didn't finish…
Although we got off to a flying start, we unfortunately couldn't get to the end.
Leg one and two seemed to be much easier for us than leg three which really stumped us at one point.
By the 4.5-hour mark (it's supposed to take 2-3 hours to complete the whole experience), some of the group was a bit fed up as we got really lost, having not yet found what we were looking for and had already asked for hints.
Even though we asked for tips, one clue in the third and final leg really seemed to throw us.
We were also tight on time as we needed to travel two hours home so we walked back to the car and called it a day.
I think knowing how far away from the finish you are would've been helpful as this might've made us realise we weren't actually far and could've carried on.
Overall though, I'd recommend this as a great day out – it was really nice to spend time with loved ones doing something a bit different.
For us, it was a bit too long – I think we could've managed much better if we hadn't have had to travel so far in each leg. Plus, the heat on the day might have played a factor in it too (it involves a lot of walking!)
At one point, I joked that actually racing across the world might've been easier so make sure to bring as many brainy people with you as you can!
While I can imagine the TV series being stressful at times, I think my lack of riddle knowledge and puzzle-solving skills might mean it's an easier task for me.
Having said this though, I really enjoyed giving it a good go and coming across parts of Manchester I wasn't familiar with before.
It was also good to find out more about the city's history – after each correct answer was given, we got the next instruction sent through with bite-size information about what went on in that location in the past.
I thought being able to choose our route for each leg of the race was fun – more expensive routes got you there quicker but cheaper ones were less direct.
We picked a music-inspired route at one point so the clues had song lyrics included in them which kept it light-hearted.
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I'd love to go back and complete it one day and hope anyone trying it when it opens to the public has lots of fun!
How to book tickets to Race Across the World: The Experience Manchester
Tickets are on sale now via the website here. You can book the experience with dates available from August 12 through summer and autumn.
The website explains: 'Get ready for an immersive, interactive experience that takes you through the heart of Manchester.
'Solve clues, navigate the city, and uncover hidden secrets, all while racing against the clock... or simply enjoying the race at your own pace!'
Comfortable shoes are recommended, plus you'll need a smartphone with internet.