‘Race To Survive: New Zealand’ Exclusive Clip: Mother Nature Delivers A Cruel Twist To The Top 3 Teams

Every decision on USA Network’s Race to Survive: New Zealand is do-or-die. Every choice—like where to place your foot as you scramble in between boulders—could be the end of your journey. Now in the middle of its season, the harrowing outdoor adventure competition has managed to separate the wheat from the chaff. The front runners are river guides Oliver and Corry, smokejumpers Ethan and Tyree, and son and father-in-law Ryan Bronsen and Ryan. Bringing up the rear are divorced daredevils Creighton and Paulina, endurance athletes Ashley and Rhandi, and Canadian roughnecks Kennedy and Nik. These competitors have fought for every inch of wild, New Zealand terrain they manage to traverse and for every calorie they can scrape together—be it from food caches or the results of hunting and foraging. Their goal? The chance to take home the $500,000 grand prize.

This exclusive clip from Monday night’s all-new episode begins with Nik and Rhandi waiting at a race marker in the middle of a rocky riverbed, urging their struggling partners to hurry up. As Ashley steps gingerly over the rocks because of the ankle injury she sustained earlier; Kennedy is able to overtake her and catch up with Nik before she can make it to Rhandi. This scramble puts Nick and Kennedy ahead of Ashley and Rhandi in the rankings. Now in last place, Ashley continues to cautiously maneuver her way. “Inch by inch,” Ashley says weakly as she finally reaches Rhandi. “I know you’re giving it everything you have,” comforts Rhandi.

As the quartet changes into dry suits for the next zone, Ashley confides to Rhandi: “I’m nervous. Boulders are not my friend right now.” The camera then cuts to a confessional with the ladies. “Besides the ankle, we really feel amazing. We feel amazing mentally,” says Rhandi. “We’re connecting incredibly well as a team.” Both women look confident as Rhandi confirms, “We are still in this.” Back on the course, Ashley tells Rhandi: “We could catch ’em on the kayak.” Knowingly, Ashley adds: “Terrain can take anyone out at any time.” And with that, the racers are off!

At the front of the pack in Zone 5 on the river in kayaks, we see Oliver and Corry paddling steadily to stay in first place. As Bronsen and Ryan struggle to catch them from behind, Ryan urges Bronsen: “Push it into high gear, we’re not that far behind.” The show’s narration reveals that the father and son-in-law skipped the only food cache on the course, so it becomes clear why they are so desperate to overtake the leaders. The first team to make it to the end crate can take the food reward waiting inside. In their confessional, Ryan explains: “When you decide to not get [a cache], it’s a big risk as to what you’re energy levels are going to be.”

We return to the course where things get worse for Bronsen and Ryan. Currently in third place, Ethan and Tyree quickly paddle up behind the family men and haphazardly hit their kayak with their own as they try to navigate around them. As Bronsen and Ryan try to recover from the bump and right the course, Ethan and Tyree blow by them into second place. “They hit our rudder,” exclaims Ryan as they push forward.

Oliver and Corry reach the shore first and push their kayak onto land. “We gotta drag our boat?” Ryan asks from the water as he observes the team ahead of them. The narration kicks back in: “In a cruel twist of fate, the top three have hit the final mile and a half long inlet at the tide’s lowest ebb, adding a torturous portage through sand and tidal pools to the drop off point.” After they deposit their sea crafts, the teams will then have to sprint 1300 yards to the end crate. Who will make it there first? Tune in to Race To Survive: New Zealand this Monday night (June 24) at 11PM on USA Network to find out!