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With two teams at the checkpoint – Ilha Grande in Brazil – the remaining teams are engaged in a frantic race to avoid finishing the leg in last place. Dom and Lizzie are on foot running through the jungle, whilst Jo and Sam are paddling furiously in a canoe across the bay. It is a nail-biting ending, and the siblings just manage to edge out their rivals and sign into the book.

After 17,000 kilometres, there are just 24 hours separating the teams, but with two legs left and almost 8,000 km to the finish line in Ushuaia, depleted budgets come into sharp focus.

Leaders Emon and Jamiul are the first to leave and discover that the next checkpoint is Mendoza in western Argentina. Both agree that they need to escape expensive Brazil as soon as possible but have differing opinions on the best route to take. Emon wants to prioritise speed by adopting the most direct route, whilst Jamiul wants to target the lucrative jobs on offer by travelling through Uruguay. Jamiul manages to convince his uncle of his plan and all is going well when they score a well-paid job cleaning superyachts in the well-heeled port of Punta del Este. However, it all comes crashing down when they can’t find overnight transport out of the capital Montevideo and are forced to spend all they have earned on accommodation for the night, as well as expensive bus and boat tickets to Buenos Aires, leaving their budget perilously low and them both questioning the choices they have made.

Jen and Rob are the most financially stable with a quarter of their budget remaining. Despite this, the pair have different priorities. Jen is keen to spend to move quickly, whilst Rob favours a more cautious approach to ensure they reach the finish line on budget. This comes to a head when the pair miss an opportunity for a quick escape from the island due to Rob’s indecision. There is further adversity when they are unable to change any money in Curitiba and they miss two buses and face a lengthy delay. Jen and Rob showcase their new-found resilience though and when they reach Porto Alegre find work cleaning in a hostel. Their relationship hits new heights when the pair share a tender moment learning to tango in a Buenos Aires park.

With less money than any other team, mother and son Jo and Sam are in dire straits. They are determined to complete the leg and target work with bed and board in order to save cash, but this means a more circuitous route to the checkpoint. They land a plum job at a hostel in Rio de Janeiro where Sam satisfies his hunger pangs by running a BBQ, whilst Jo runs the bar. However, the pair have a disagreement over their spending priorities leaving Sam at a low ebb. A smart plan secures a free ticket in exchange for work on the bus, enabling Jo to fulfil a lifetime ambition at a Gaucho ranch. However, they also have a very difficult decision to make.

Dom and Lizzie are on a mission to move up in the race standings by racing smart and economically and asking for help. It doesn’t come naturally but after obtaining good route advice, the siblings' persistence pays dividends when they save money hitching a ride to Posadas and land an unexpected invite. Will their good fortune hold as they aim to claw their way back into the race?