The Amazing Race 25

Template:Infobox television Amazing Race The Amazing Race 25 is the twenty-fifth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. It features eleven teams of two in a race around the world for a US$1 million grand prize.

The season premiered on September 26, 2014 on CBS for the 2014–15 television season, moving to Friday at 8:00 pm.

Production

Development and filming

The 25th season of The Amazing Race started filming on May 31, 2014, at the red bleachers of Duffy Square at Times Square in New York City.

Filming began in the early morning of May 31, 2014 at Times Square in New York City. In contrast to the starts of previous races, which were typically held in private or restricted-access locations to prevent potential spoilers, CBS invited fans to appear at the start line and see the teams off. The publicity of the Times Square start led CBS to announce the identities of the competing teams the same day. The public start also revealed that instead of the Express Pass, teams would be awarded a new immunity from elimination pass - called "The Save" - for coming first in the first leg, which can be used by that team if they come in last place on an elimination leg before Leg 9.

This season will span 26,000 miles (42,000 km) through eight countries, including first time visits to the United States Virgin Islands, Malta, and the Shetland Islands of Scotland.

At various points throughout the filming of the race (generally once an episode), teams have encountered host Phil Keoghan on the course where he explains a task to the home audience while the race continues behind him.

Cast

The cast includes married professional surfers Bethany Hamilton—a shark attack survivor whose story was told in her memoirs and the film Soul Surfer—and Adam Dirks, former Survivor: South Pacific contestants and engaged couple Whitney Duncan and Keith Tollefson, and TNA Wrestling stars Brooke Adams and Robbie E.

Results

The following teams participated in the Race, each listed along with their placements in each leg and their "Team Name" as identified by the program. Unlike previous years, the production team has given teams hashtags for use on social media; modifications of these are given below rather than their relationship to each other. Note that this table is not necessarily reflective of all content broadcast on television, owing to the inclusion or exclusion of some data. Placements are listed in finishing order:

Team	Team Name	Position (by leg)												Roadblocks
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Misti & Jim	The Dentists	1st	2nd	1st	8th2	6th	1st							Misti 3, Jim 1
Adam & Bethany	Soul Surfers	5th	1st	2nd	7th	2nd	2nd							Adam 2, Bethany 2
Kym & Alli	The Cyclists	3rd	3rd	7th	1st	1st	3rd							Kym 2, Alli 2
Tim & Te Jay	College Sweethearts	2nd	5th	8th	5th	3rd	4th							Tim 2, Te Jay 2
Brooke & Robbie	The Wrestlers	4th	7th	6th	2nd	5th	5th							Brooke 2, Robbie 2
Amy & Maya	Sweet Scientists	6th	8th	5th	4th	7th	6th							Amy 2, Maya 2
Shelley & Nici	Mother/Daughter	8th	9th	4th	6th	4th⊃	7th							Shelley 2, Nici 2
Keith & Whitney	Team Nashville	9th1	4th	3rd	3rd	8th⊂ ⋑3								Keith 2, Whitney 1
Michael & Scott	The Firefighters	10th1	6th	9th										Michael 0, Scott 1
Dennis & Isabelle	The Dating Couple	7th	10th											Dennis 1, Isabelle 0
Lisa & Michelle	Miami Realtors	11th1												Lisa 1, Michelle 0

• A red team placement means the team was eliminated.
• An underlined blue team's placement indicates that the team came in last on a non-elimination leg and had to perform a Speed Bump during the next leg of the race.
• A brown ⊃ or a cyan ⋑ indicates that the team chose to use one of the two U-Turns in a Double U-Turn; ⊂ or ⋐ indicates the team who received it; ^⊂
  _⋑ indicates that the team was U-Turned, but they used the second U-Turn on another team.

1. ^^{a b c} Keith, Scott, and Lisa elected to quit the Roadblock. Keith & Whitney and Michael & Scott were issued 4-hour penalties for their forfeits that were applied at the start of the next Leg. However, Lisa & Michelle were the last team to arrive and were instead eliminated from the Race.
2. ^ Misti & Jim arrived in last place and handed over the Save to prevent their elimination. However, Phil informed them that it was a standard non-elimination leg and returned the Save to them.
3. ^ In an unaired segment shown on the CBS website, Keith & Whitney used their U-Turn on Amy & Maya, but because Amy & Maya had already passed the U-Turn they were unaffected.

Prizes

The prize for each leg is awarded to the first place team for that leg. Trips are sponsored by Travelocity.

• Leg 1 – The Save – a prize that can prevent elimination from the winning team for elimination before the end of the ninth leg of the race.
• Leg 2 – A trip for two to Sweden
• Leg 3 – A trip for two to Dubai
• Leg 4 – Ford C-Max Hybrid for each team member
• Leg 5 – US$5,000 for each team member
• Leg 6 - A trip for two to Brazil

Episode title quotes

Episode titles are often taken from quotes made by the racers.

1. "Go Big or Go Home" – Shelley
2. "When You Gotta Go, You Gotta Go" – Nici
3. "Get Your Sheep Together" – Clue for the sheep-herding task
4. "Thinly Sliced Anchovies" – Ingredient recited by racers in Roadblock
5. "Morocc'and Roll" – Te Jay
6. "I Feel Like I Just Kissed a Goat" – Robbie
7. "Pretty Fly For a Food Scientist" –
8. "Hot Sexy Knights" –

Race summary

The route map of The Amazing Race 25 as of leg 6.

Destinations	Air travel    Rail travel    Water travel    Bus travel Helicopter travel    Bicycle travel    Gondola travel
Route Markers	Detour    Roadblock    Express Pass    Fast Forward    U-Turn    Speed Bump    Pit Stop

Leg 1 (United States → U.S. Virgin Islands, USA)

Fort Christian on Saint Thomas in the United States Virgin Islands served as the Pit Stop for the first Leg of the 25th season of The Amazing Race.

Airdate: September 26, 2014

• New York City, New York, United States (Times Square – Duffy Square) (Starting Line)
• Queens (Flushing Meadows–Corona Park – Unisphere)
• New York City (John F. Kennedy International Airport) to Charlotte Amalie, Saint Thomas, United States Virgin Islands (Cyril E. King Airport)
• Charlotte Amalie (Vendors Plaza)
• Charlotte Amalie (Charlotte Amalie Harbor Seaplane Base) to Lovango Cay
• Lovango Cay to Carval Rock
• Carval Rock to Hans Lollik Island
• Hans Lollik Island (Blackbeard's Revenge)
• Hans Lollik Island to Charlotte Amalie (Magens Bay)
• Charlotte Amalie (Fort Christian)

At the start of The Amazing Race 25, teams were informed that the winner of this first leg would be awarded the new Save prize, giving them a chance to avoid elimination if they are in last place on any elimination leg. Their first task was to head to the location of the finish line of the first season of The Amazing Race, leaving them to ask the crowd to find out it referred to the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows, Queens. The clue at the Unisphere directed teams to their first location: Saint Thomas in the United States Virgin Islands; only five teams would be allowed to check in for the first of two flights to Saint Thomas, with a second flight leaving 40 minutes later. Upon heading into the city of Charlotte Amalie's Vendors Plaza, teams signed up for one of six chartered flights in a seaplane to Lovango Cay, each leaving at different times. At Lovango Cay, teams took a boat out to Carval Rock where they climbed up and along its length. At the end of Carval Rock, teams jumped into the water and swam to a series of floating bottles that held their next clue. This clue directed them back to the boat Blackbeard's Revenge (a replica of Blackbeard's flagship the Queen Anne's Revenge) where a Blackbeard impersonator gave them their next clue, before kicking them off of his ship. The clue directed teams to use a series of rowboats connected by ropeways to pull themselves to shore where they would find their next clue, the Roadblock. One team member had to pick out a set of directions with a particular starting landmark on the beach (an anchor, a set of barrels, a ship's bell, and a ship's wheel), a traditional liquid compass, and a shovel that had markings for exactly 1 yard (0.91 m) to search the beach for a treasure chest buried in the sand that held their next clue. Teams were not told that the direction facing them on the liquid compass was the direction they were facing, leading many to search the wrong area of the beach until they discovered the mistake. Teams then traveled to the Pit Stop located at historic Fort Christian.

Leg 2 (U.S. Virgin Islands, USA → United Kingdom)

In Oxford, teams punted along the River Cherwell.

Airdate: October 3, 2014

• Charlotte Amalie (Cyril E. King Airport) to London, England , United Kingdom (London Heathrow Airport)
• London City (Tower Bridge)
• Westminster (Somerset House or Victoria Tower Gardens)
• Westminster (London Paddington station) to Oxford (Oxford railway station)
• Oxford (Magdalen Bridge – Boathouse)
• Oxford (Christ Church College – Tom Quad)
  • Oxford (Bear Inn)
• Woodstock (Blenheim Palace)

At the Pit Start, teams were informed they were traveling to London, England, and that there were only six teams allowed to take the first flight which left one hour and twenty minutes before the second. Upon arriving in London, teams were told to head to Tower Bridge and search for the Pearly King and Queen who would give them their next clue: the Detour, which was a choice between About Face and Pancake Race. In About Face, teams traveled to Somerset House where they dressed up as members of the Queen's Guard and learned the complex steps of the Changing of the Guard ceremony. Once the parade captain was pleased with their performance, he would hand them their next clue. In Pancake Race, teams traveled to the Victoria Tower Gardens where they participated in a re-creation of the annual Parliamentary Pancake Race. Each teammate had to dress up as a chef and then bake a pancake to the head chef's satisfaction. Once done, teams had to complete one lap around the course, constantly flipping their pancakes, finishing within one minute and fifteen seconds. If either teammate dropped the pancake on the ground, ran out of time, or were judged to not be flipping the pancake enough, both team members would have to start over, baking new pancakes before being allowed to race again. After the Detour, teams were told to travel to Oxford's Magdalen Bridge boathouse, where they were challenged to punt themselves on the River Cherwell around Magdalen College Island. One teammate had to stand on the flat stern, known as the "Cambridge End", propelling the boat through the river, while their teammate stood on the bow, known as the "Oxford End", and wave a small Union Jack. Once teams successfully completed a lap around Magdalen College Island, making sure that they were standing on the right positions in the boat, they were given their next clue, directing them to Oxford's Christ Church College where they were given a bowler hat and an umbrella to carry with them on the rest of the Leg. Teams were informed that they could pop open their umbrellas for a chance at the Express Pass, which gave them the option to search Oxford for Bear Inn to pick it up and risk valuable time or elimination. Teams were also told to "tip their bowlers", which revealed the phrase "Churchill's Birthplace" on the inside of the hat. Teams had to figure out that this referred to Winston Churchill's childhood home at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, the Pit Stop for this leg of the race.

Leg 3 (United Kingdom)

Airdate: October 10, 2014

• Oxford (Oxford University Press at Walton Street)
• Oxford (Oxford railway station) to Aberdeen, Scotland (Aberdeen railway station)
• Aberdeen (Union Square parking area)
• Aberdeen (Aberdeen Harbour) to Lerwick, Shetland Islands (Ferry Port)
• Lerwick (Royal National Lifeboat Station)
• Scalloway (Scalloway Castle)
• Scalloway (Peats of Scalloway) or Lerwick (DITT Store, Up Helly Aa Galley Shed and Hay's Dock)
• Scalloway (Berry Farm)
• St Ninian's Isle (Tombolo)

During the Pit Stop, teams were moved to Oxford University Press at Walton Street to start the leg. Teams were told to travel to the Shetland Islands of Scotland. Teams first travelled by train to Aberdeen where they picked up a Ford Focus at the Union Square parking area and then took a ferry to Lerwick. Once on the island, teams had to drive themselves to the Royal National Lifeboat Station and search around for a puffin mascot, who would give them their next clue. They were instructed to head to Scalloway Castle and search the castle grounds for their next clue: the Detour, a choice between Pony Up and Light My Fire. In Pony Up, teams traveled to the Peats of Scalloway where they had to cut 50 blocks of peat from a peat bank using a special spade called a tusker. They then loaded up a Shetland pony with two loads of peat that they delivered up hill to a farmer who would give them their next clue. In Light My Fire, teams participated in a Up Helly Aa, building a traditional viking torch. After performing each step of the torch-making process, they had to have their work approved by a judge before moving onto the next step. Once done, they traveled from the workshop to Hay's Dock where they presented the torch to the guizer jarl who would light their torch and then award them their next clue. The Detour clues led teams to Scalloway's Berry Farm, where teams had to work as a Shetland Sheepdog and corral a flock of sheep through the middle of a course. Once they got the sheep into a pen, the shepherd James would give them their next clue, a Celtic brooch that left them to figure out they had to head to St Ninian's Isle, where an 8th-century treasure horde was found, for the Pit Stop.

Leg 4 (United Kingdom → Denmark)

The Roadblock in Copenhagen had teams memorizing [smørrebrød] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) orders at Ida Davidsen's world famous restaurant.

Airdate: October 17, 2014

• Lerwick (Ferry Port) to Aberdeen (Aberdeen Harbour)
• Aberdeen (Aberdeen Airport) to Copenhagen, Denmark (Copenhagen Airport)
• Malmö, Sweden (Stortorget Template:Sv icon)
• Copenhagen (Sankt Jørgens Allé or Det Franske Conditori - Henrik Jonsbak and Allegade 10 Restaurant)
• Copenhagen (Ida Davidsen)
• Copenhagen (VM Houses)

After taking the ferry back to Aberdeen from Lerwick, teams travelled to Copenhagen, Denmark. When they arrived, they were directed to a series of Ford C-Max hybrid vehicles with a clue that told them to drive across the Øresund Bridge to Malmö, Sweden. They were instructed to drive conservatively, and if they ended up using less than 0.10 US gallons (0.38 L) of gasoline upon arrival, they were automatically given their next clue. If they used more than 0.10 gallons, they had to answer a geography question given to them by a student: name the capital cities of the Scandinavian countries of Norway (Oslo), Sweden (Stockholm), and Denmark (Copenhagen). The clue they all received directed them to head back to Copenhagen for the Detour: Parking Space or Wedding Cake. In Parking Space, teams traveled to Sankt Jørgens Allé where they had to set up a parklet. Teams only had 30 minutes to set up one of two possible parklet designs in a parking space, and if it was exactly as the photograph guides were set up, the judge would give them their next clue. If they were incorrect, they could use up the remaining time to make corrections, but once the 30 minutes were up they had to move over to a new parking space and start over. In Wedding Cake, teams travelled to the Det Franske Conditori bakery where they had to put together a traditional wedding cake known as a [kransekage] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), with all of the necessary tiers and tiny Danish flags. They then had to transport the cake across town via Bullitt freight bicycle to the Allegade 10 restaurant. If the cake was correctly made upon arrival, the maître d'hôtel would approve the delivery and sign the team's receipt that they had to return to the head baker Henrik for their next clue. The Detour's clue sent teams to the restaurant Ida Davidsen where they had the Roadblock. One team member had to take a [smørrebrød] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) order from two patrons of the restaurant, remembering the menu number of the two sandwiches they each ordered, and then use a menu to memorize the sandwiches' contents. They then had to relay the order to Ida Davidsen herself, and if they were correct, they were allowed to deliver the sandwiches to the customers who would give them their next clue, directing teams to the Pit Stop at the VM Houses apartments.

Leg 5 (Denmark → Morocco)

Tasks in Marrakesh centered around the Jemaa el-Fnaa marketplace.

Airdate: October 24, 2014

• Copenhagen (Copenhagen Airport) to Marrakesh, Morocco (Marrakesh Menara Airport)
• Marrakesh (Jemaa el-Fnaa)
  • Marrakesh (Le Cadeau Berbère and Riad Monceau)
• Marrakesh (Bab Debbagh Tannery)
• Marrakesh (Ben Youssef Madrasa)
• Marrakesh (Bob Magic Music and Jemaa el-Fnaa or Le Paradis du Thee and Palais Gharnata)
• Marrakesh (Le Grand Balcon du Café Glacier)
• Marrakesh (Al Matjar Carpet Shop)

Teams departed Copenhagen for Marrakesh, Morocco, and upon arrival had to head to the Jemaa el-Fnaa marketplace to search for a marked food cart garage for their first clue. Teams had to help set up a food cart for the market place, and once the cart owner was satisfied with their set up, he would give them their next clue. For their Speed Bump, Misti & Jim had to go to Le Cadeau Berbère and pick up ten Moroccan rugs and then hang them up along a wire next to the Riad Monceau hotel to prepare them for sale. Once they were done, they could continue racing. After the food carts were completed, teams headed on foot to the Bab Debbagh Tannery for the Roadblock. At the tannery, one team member had to collect three unfinished goat skins and remove the hair from them. Once done, they picked up three completed hides and then delivered them across town to a nearby cobbler and receive a receipt. Once done, they could return the receipt to the tannery for their next clue, directing them to Ben Youssef Madrasa where they picked up the clue for the Detour: Twirl Time and Tea Time. In Twirl Time, teams participated in a gnawa dance. After getting their costume at Bob Magic Music and learning how to perform, they headed to Jemaa el-Fnaa to perform. While one team member played a drum, keeping the rhythm, the other played the krakebs while twirling a tassel on their hat around. If they could keep up the performance for a minute, they would receive their next clue. In Tea Time, teams learned how to properly serve Moroccan mint tea. After picking up a traditional tea set from Le Paradis du Thee which included a sugar box, mint tea, green tea, and a samovar, they then made their way to Palais Gharnata where they got into costume and observed how to properly serve the tea. While one team member held the serving tray with one hand, the other would ceremonially pour the tea into two cups at once, making sure to lift the kettles up to a particular height. Once the professional tea server was pleased with their performance, he would give them their next clue. Both clues directed teams to Le Grand Balcon du Café Glacier where they encountered the U-Turn, and then a clue sending them into the marketplace once more for the Pit Stop at the Al Matjar carpet shop.

Leg 6 (Morocco)

During the Roadblock, teams ziplined across the canyons of the Atlas Mountains.

Airdate: October 31, 2014

• Marrakesh (El Massi)
• Marrakesh (Koutoubia Mosque)
• Amizmiz (Abdessadek Boufoulouss Pottery Stand)
• Marrakesh (Oumnasse Casbah)
• Tahannaout (Terres d'Amanar)
• Marrakesh (Casbah d'If)

At the start of the leg, teams had to pick up hay from a marked feed station and then deliver it to a stable across town. They then had to take the horse-drawn carriages across town, and thank their horses with an apple, to receive their next clue. After picking up a marked Ford Fiesta from behind the Koutoubia Mosque, teams drove themselves out to the Abdessadek Boufoulouss pottery stand to search for their next clue amongst the pots, leading them to the clue for the Detour based on Berber culture. At Oumnasse Casbah, teams chose between Camp and Cream. In Camp, teams set up a traditional Berber tent. Once the judge was satisfied with their work, he would hand them their next clue. In Cream, teams had to milk a goat to fill a milk pail, and then churn goat milk into butter. Once they had 3 ounces (85 g) of butter, they would receive their next clue. The clue from the Detours sent teams to the Terres d'Amanar nature preserve where they encountered the Roadblock. One team member had to cross a series of rope and plank bridges and zip lines across a canyon in the Atlas Mountains. Once across to the other side of the canyon, they had to put together a puzzle, making sure to match the beveled edges and designs. Once the puzzle was correct, they could receive their next clue and then join their partner on the other side of the canyon, and then head to the Pit Stop at Casbah d'If back in Marrakesh.

Future legs

Leg 7 (Morocco → Italy)

Airdate: November 7, 2014

• Palermo, Sicily, Italy

Leg 8 (Italy → Malta)

Airdate: November 21, 2014

• Valletta, Malta

Ratings

U.S. Nielsen ratings

No.	Airdate	Episode	Rating	Share	Rating/Share	Viewers	Rank	Rank	Rank	Rank	Ref
			Households		18–49	(millions)	Timeslot (Viewers)	Timeslot (18–49)	Week (Viewers)	Week (18–49)
1	September 26, 2014 (2014-09-26)	"Go Big or Go Home"			1.1/4	5.48	2	2	<25	<25
2	October 3, 2014 (2014-10-03)	"When You Gotta Go, You Gotta Go"			1.2/5	6.08	2	2	<25	<25
3	October 10, 2014 (2014-10-10)	"Get Your Sheep Together"			1.1/4	5.89	2	2	<25	<25
4	October 17, 2014 (2014-10-17)	"Thinly Sliced Anchovies"			1.4/6	6.57	1	1	<25	<25
5	October 24, 2014 (2014-10-24)	"Morocc'and Roll"			1.0/4	5.51	3	4	<25	<25
6	October 31, 2014 (2014-10-31)	"I Feel Like I Just Kissed a Goat"			1.1/5	5.89	3	2 (tie)
7	November 7, 2014 (2014-11-07)	"Pretty Fly For a Food Scientist"
8	November 21, 2014 (2014-11-21)	"Hot Sexy Knights"

U.S. DVR Ratings

DVR Ratings for season 25 of The Amazing Race (Live+3)

Episode No.	Title	Original air date	DVR 18–49	DVR viewers (millions)	Total 18–49	Total viewers (millions)	Ref
1	"Go Big or Go Home"	September 26, 2014 (2014-09-26)	0.6	1.587	1.7	7.071
2	"When You Gotta Go, You Gotta Go"	October 3, 2014 (2014-10-03)	0.6		1.8
3	"Get Your Sheep Together"	October 10, 2014 (2014-10-10)	0.7		1.9
4	"Thinly Sliced Anchovies"	October 17, 2014 (2014-10-17)
5	"Morocc'and Roll"	October 24, 2014 (2014-10-24)
6	"I Feel Like I Just Kissed a Goat"	October 31, 2014 (2014-10-31)
7	"Pretty Fly For a Food Scientist"	November 7, 2014 (2014-11-07)
8	"Hot Sexy Knights"	November 21, 2014 (2014-11-21)

Canadian ratings

Canadian broadcaster CTV also airs The Amazing Race on Fridays. Episodes air at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and Central (9:00 p.m. Pacific, Mountain and Atlantic).

Canadian DVR ratings are included in Numeris' count.

#	Airdate	Episode	Viewers (millions)	Rank (Week)
1	September 26, 2014 (2014-09-26)	"Go Big or Go Home"	2.072	15
2	October 3, 2014 (2014-10-03)	"When You Gotta Go, You Gotta Go"	2.206	10
3	October 10, 2014 (2014-10-10)	"Get Your Sheep Together"	1.971	13
4	October 17, 2014 (2014-10-17)	"Thinly Sliced Anchovies"	2.101	13
5	October 24, 2014 (2014-10-24)	"Morocc'and Roll"
6	October 31, 2014 (2014-10-31)	"I Feel Like I Just Kissed a Goat"
7	November 7, 2014 (2014-11-07)	"Pretty Fly For a Food Scientist"
8	November 21, 2014 (2014-11-21)	"Hot Sexy Knights"

External links

• Official website