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Where to Watch Race to Survive: New Zealand: Cast & Extreme New Stakes Explained
Nine teams of two brave the stunning wilds of New Zealand for a chance to win $500,000.
The first season of USA Network's Race to Survive saw daring duos take on the wild Alaskan landscape. For Season 2, Race to Survive: New Zealand, nine new teams are tackling New Zealand's unforgiving wilderness for a chance to win $500,000.
The high-stakes adventure series Race to Survive: New Zealand premiered on Monday, May 20 at 11 p.m. ET/PT with a 75-minute supersized episode.
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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.
In the coming weeks, 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.
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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:
Meet the Race to Survive: New Zealand Competitors
Fierce endurance athletes and mothers: Rhandi Orme (40) from Kaysville, UT, and Ashley Paulson (42) from St. George, UT.
Rhandi and Ashley first met on social media and bonded over motherhood. Now these two ultramarathon runners support each other over hundreds of miles as they race through all kinds of challenging environments. They use motherhood as a superpower on the trail as it's taught them how to multitask, communicate, manage time, and problem-solve.
Their survival skills come from backpacking, mountaineering, and other self-supported adventures. They possess the stamina and endurance it takes to make it in this race, and their impressive resumes prove it.
Climbing kings from New York: Mikhail Martin (33) and Steffen Jean-Pierre (35)
Growing up in the concrete jungle of New York drove these two young men to get out of the city and scale mountains. Steffen met Mikhail at a climbing event four years ago, and the two hit it off immediately and became climbing partners.
Steffen is an outdoor educator and guide, taking folks out into the wilderness and teaching them survival and climbing skills. Mikhail is an engineer and world-traveled tactician, always thinking ahead and looking for the next challenge. They'll pull from their unmatched perseverance on the trail as they push to achieve the life-changing prize money.
Divorced daredevils from Salt Lake City: Creighton Baird (34), and Paulina Peña (31).
Creighton and Paulina’s chance meeting eight years ago led to a relationship that many can only dream about. The adventurous duo bonded over a shared passion for the rugged outdoors. After marrying in the desert, the two went on to climb, paddle, and explore the wildest places the world has to offer.
Despite their recent divorce, the pair have reunited, drawn together by their unwavering trust in each other's skills and ready to conquer any challenge that New Zealand has to offer.
A son and father-in-law: Bronsen Iverson (20) from Hurricane, UT, and Ryan Stewart (43) from Lehi, UT.
Bronsen and Ryan both love the outdoors and living a Western way of life, but their relationship has some high stakes as Bronsen is Ryan's son-in-law. When Ryan and Bronsen are out on their adventures, you can find them guiding hunts across the tough terrain of Utah, riding horses, climbing, hiking, and fishing.
Ryan is going to use his military training and skills to navigate, and Bronsen is ready to prove his worth. They both have a history of bull riding, so pain and physicality don't faze them. These two cowboys are determined to make it to the end even if it means surviving days in the wild with the in-laws.
White water river guides from Jackson, WY: Oliver Dev (29) and Spencer “Corry” Jones (26).
Oliver and Corry refer to themselves as “brothers from another life” because of their tight bond. The pair met in Maui working as kayak guides and immediately became best friends. They’ve had some spectacular adventures – from summiting mountains to trekking through rainforests – and are currently white-water rafting guides.
The two have overcome many social and personal hurdles and are each other's support system. Their reliance on one another will be key to them winning this race.
Ultramarathoning friends: Donald “Jeff” Watterson Jr. (46) from Newcastle, IN, and Coree Woltering (33) from Chattanooga, TN.
Jeff and Coree are an unlikely pair of best bros. The two met after Jeff, father of two teenage daughters, followed Coree's decorated adventure running career and asked Coree to be his ultra-running coach. Coree is changing the face of the ultra-sports industry as an openly gay sponsored athlete.
Coree and Jeff have braved a lot over the course of their friendship. The two want to defy stereotypes and break boundaries as they use their outdoor prowess and incomparable endurance to claim the grand prize.
Elite airborne firefighters: Ethan Greenberg (32) from Boston, MA and Tyrie Mann Merrill (28) from Reno, NV.
Ethan and Tyrie are not just close friends, they’re also heroes. The pair are accomplished smoke jumpers/airborne firefighters, of whom there are less than 400 in the U.S.
They’ve developed survival skills and endurance as they’ve braved the elements for weeks at a time. Often hauling lumber, animals, and people during a rescue, the treks are long and hard. It isn't a job for the weak and having already saved entire communities one jump at a time, this competition will be a cakewalk compared to their usual grind.
Rhode Island racers: Emilio Navarro (56) from Cranston, RI and Heather Sischo (42) from Warwick, RI.
With memorable Rhode Island accents and larger-than-life personalities, Emilio and Heather may not seem like the usual adventure team, but they’ve got the chops to compete. The two have been training and racing together for six years. Emilio has endurance built by ultra-marathons while Heather has survival skills honed by a life of camping and orienteering.
The duo’s palpable energy and a strong motivation to win will help them come out on top.
Oil rig workers from Alberta, Canada: Nikola “Nik” Milutinovic (37) and Kennedy Taylor (26)
They say Canadian winters make you tough from the inside out. If that’s the case, then Kennedy and Serbian-born Nik must be twice as tough since they became friends while working on oil rigs in the Great White North.
Living on and running a rig in extreme conditions is one of the toughest and most dangerous jobs in the world. In their off time, these adrenaline junkies can be found partaking in adventures they both enjoy, such as hiking, running, and boating with friends. With their stellar skillset and competitive nature, the pair plan to be an Arctic bomb in this race.
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.
Where to watch Race to Survive: New Zealand
Race to Survive: New Zealand premiered on Monday, May 20 at 11 p.m. ET/PT with a 75-minute supersized episode. New episodes premiere every Monday night on USA Network.
Catch up on Race to Survive: Alaska on Peacock.
Originally published Apr 8, 2024.
