If you’re a MAN v FAT member based in the north west, you might well have done a double take whilst watching this year’s Race Against The World series on the BBC.
One of the teams featured in this year’s series – which sees contestants aiming to travel over 12,000km – includes Harrison Devine and his sister Katie.
Harrison is a long standing member of our fantastic MAN v FAT Warrington community and he and his sister will be travelling across Europe and Asia, the largest continental area on earth.
The route carves through eight distinctive countries: Italy, Greece, Türkiye, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia – each bringing its own language, culture and climate.
In the most extreme race to date, conditions swing from 30-degree Mediterranean heat to subarctic temperatures of –20°C. And they’ve got to do it all on a budget of less than £26 per person per day.
Harrison is likely well known to MAN v FAT clubs in the north, having picked up XIs Player of the Year in 2024 due to his prolific goalscoring. He also featured in our Amazing Losers game at Leyton Orient, having lost over 30% of his starting body weight on the programme.
With the show currently airing on the BBC, we caught up with Harrison to find out how the story unfolded for him, both with MAN v FAT and on the TV show.
Do you think your time with MAN v FAT helped prepare you for Race Across the World?
Yes definitely. MAN v FAT has given so much, not just in terms of being physically fitter, but being mentally stronger and dedicated, as well increasing my confidence. Whilst being away on the Race, you have to constantly interact with people and it takes a lot of confidence to go up and speak to strangers knowing that there is going to be a language barrier or that they might not be able to help you.
MAN v FAT instils a sense of self confidence back into you as you work hard to feel better about yourself, more comfortable in your own skin and that gives you more confidence to go and speak to people and not worry about what they may think of you.
Were there moments in the race where your fitness journey gave you an advantage?
I’d like to think we planned well enough that we never caught having to run for a train or bus, but the Race itself is an 8-week adventure, so it constantly tests you physically. I mean, you’re carrying around a 20kg rucksack most of the time, so it’s a good job I’ve lost 45kg in the first place otherwise my knees would have been in a world of trouble!
Did your MAN v FAT experience influence how you handled challenges or setbacks?
Weight loss generally isn’t a constant linear progression. You have your ups and downs, and as men who clearly love that extra bit of food and drink, it’s difficult to not let one or two bad weeks become one or two bad months. I personally find it very easy to say after a bad weekend calorie wise, ah sod it, I’ll have already put weight on, so I’ll double down and not get back on the health kick until the next weigh in, but you learn that’s not the attitude to have.
You have to understand that there will be setbacks but look to a more long-term view whereby one bad day of calories doesn’t affect your week or month. That was quite similar to the Race, yes one or two things can go bad on a leg of racing, but as long as you do most things right (Find cheap accommodation, don’t blow the budget on expensive food and drinks, don’t miss your transport) then overall you should be in a good position!
How did representing a community like MAN v FAT feel while taking part in the show?
MAN v FAT has changed my life. It has changed who I am as a person, my interests, my hobbies, my friendships, and my lifestyle. It is a community I am incredibly proud and honoured to be a part of as it’s not just your own story, it’s everyone else around you that is equally as inspiring.
So to represent MAN v FAT on national TV means a lot to me. I’m hoping it spreads the word so that other men who were in my situation hear about MAN v FAT and give themselves the opportunity to change their own lives by signing up to it.
What would you say to others in the community if they wanted to apply to be part of the show?
I say this to everyone, apply for the show and see what happens. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done… and probably will ever do. I struggle to put into words how cool the whole experience was.
How do you hope your story will impact others who may be struggling with their weight or confidence?
When signing up to Race Across the World, one of my biggest hopes was that my story would be able to reach a wider audience and help other men lose weight and increase their confidence.
I feel a totally different person from the man I was 3 or 4 years ago when I joined MAN v FAT. Getting to a weight and confidence level where you no longer sit in public readjusting your t-shirt every few seconds, or not wanting to eat at a friend’s BBQ for fear of judgement, is such a surreal feeling for us men who have always felt that way, and it is genuinely freeing.
I joined MAN v FAT with the intention of just wanting to play football again. I had always been a bigger lad and never knew it was possible for me to be anything different. I then started to lose a little bit of weight and became very quickly encapsulated by it and getting fitter. For any men reading this who think they can never lose weight and that you were born to be big, that was me before MAN v FAT. Just give it a go and see how far you can push yourself.
Are there any new goals or challenges you will be setting yourself?
I am always looking to sign up to new events and challenges. I recently ran my first Marathon in April 2026 so maybe looking to do another one of those, but I’d like to see if there’s a way I can combine my new love of travel with fitness as well. Maybe a 10km run in every country in Europe… something daft like that!
