Thomas & Friends: Race for the Sodor Cup

Thomas, Percy, and Nia run along the tracks near Knapford when Kana speeds past them. latestnetflix.com's take is that Kana has been selected to represent the island in the upcoming Sodor Cup alongside Kenji, an acclaimed high-speed electric engine arriving from overseas.

At Brendam Docks, Kenji greets Kana and accepts her as his partner for the two-engine event. International racers Farona and Frederico soon arrive and mock Kana's inexperience, warning, "You know, first-time official racers always derail." Thomas agrees to assist the Sodor team as crew chief.

Thomas outlines the course across the island, which requires teams to make four sequential deliveries: a sailboat to the harbor, hay to McColl's Farm, a breakable light bulb into an old mine, and a container of ice cream to Knapford Station. While the engines inspect the route, Kenji's former mentor, Hiro, stops by to observe them and emphasizes that coordination and steadiness matter as much as speed.

During an inspection run toward Cannonball Curve, Kana accelerates beyond control on the sharp bend. Kenji intervenes to shield her and sustains severe structural damage. At the maintenance yard, Sandy and Carly inspect his damaged fender, concluding that a replacement part will take weeks to arrive, which leaves Kenji unable to compete.

When Farona and Frederico arrive at the yard to taunt the team, Kana announces that Thomas will take Kenji's place in the race. Thomas expresses hesitation about his speed, but Hiro offers to coach them, telling Thomas, "If you don't try, you'll never know all the great things you might've done."

Hiro conducts training exercises focused on balance, maintaining stillness, and moving with light wheels. During an outdoor trial with practice cargo, Farona and Frederico reappear and challenge Kana to an impromptu race down Cannonball Curve. Kana accepts, loses control on the curve, and derails. Discouraged by the crash, she considers withdrawing until Hiro insists, "What is important is never stop trying."

The 77th running of the Sodor Cup opens at Knapford Station with three pairs: Farona and Frederico, Riff and Jiff, and Kana and Thomas. The engines couple to their first cargo, which consists of sailboats bound for the harbor, and launch onto the main line.

Farona and Frederico take an early lead, while Kana and Thomas trail behind. Down the line, fallen cargo spills across the tracks in front of Kana and Thomas. Percy overcomes his fear of heights to scale a steep ridge and whistle a warning from above, allowing Thomas and Kana to brake before colliding with the debris.

After delivering the sailboats, the teams collect hay for McColl's Farm. While Farona and Frederico take the curvy mountain route, Thomas directs Kana onto the shorter middle track through the woods. Using the balancing techniques taught by Hiro, the pair navigates a windblown bridge and reaches the farm right behind the leaders.

For the third delivery, the engines haul fragile light bulbs into the mine. Thomas's headlight shatters on the uneven rails, plunging them into darkness. Thomas and Kana bounce their voices off the tunnel walls, using their echoes to steer clear of the rock faces. Ahead of them, a collapsed section of track strands Riff and Jiff, allowing Thomas and Kana to move into second place.

The final leg requires the teams to transport ice cream across the mountain before it melts. In an attempt to secure their lead, Farona and Frederico raise the river drawbridge behind them. Diesel witnesses the act and alerts Percy and Nia, who signal the approaching pair that the bridge is up. Unable to brake in time, Thomas spots a barge below and steers them across the vessel to reach the other side.

On the approach to Cannonball Curve, Kana and Thomas pull level with Farona and Frederico. Farona and Frederico refuse to yield, carry too much speed into the bend, and derail into the embankment. Kana and Thomas apply their brakes together and hold the rails.

Thomas and Kana cross the finish line at Knapford Station with the ice cream intact to secure first place; notes that the pair succeeds by combining their respective strengths. Sir Topham Hatt awards them the Sodor Cup trophy, and the engines celebrate by taking a victory lap around the island together.