The Amazing Race 15

Template:Infobox Television Amazing Race The Amazing Race 15 was the fifteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 15 featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.

The fifteenth cycle started on Sunday, September 27, 2009, with a two hour premiere. It aired on CBS in the United States, and CTV in Canada. The Amazing Race 15 aired on Sunday nights at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT with the season finale on December 6, 2009. In Asia, it was on-air on AXN.

Dating couple Meghan & Cheyne were the winners of the Race.

Production

Development and filming

CBS is airing the fifteenth season during the start of the 2009-2010 television season. The announcement is the first such television series announcement to be made by a broadcaster on Twitter, following Keoghan's own initial announcement of the renewal via Twitter.

The fifteenth season spans eight countries in 21 days and travels 25,000 miles visiting Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, United Arab Emirates, Netherlands and Sweden, as well as Estonia and Czech Republic, which appeared for the first time. It also introduces new features to the race: One team was eliminated right at the Starting Line and a new twist was added, the Switchback, where teams were sent back to one of the series' most challenging Roadblocks. The race revisited the infamous Stockholm Roadblock of Season 6, in which one team member had to unroll one of 270 hay bales with only 20 containing clues. Instead of being an exact duplicate, however, this Race's Stockholm Roadblock involved fewer bales (186) and instead of 20 clues, only 7 flags were hidden. Additionally, the original version had nine teams competing; by the time this race reached the task, only five teams were involved.

All route markers and clue boxes in Vietnam were colored yellow with a white stripe rather than the typical yellow with a red stripe so as to avoid confusion with the flag of former South Vietnam. This was also done in Seasons 3 and 10. These were also the original route markers in Season 1.

This was the second season with a surprise elimination at some location other than a Pit Stop; the other was Season 10. The eliminated team, Eric & Lisa, who were eliminated at the Starting Line, acknowledged in a post-race interview that they were the first team to voluntarily leave the show instead of spending the remainder of the Race at the Elimination Station. As a consequence, they were not present at the Finish Line and had no knowledge of the final outcome of the Race.

This was the first season since Season 11 to have more than 2 non-elimination points (Season 11 had 4 non-elimination points). This was also the first US season that the first leg was a non-elimination leg. As such, all clues leading to the Pit Stops (including the first leg) ended with the sentence "The last team to check in may be eliminated."

Cast

Applications were originally due by February 24, 2009, but the deadline was later extended. Semi-finalist interviews were held between March 20 and March 29, 2009. Following this, finalists were invited to Los Angeles between April 23 and April 30, 2009 for final interviews with the producers. From there, 12 teams were selected as contestants. Filming took place around July and August 2009.

Casting calls were also held as host Phil Keoghan cycled across the United States during the months of April and early May 2009 to support the National Multiple Sclerosis Society; Keoghan made stops to help with those casting calls.

Some of the more prominent members of the cast are professional poker players Maria Ho and Tiffany Michelle, Miss America 2004 Ericka Dunlap, and Harlem Globetrotters Nate "Big Easy" Lofton and Herbert "Flight Time" Lang. Canaan Smith is a musician and co-wrote the song "Runaway", which charted in March 2009.

One member of the cast, Zev Glassenberg, has Asperger's Syndrome.

Results

The following teams participated in the Race, with their relationships at the time of filming. Note this table does not necessarily reflect all content broadcast on television due to inclusion or exclusion of some data. Placements are listed in finishing order.

Team	Relationship	Position (by leg)												Roadblocks performed
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Meghan & Cheyne	Dating	1st	6th	2nd	5th	1stƒ	1st	2nd	2nd	1st	1st	1st	1st	Meghan 5, Cheyne 6
Sam & Dan	Brothers	9th	2nd	5th	1st	5th	3rd	1st	4th	2nd	2nd	2nd	2nd	Sam 6, Dan 6
Brian & Ericka	Married	6th	10th	4th	3rd	2nd	4th	5thTemplate:Fn	3rd	4th	4th	3rdTemplate:Fn	3rd	Brian 6, Ericka 6
Flight Time & Big Easy	Harlem Globetrotters	5th	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd	6th	3rd	1st	3rd	3rd	4thTemplate:Fn		Flight Time 5, Big Easy 6
Gary & Matt	Father / Son	7th	1st	3rd	4th	4th	5th	4th	5th	5th				Gary 4, Matt 5
Maria & Tiffany	Professional Poker Players	11thTemplate:Fn	7th	6th	8th	6th	2nd	6thTemplate:Fn						Maria 2, Tiffany 5
Mika & Canaan	Newly Dating	10thTemplate:Fn	8th	7th	7th	7th	7thTemplate:Fn							Mika 1, Canaan 5
Lance & Keri	Engaged	3rd	4th	9th	6th	8th								Lance 3, Keri 2
Zev & Justin	Best Friends	2nd	5th	8th	9thTemplate:Fn									Zev 2, Justin 2
Marcy & Ron	Dating	4th	9th	10th										Marcy 1, Ron 2
Garrett & Jessica	Dating On and Off	8th	11th											Garrett 1, Jessica 1
Eric & Lisa	Married Yoga Teachers	12thTemplate:Fn												Eric 0, Lisa 0

Template:Fnb Eric & Lisa were eliminated at the Starting Line as per the provisions of the opening task (see Race Summary below).
Template:Fnb Mika & Canaan initially arrived 10th, but had lost one of the tourists that was required to accompany them to the Pit Stop. They had to find their missing tourist before checking in. This did not affect their placement.
Template:Fnb Maria & Tiffany were issued a 2-hour penalty for losing two of their tourists on the way to the Pit Stop; however, since they arrived last and it was a non-elimination leg, they were allowed to check in immediately and the penalty time was assessed at the start of the following leg.
Template:Fnb Zev & Justin initially arrived 1st, but discovered after being checked in at the mat that they were missing Zev's passport. They were required to search for the passport and bring it back to the Pit Stop or else they would face elimination. Teams that had not yet arrived at the Pit Stop were allowed to check in while they were searching. Unsuccessful in their search, they returned after the last team – Maria & Tiffany – checked in, and thus Zev & Justin were eliminated.
Template:Fnb Mika & Canaan proceeded to the Pit Stop without properly completing the Leap of Faith task. Already in last place, they were eliminated.
Template:Fnb Brian & Ericka initially arrived 5th, but were issued a 30-minute penalty because they did not travel by bicycle to the Detour as instructed in their clue. This did not affect their placement.
Template:Fnb Maria & Tiffany failed to complete either Detour task and elected to take the 24-hour Detour penalty. Already in last place, Phil came out to their location and eliminated them.
Template:Fnb Brian and Ericka initially arrived 3rd, but were issued a 30-minute penalty for writing down the letters in the Roadblock task before reaching the office, which was explicitly prohibited in the clue. This did not affect their placement. (unaired)
Template:Fnb Flight Time & Big Easy elected to take a 4-hour penalty at the Roadblock site as a result of Big Easy quitting the Roadblock task. By the time they arrived at the next Route Marker, the Kryocentrum, all other teams had already checked in at the mat. The clue, at the Kryocentrum site, instructed them to go directly to the Pit Stop, where they were eliminated.

• Red means the team was eliminated.
• Green ƒ means the team won the Fast Forward clue.
• An underlined Blue team's placement means the team came in last on a non-elimination leg and had to perform a Speed Bump task in the following leg.

Prizes

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

• Leg 1 – A trip for two to Aspen and Vail, Colorado
• Leg 2 – A kayak for each person
• Leg 3 – A trip for two to Aruba
• Leg 4 – A pair of motorcycles
• Leg 5 – A trip for two to Jamaica
• Leg 6 – Two personal watercrafts
• Leg 7 – A pair of dune buggies
• Leg 8 – A trip for two to the Turks and Caicos Islands
• Leg 9 – A red cedar sauna
• Leg 10 – A trip for two to Lanai, Hawaii
• Leg 11 – A pair of 52 inch HD LCD TVs
• Leg 12 – $1,000,000

Elimination Station

After elimination, five of the first six teams eliminated were sequestered at a villa in Phú Quốc, Vietnam to await the finale. The exception was Eric & Lisa, who chose to leave the show upon their elimination. CBS posted short videos on its website after each episode aired in the Pacific Time Zone to show the eliminated teams interacting at the villa.

• Leg 1 was a non-elimination leg, hence no new teams were sent to the villa and no episode was shown as no teams had arrived at the villa. Eric & Lisa were eliminated at the Starting Line, but they did not go to the Elimination Station (see above).
• After Leg 2, Garrett & Jessica were the second team eliminated and were the first team sent to the villa. They both expressed their disappointment after having been in second place earlier in the leg and then being the first eliminated. Garrett believed that either Maria & Tiffany or Mika & Canaan would be the next team eliminated but both agreed that any of the teams could be eliminated next because of the animal challenges that presented them in the leg prior. Garrett noticed that Jessica was extremely bummed since being eliminated and Garrett wanted to ask her to marry him at the Finish Line. Garrett proposed to Jessica at the beach and she said yes, after which her mood was significantly raised.
• After Leg 3, Marcy & Ron were the third team eliminated and were the second team sent to the villa. Ron told Garrett & Jessica that the intensity had gone up a notch between the remaining racers in the last leg. The eliminated teams did a Vietnamese Martial Arts Exercise, then went out to a luxurious restaurant called "Việt Xưa." They took different views as to who would be the next team eliminated; Marcy believed that Flight Time & Big Easy would be eliminated next, Garrett, Jessica and Ron went with Meghan & Cheyne, Sam & Dan and Mika & Canaan respectively.
• After Leg 4, Zev & Justin were the fourth team eliminated but were not immediately sent to the villa due to Zev losing his passport. At the villa, Marcy & Ron asked Garrett & Jessica about the marriage proposal. Noting it had been two days since the next eliminated team was supposed to arrive, the two teams discussed what might have happened to the next eliminated team. Ron speculated that the team had either lost their passports or were seriously injured. Meanwhile, in Phnom Penh, Zev and Justin went to the U.S. Embassy to request a replacement passport for Zev, only to find it had been found in a temple near the Roadblock and was turned in. They grew even more disappointed when they figured out the passport likely fell out of the fanny pack when Justin opened it to retrieve a headlight while they were searching for the Roadblock in the wrong place. They later called the villa and informed the two teams there of their elimination due to the passport mishap and told them that they would join them as soon as they could.
• After Leg 5, Lance & Keri were the fifth team eliminated. The two teams at the villa were discussing Zev & Justin, speculating about their elimination. A van arrived at the villa and the teams went outside, fully expecting to see Zev & Justin. They were surprised to see that the van contained Lance & Keri—the third team to arrive at the villa. They explained to the other two teams at the villa of their bad directional skills that led to their elimination, as well as the lodging conditions during the Cambodia Pit Stop. The three eliminated teams at the villa drove down to a nearby river and started a race in a traditional Vietnamese boat between the boys (Garrett, Ron and Lance) and the girls (Jessica, Marcy and Keri).
• After Leg 6, Mika & Canaan were the sixth team eliminated. In the race teased in the previous episode, the eliminated girls managed to beat the boys in the boat race by nine seconds. Back at the villa, as the other three eliminated teams were relaxing, they noticed that Zev & Justin showed up—the fourth team to arrive at the villa. They explained how they got eliminated and what they went through after being eliminated from the race. The four eliminated teams went out to the night market where Zev sampled a chicken foot. Mika & Canaan were the fifth and last team to arrive at the villa. They explained to the other four eliminated teams of Mika's fear of water and heights that led to their elimination. Canaan noted they were at the water slide for around 45 minutes.
• After Leg 7, Maria & Tiffany were the seventh team eliminated but were not sent to the villa. While the eliminated teams were playing cards, Maria & Tiffany called the villa to inform them of their elimination. They tried to explain to the other teams the true reason they were eliminated, but none of the eliminated teams believed their story, as Maria & Tiffany had lied about their professions in the early stages of the race. Maria & Tiffany told the teams they would see them at the End City. Several teams expressed their resentment of Maria & Tiffany as well as their satisfaction that they were eliminated from the race and would not be joining them at the villa. The teams at the villa traveled to a rough-looking soccer field where they believed they would be playing against 7-9 year old children from the area, but instead played against a teenage-looking group of soccer players.
• Leg 8 was a non-elimination leg, hence no new teams were sent to the villa. In the soccer match teased in the previous episode, the Vietnam soccer players easily defeated the eliminated boys 4-0. The eliminated teams at the villa had a Shaman visit the villa where teams had their futures told to them. Canaan decided to break up with Mika, saying the reason was not because of the Race, but because he was not ready for a relationship and hopes they remain friends.
• After Leg 9, Gary & Matt were the eighth team eliminated but were not sent to the villa. Prior to the call, the eliminated teams at the villa made predictions on who would be eliminated next. All teams believed it was Brian & Ericka except for Zev & Justin who believed it would be Gary & Matt who would be eliminated next. Gary & Matt then called the teams at the villa to inform them of their elimination. They told them about their Speed Bump that helped lead them to their elimination, saying they were just minutes behind the last team. When asked who would win the race, they believed any one of the teams could win.
• Leg 10 was a non-elimination leg, hence no new teams were sent to the villa. A taekwondo instructor was brought in to teach the eliminated teams how to spar. Lance, who was a blackbelt, took on the taekwondo master's student - ultimately cheating by wrestling him onto the floor. They all then tried breaking tiles with their hands. All the eliminated teams had to pack up and fly to the End City. Jessica believed it was in Portland, Oregon, or maybe in Los Angeles, California, while Lance wished for it to be on the East Coast so he could return to Boston, Massachusetts easily afterward.
• After Leg 11, Flight Time & Big Easy were the ninth and final team eliminated but were not sent to the villa. Elimination Station showed the five of the six eliminated teams arriving at the End City in Las Vegas, Nevada. After arriving in Las Vegas, the teams checked in to a hotel. Once they checked in, they discuss to each other prior to a phone call from the ninth team eliminated. The teams at the hotel were shocked and disappointed to hear about Flight Time & Big Easy's elimination especially Zev & Justin who wanted them to win. They told them about what went wrong at the Roadblock. Flight Time & Big Easy said that they want to see Meghan & Cheyne to win it all and they told them that they'll see them at the Finish Line. Lance & Keri are happy to see the end of the race and to know who they think is going to win. Garrett said that it's anybody's race. All the eliminated teams wants to see Meghan & Cheyne to win except for Garrett & Jessica who wanted to see Sam & Dan to come in 1st, Brian & Ericka in 2nd, and Meghan & Cheyne in 3rd.
• Leg 12 was the final leg of The Amazing Race 15. Maria & Tiffany, Gary & Matt, and Flight Time & Big Easy reunited with the other eliminated teams at the Finish Line minus Eric & Lisa. Most of the teams believed that they wanted to see Meghan & Cheyne to win. Teams expressed their opinions about the final three teams at the Finish Line along with their joys and disappointments.

Episode title quotes

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

1. "They Thought Godzilla Was Walking Down the Street" – Flight Time
2. "They Thought Godzilla Was Walking Down the Street" – Flight Time
3. "It's Like Being Dropped on Planet Mars" – Lance
4. "Sean Penn Cambodia Here We Come" – Justin
5. "I’m Like Ricky Bobby" – Cheyne
6. "Do It for the Hood! Do It for the Suburbs!" – Flight Time/Sam
7. "This Is Not My Finest Hour" – Ericka
8. "This Is the Worst Thing I've Ever Done in My Life" – Meghan
9. "We’re Not Meant for the Swamp" – Brian
10. "We're Not Working With Anybody, Ever, Anymore!" – Ericka
11. "It Starts With an “F”, That’s All I’m Saying" – Dan
12. "Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound" – Meghan

Race summary

The route of the race

Destinations	Air travel    Rail travel    Water travel    Bus travel Helicopter travel    Bicycle travel    Gondola travel
Route Markers	Detour    Roadblock    Fast Forward    Speed Bump    Pit Stop

Leg 1 (United States → Japan)

• Los Angeles, California, USA (Los Angeles River – Sixth Street Viaduct) (Starting Line) (Elimination Point)
• Los Angeles (Los Angeles International Airport) to Tokyo, Japan (Narita International Airport)
• Minato, Tokyo (Tokyo Tower Studios [東京タワースタジオ Template:Ja icon])
• Shibuya, Tokyo (Konnō Hachimangū Shrine [金王八幡宮 Template:Ja icon])

In Tokyo, teams gathered at a television studio at the base of the Tokyo Tower to compete in a Japanese game show for the Roadblock.

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to play in a Japanese-style game show called Sushi Roulette. Once all the teams arrived at the Roadblock location, the host would spin a wheel with 9 plates of ordinary sushi and 2 wasabi bombs—sushi consisting of rice, nori, and a large amount of wasabi. The team member had to eat whatever was on the plate in front of them when the wheel stopped; if it was a wasabi bomb, they had 2 minutes to eat it in order to receive their next clue. If they failed to eat the wasabi bomb in the 2 minutes allotted, or if a different piece of sushi stopped in front of them, they would have to await the next spin of the wheel.

Additional tasks

• At the Starting Line, teams had to search over 1,000 license plates for one of 11 plates from Shinagawa, Tokyo - their first destination. The name of their destination (品川) was given in the clue, though not explicitly. Teams had to bring their chosen plates to Phil at the mat and, if they were correct, they would receive tickets for one of two flights to Tokyo, Japan. If they were incorrect, they had to go back and keep on searching for plates. The team left without a flight at the end would be eliminated.
• After the Roadblock, teams received a colored flag and had to lead a group of 20 Japanese tourists wearing the same colored visors as their flag to the Pit Stop via the scramble crossing in Shibuya. Teams were not allowed to check in unless all 20 members of their group were present at the mat.

Leg 2 (Japan → Vietnam)

For the Speed Bump in Leg 2, one team had to serve phở to the dockmaster.

• Tokyo (Narita International Airport) to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (Tan Son Nhat International Airport)
• Ho Chi Minh City (Bến xe Miền Tây Template:Vi icon) (Western Region Bus Terminal) to Cái Bè (Cái Bè Bus Terminal)
• Cái Bè (Bến Tàu Du Lịch Dock)
• Cái Bè (Fruit Farm Mud Pits)
• Cái Bè (Sân Vận Động Thị Trấn Cái Bè [Cai Be Township Sports Ground])
• Cái Bè (Chợ Cái Bè [Cai Be Market] - Bassac III Riverboat)

For this leg's Speed Bump, Maria & Tiffany had to prepare a serving of the Vietnamese soup phở for the Bến Tàu Du Lịch dockmaster by collecting the ingredients at a soup stand and then combining and serving him the completed phở. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to herd 150 ducks out of their pen, lead them across a bridge and back, and then return them back into their pen in 10 minutes using two flags as a means to guide the ducks. With only three available fields, if the team member failed to complete it within 10 minutes, they would have to relinquish their spot and wait for another turn.

Additional task

• At the Bến Tàu Du Lịch boat dock, teams had to take a sampan along the Mekong Delta to a fruit farm. There, teams had to collect nutrient-rich mud in buckets and pile it at the base of a fruit tree to a designated line to receive their next clue.

Leg 3 (Vietnam)

In Ho Chi Minh City, teams had to collect a clue from the mouth of a dragon puppet in a water puppet theater, like this theater in Hanoi.

• Cái Bè to Mỹ Tho (Mỹ Tho Boat Pier)
• Ho Chi Minh City (Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theatre [Nhà hát Múa rối nước Rồng Vàng])
• Ho Chi Minh City (Ho Chi Minh City Post Office)
• Ho Chi Minh City (Điện cơ 008)
• Ho Chi Minh City (Reunification Palace)

During the Pit Stop, the Bassac III traveled from Cái Bè to Mỹ Tho. In this leg's Detour, teams had to choose between Child's Play or Word Play. In Child's Play, teams had to find a kiosk named Nhiep Anh Công viên Tao Đàn Kiosque Giao Anh in Tao Dan Park (Công viên Tao Đàn Template:Vi icon) and transport a concrete animal statue to a children's playground, collecting five different colored balloons along the way, in order to receive their next clue. In Word Play, teams had to go up to Hotel A Dong's observation deck and search the traffic circle of Ngã sáu Cộng Hoà (Six-way Intersection of the Republic) in front of the hotel for six Vietnamese letters hidden atop vehicles passing through the circle, then get assistance from the locals to unscramble the letters to spell the Vietnamese word "Độc Lập", which means "independence." In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to disassemble and organize the hardware of two VCRs in order to receive their next clue.

Additional tasks

• At the Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theatre, teams had to grab a flag containing their clue from the mouth of a dragon puppet moving about in the water. This clue consisted solely of a postage stamp concealed inside a small container. Teams were left to figure out that the stamp depicted the Ho Chi Minh City Post Office, where their next clue was located.

Leg 4 (Vietnam → Cambodia)

Wat Phnom was the fourth Pit Stop of the race.

• Ho Chi Minh City (Tan Son Nhat International Airport) to Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Phnom Penh International Airport)
• Phnom Penh (Foreign Correspondents' Club)
• Phnom Penh (Raffles Hotel Le Royal)
• Phnom Penh (Wat Toul Tom Pong)
• Phnom Penh (Wat Phnom)

In this leg's Detour, teams had to choose between Cover or Wrap. In Cover, teams headed to a marked motorcycle helmet shop, choose four helmets, then sell them using just their persuasion to a family of four (two adults and two children) for US$10. When completed, they would hand the money to the store owner who would hand them their next clue in exchange. In Wrap, teams had to find the Russian Market (Psar Toul Tom Poung) and find stalls 980 and 981, where the shopkeeper handed them a silk scarf. They then had to search the market for a woman wearing an identical scarf and bring the woman back to the stall. When they correctly matched the two scarfs, the shopkeeper would hand them their next clue. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to put on a monkey mask and tail, then perform three Classical Khmer monkey dance maneuvers as demonstrated by the monkey dancer. If it was to the satisfaction of the monkey dancer, he would hand them their next clue.

Additional tasks

• At the Foreign Correspondents' Club, teams had to find two correspondents reading newspapers and whisper to them, "May I have my next assignment?" They then would receive their next clue hidden inside a newspaper.
• Inside the clue given at the Foreign Correspondents' Club was a duplicate photo of King Norodom Sihanouk and Jacqueline Kennedy taken in 1967. Teams were left to figure out that such a photo could be found at a hotel suite named after Kennedy at the Hotel Le Royal, where they would receive their next clue.

Leg 5 (Cambodia → United Arab Emirates)

Teams ascended the Burj Dubai (now known as Burj Khalifa) during this leg.

• Phnom Penh (Phnom Penh International Airport) to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (Dubai International Airport)
• Dubai (Burj Dubai) (Dubai Autodrome)
• Dubai (The Dubai Mall - Park # P2)
• Margham (مرغم) (Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve [محمية دبي الصحراوية])
• Dubai (Mall of the Emirates – Ski Dubai)
• Dubai (Souk Madinat Jumeirah)

In the Race's only Fast Forward, one team member had to operate a Formula Three open wheel race car and complete a single lap around the track of the Dubai Autodrome in 45 seconds or less. If successful, they would win the Fast Forward and be driven to the Pit Stop in a Maserati. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member chose a traditional water bag and had to search the Desert Reserve for a series of urns buried in the sand. Some of the urns contained water, while others were empty. When they found enough water to fill their bag, they gave it to a Bedouin and his thirsty camels to receive their next clue. In this leg's Detour, teams chose between Build a Snowman or Find a Snowman. In Build a Snowman, teams had to take snow from Ski Dubai and carry it outside, where the temperature was approximately 120 °F (49 °C). They then had to build a snowman – complete with two coal eyes, carrot nose and a top hat – before the snow melted. If the snowman was to the attendant's satisfaction, she would hand them their next clue. In Find a Snowman, teams had to ride the ski lift to the top of the artificial mountain, sled down to the bottom, dig through piles of snow for a toy snowman buried within it, then give it to a person in a polar bear suit who would hand them their next clue.

Additional task

• Teams arrived at the Dubai Fountain to sign up for one of two departure times to Burj Dubai (now Burj Khalifa) the following morning. At the designated time, the teams boarded an elevator bound for a balcony located on the 120th floor of then still-under construction tallest building in the world, where their next clue was located.

Leg 6 (United Arab Emirates)

File:Atlantis The Palm on 8 May 2008 Pict 3.jpg

The final task and the Pit Stop of this leg of the race were at the Atlantis, The Palm, resort on Palm Jumeirah.

• Dubai (Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club)
• Dubai (Abra Station in Souq quarter of Dubai to Deira, Dubai)
• Palm Jumeirah, Dubai (Atlantis, The Palm - Aquaventure - The Leap of Faith)
• Palm Jumeirah, Dubai (Atlantis, The Palm - Dolphin Bay Beach)

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to row an inflatable dinghy out to a yacht anchored offshore and meet a sheikh on board who gave the team member a watch. After rowing back to the dock, he or she would have to open a locked briefcase they were told to pick up at the beginning of the leg, figuring out that the time displayed on the watch corresponded with the combination to the briefcase's lock (8:35 → 8-3-5). In this leg's Detour, teams chose between Gold or Glass. In Gold, teams had to find Deepu Jewellers in New Gold Centre in Deira where they would use a precision scale to weigh out US$500,000 worth of gold to the nearest ounce. The price of gold per ounce was displayed on a television monitor and changed by the minute. Once the correct amount was on the scale, they would receive their next clue. In Glass, teams made their way to a spice market in Deira where they had to open a crate and assemble twelve hookahs – using all parts from the crate and using three displayed hookahs as guides – before receiving their next clue.

Additional tasks

• At the Atlantis Aquaventure Park, both team members had to slide down the resort's Leap of Faith water slide which dropped them six stories down a nearly 90° incline and through a tunnel beneath the aquarium's shark lagoon. At the bottom, teams would find their next clue. If multiple teams were at the top of the slide at the same time, the leading team had two minutes to go down the slide; if the two minutes elapsed, the leading team was required to move aside and allow the trailing team the opportunity to slide down.

Leg 7 (United Arab Emirates → Netherlands)

This leg's Roadblock required one team member to climb to the top of the Martinitoren and count the bells in the carillon.

• Dubai (Dubai International Airport) to Amsterdam, Netherlands (Amsterdam Airport Schiphol)
• Afsluitdijk (Cornelis Lely Monument)
• Groningen (Martinitoren)
• Vierhuizen Template:Nl icon, De Marne (Windmill De Onderneming Template:Nl icon)
• Zoutkamp, De Marne (Harbor)

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to climb to the top of the Martinitoren and count all of the bells in the carillon. When they gave the right number (62) to the carillonneur, they would receive their next clue. If they provided the wrong number, they would have to climb back up to the carillon to count again. In this leg's Detour, teams chose between Farmer's Game or Farmer's Dance. In both Detours, teams dressed in traditional Dutch costumes—one male and one female—and rode bicycles to their Detour choice. In Farmer's Game, teams had to strip down to their Dutch underwear and swim across a creek. On the other side, they had to retrieve a special set of golf clubs and play 3 holes of Farmersgolf. Team members took turns with each stroke and had to finish within par of 8 strokes on each hole to receive their next clue. In Farmer's Dance, teams had to find a country festival where one team member had to hit the bell on a high striker (if that team member failed, team members would take turns until they hit the bell). They then had to enter a dance hall to learn a traditional Dutch folk dance and perform that dance in front of a crowd. If the dance was to the instructor's satisfaction, the instructor would give each team member a serving of soused herring which they had to eat in order to receive their next clue.

Leg 8 (Netherlands → Sweden)

At the Tivoli Gröna Lund amusement park, one team member rode the Fritt Fall drop tower (the rightmost tower) to find an arrow that would direct them to their next clue.

• Amsterdam (Amsterdam Airport Schiphol) to Stockholm, Sweden (Stockholm-Arlanda Airport)
• Stockholm (Tivoli Gröna Lund - Fritt Fall)
• Stockholm (Tivoli Gröna Lund - Ring Toss Booth)
• Väsby, Sollentuna Municipality (Bögs Gård Farm Template:Sv icon)

In this leg's Detour, teams choose between Nobel Dynamite or Viking Alphabet. In Nobel Dynamite, teams traveled to a rock quarry and had to fill sandbags to create a protective bunker in the rock quarry. Once they were protected, they set off an explosion with dynamite, which would unearth a metal box containing their next clue. In Viking Alphabet, teams had to decode a message in Elder Futhark on a runestone (using smaller stones with both runes and letters) that told them to "Find the Strong Viking" to receive their next clue. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member participated in an Amazing Race Switchback of the notorious Roadblock from the Sweden leg of Season 6: the team member had to search through 186 hay bales to find one of seven flags (the Season 6 Roadblock had sisters Lena & Kristy searching for their clue for nearly 10 hours). When teams found one of the flags, they were allowed to proceed to the nearby Pit Stop.

Additional tasks

• At the Tivoli Gröna Lund amusement park, one team member had to ride the Fritt Fall drop tower to look for an arrow that pointed them in the direction of their next clue, located among some carnival games.
• After successfully locating the clue from the Fritt Fall, teams had to play a game of ring toss until they ringed a cone with a Travelocity Roaming Gnome concealed beneath it. If successful, the game operator would hand them the gnome, which had their next clue on the bottom of its base. Teams had to keep the Roaming Gnome with them for the remainder of the leg.

Leg 9 (Sweden → Estonia)

This leg's Roadblock took place at Tallinn's House of the Blackheads: the Mustpeade Maja.

• Stockholm (Frihamnsterminalen Template:Sv icon) to Tallinn, Estonia (Port of Tallinn)
• Tallinn (Mustpeade Maja Template:Et icon)
• Tallinn (Pikk Hermann Tower Garden)
• Keava (Keava Raba Template:Et icon Outlook Tower)

For this leg's Speed Bump, Gary & Matt had to find a Saunabuss Template:Et icon parked nearby, strip naked, and spend five minutes in a sauna with some locals. In this leg's Roadblock, teams went into the cellar of the Mustpeade Maja and participated in a ceremony of the Brotherhood of the Blackheads Guild (Schwarzhäupter Template:De icon). Team members took a candelabra with a room number attached from a table of revelers. When they found that room, they were given what appeared to be a blank scroll and a crayon. Team members had to figure out that their next clue was written in invisible ink and could be revealed by holding the scroll over the light of the candle. In this leg's Detour, teams choose between Serve or Sling. In Serve, teams participated in a game of volleyball in the Keava bog, where they had to score a total of five points against a local team in order to receive their next clue. In Sling, teams put on bog shoes and walked out onto the bog where they used slingshots to fire assorted vegetables at a target, which when hit would collapse a table full of cabbages along with their next clue.

Additional task

• At the beginning of the leg, teams were given a set of keys along with their clue. When they arrived at the Mustpeade Maja, they had to find the right key that would sound an alarm to open the door.

Leg 10 (Estonia → Czech Republic)

Prague Castle was the tenth Pit Stop of the race.

• Tallinn (Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport) to Prague, Czech Republic (Ruzyně Airport)
• Prague (Old Town Square)
• Prague (Vltava - Kajaky Trója)
• Prague (Estates Theatre)
• Prague (Prague Castle)

In this leg's Detour, teams chose Fast & Furious or Slow & Steady. In Fast & Furious, teams had to row a kayak down a manmade whitewater rafting course used by professional kayakers and grab a ribbon suspended over the course which had their next clue written on it; if their boat capsized before reaching the clue, they had to start the course over. In Slow & Steady, teams had to pull themselves along an aerial rope course suspended above the rafting course. When they reached the end of the rope, they would get ribbons that had their next clue written on them. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to search the Estates Theatre for a miniature mandolin. Once they found it, they had to bring it onstage to an actor dressed as the titular character from the Mozart opera Don Giovanni who would hand them their next clue.

Additional tasks

• At Old Town Square, teams had to find a man in a vintage Praga who would give them their next clue.
• After the Detour, teams had to figure out that the words on their ribbons – [Stavovské Divadlo] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) – referred to the Estates Theatre, their next destination.

Leg 11 (Czech Republic)

This leg's Roadblock paid homage to author and Jewish Prague native Franz Kafka. This statue of Kafka is found near the Spanish Synagogue in Prague's Jewish quarter Josefov.

• Prague (Spanish Synagogue)
• Prague (Ekotechnické Museum)
• Prague (Kryocentrum Template:Cs icon)
• Prague (Charles Bridge)
• Prague (Střelecký Ostrov Template:Cs icon)

For this leg's Speed Bump, Brian & Ericka had to find the M1 Lounge, where each of them had to prepare and drink a traditional shot of absinthe. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member entered the museum and search among several hundred ringing telephones for the five that had a person on the other end of the line. A voice from each phone would give the team member one letter to the word "FRANZ"—a reference to Franz Kafka. After obtaining all five letters, the team member had to fill out a form with several biographical questions and attempt to unscramble the five letters to form his name. If they were correct, the inspector would hand them their next clue. In this leg's Detour, teams chose between Legend or Lager. In Legend, teams built a golem by placing wet clay around a hay frame, then transported it to the Old-New Synagogue. If the golem was to the rabbis' satisfaction, they would hand them their next clue. In Lager, teams had to carry a total of 30 glasses of beer from a brewery called Pivovar a Restaurace "U Fleků" through the busy town square and deliver them to a bar named Restaurace Kozička to receive their next clue.

Additional tasks

• At the Kryocentrum, teams had to strip down to their underwear and spend two minutes in a cryotherapy chamber which reached temperatures of −160 °C (−256 °F). After the two minutes were up, they received their next clue.

Leg 12 (Czech Republic → United States)

The final leg of the race took place at various resorts on the Las Vegas Strip: the MGM Grand, the Mandalay Bay, the Mirage, and the Monte Carlo.

• Prague (Ruzyně Airport) to Las Vegas, Nevada, USA (McCarran International Airport)
• Las Vegas (Graceland Wedding Chapel)
• Las Vegas (Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino)
• Las Vegas (The Mirage)
• Las Vegas (Monte Carlo Resort and Casino)
• Las Vegas (MGM Grand Las Vegas)
• Las Vegas (Wayne Newton's House, the Casa de Shenandoah) (Finish Line)

For the season's final Roadblock, one team member had to rappel down the exterior of the Mandalay Bay hotel tower face-down in order to retrieve their next clue.

Additional tasks

• At the Mirage's Love theater, one team member was harnessed in a bungee cord and launched by his or her teammate in an attempt to retrieve a bouquet of flowers dangling in the air. Once the entire bouquet was obtained, they had to hand it to an actress acting as a flower girl to receive their next clue.
• The clue received at the end of the bungee cord task instructed teams to go to "the most famous casino in Monaco", and left them to figure out that this was a reference to the namesake of the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino.
• At the Monte Carlo, teams had to count out a total of $1,000,000 worth of poker chips which were scattered on several poker tables. Once the dealer verified their count was correct, they would receive a chip worth $1,000,000 and their final clue.
• At the MGM Grand, teams had to find Suite 88 where they would find Wayne Newton, who would tell them the location of the Finish Line—his house.

Ratings

US Nielsen ratings

#	Episode	Rating	Share	Rating/Share (18-49)	Viewers (millions)	Rank (Overall)
1 - 2	"They Thought Godzilla Was Walking Down the Street"	6.5	10	3.3/8	10.40	#25
3	"It's Like Being Dropped on Planet Mars"	5.9	9	2.8/7	9.95	#26
4	"Sean Penn Cambodia Here We Come"	6.7	10	3.0/8	10.52	#20
5	"I’m Like Ricky Bobby"	5.8	9	3.0/7	10.92	#20
6	"Do It for the Hood! Do It for the Suburbs!"	6.4	10	3.4/8	11.20	#22
7	"This Is Not My Finest Hour"	6.5	10	3.3/8	11.22	#18
8	"This Is the Worst Thing I've Ever Done in My Life"	6.9	10	3.5/9	11.62	#24
9	"We’re Not Meant for the Swamp"	6.6	10	3.2/8	11.39	#24
10	"We're Not Working With Anybody, Ever, Anymore!"	6.9	11	3.7/9	12.19	#20
11	"It Starts With an “F”, That’s All I’m Saying"	6.8	10	3.4/8	11.61	#18
12	"Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound"	7.1	11	3.7/9	12.32	#9

Canadian ratings

#	Episode	Viewers (millions)	Rank (Overall)
1 - 2	"They Thought Godzilla Was Walking Down the Street"	2.861	#6
3	"It's Like Being Dropped on Planet Mars"	2.669	#5
4	"Sean Penn Cambodia Here We Come"	2.001	#13
5	"I'm Like Ricky Bobby"	2.413	#9
6	"Do It for the Hood! Do It for the Suburbs!"	2.619	#5
7	"This Is Not My Finest Hour"	2.575	#3
8	"This Is the Worst Thing I've Ever Done in My Life"	2.763	#3
9	"We’re Not Meant for the Swamp"	2.619	#8
10	"We're Not Working With Anybody, Ever, Anymore!"	2.260	#9
11	"It Starts With an “F”, That’s All I’m Saying"	2.419	#7
12	"Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound"	3.074	#1

External links

• Official Website