Las Vegas casino tycoon Donald Sinclair is determined to keep his wealthiest high rollers happy, so he concocts a new, quasi-legal sporting event for them to bet on: a human “rat race”. The Rat Racers are six ordinary people, selected at random: Sinclair has put six specially minted gold coins in six different slot machines. Anyone who wins a coin is invited to join the race. The “cheese” is two million dollars in cash. The money is in a duffel bag. The duffel bag is in a locker. The locker is in Silver City, New Mexico – 700 miles away. The first one there keeps it all.

What our Racers don’t know is that Sinclair and his gambling-crazed high rollers are tracking their every move – like a pack of lab rats – and betting on the outcome! In this contest, anything goes. The Racers travel by plane … train … helicopter … foot … bus… anything that moves! They cheat. They lie. They sabotage each other. “Rat Race” doesn’t ask: what would you do to win? It asks: what wouldn’t you do?