NEW TERRAIN BRINGS FRESH CHALLENGES WHEN USA NETWORK’S ‘RACE TO SURVIVE: NEW ZEALAND’ PREMIERES MONDAY, MAY 20 AT 11 P.M. ET/PT

Treacherous Race Begins with a 75-Minute Supersized Premiere Episode

Photo Credit: Patrik Giardino/USA Network

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – April 8, 2024 – This summer USA Network is giving nine teams of contestants 500,000 reasons not to quit. The high-stakes adventure series “Race to Survive” returns on Monday, May 20 at 11 p.m. ET/PT with a 75-minute supersized episode in a new perilous arena: New Zealand.

In the most harrowing outdoor adventure competition yet, 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 will 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 Peña (31).
• A son and father-in-law from Hurricane, UT: Bronsen Iverson (20) and Ryan Stewart (43).
• 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)

“Race to Survive: New Zealand” is produced by Original Productions. Jeff Hasler, Brian Lovett and Meredith Prunkard executive produce. Jeff Conroy serves as executive producer and showrunner.