The Amazing Race 17

The Amazing Race 17 is the seventeenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 17 features 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.

The seventeenth cycle started on Sunday, September 26, 2010. It aired on CBS in the United States on a special 90-minute episode; and then it returned to its normal hour-long format the following week on Sunday nights at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT with the season finale on December 12, 2010. The show is again hosted by Phil Keoghan.

This was the final season filmed and broadcast in Standard Definition.

Anesthesiologists Natalie "Nat" Strand and Katherine "Kat" Chang were the winners of the race, and are the first all-female team to win the American edition of the competition.

Production

Development and filming

CBS renewed the 17th edition of The Amazing Race on January 25, 2010. The season premiered on September 26, 2010 with a special 90-minute episode; it returned to its regular hour-long format the following week.

This season spanned 32,000 miles (51,000 km) while racing across four continents, with first-time visits to Ghana and Bangladesh, and for the first time in the show's history, teams crossed the Arctic Circle.

Filming began on May 26, 2010, with the starting line at the Eastern Point Yacht Club in Gloucester, Massachusetts, making this the first season since The Amazing Race All-Stars to start in a city other than Los Angeles and ended on June 15, 2010 with the finish line at Los Angeles, California.

Prior to the Race's broadcast, CBS posted a short preview video clip from an episode on the Internet, showing Brook and Claire competing at a watermelon launching challenge using an elastic slingshot. The clip showed Claire, working the slingshot, being hit in the face full-on with a watermelon after it failed to launch correctly, leaving her momentarily stunned but otherwise not seriously injured. The clip spread on the internet virally.

Phil Keoghan began both the season and the video background segments of the contestants while standing on the grass mall of Castle Hill in Ipswich, Massachusetts.

Two new game elements were introduced in this season. The first is the Express Pass, awarded to the team who finished first on the first Leg. This item would allow the team to skip any Detour, Roadblock, or Route Marker task before Leg 8. Dating couple Jill and Thomas won the Express Pass, which they later used to bypass the Beds Detour on Leg 4. Another new element is the Double U-Turn, where two teams are allowed to use U-Turns in a single race leg.

During the Leg 3 Pit Stop in Ghana, teams helped renovate the school that they visited during the leg.

This is also the 1st season were there wasn't a leg where teams would find a Travelocity roaming gnome after The Amazing Race started to sponsor it.

Cast

See also: List of The Amazing Race (U.S. TV series) contestants

Applications were due on February 4, 2010. Semi-finalist interviews were held sometime in March 2010 and the final casting interviews took place in Los Angeles around March 2010. From there, 11 teams were selected as contestants and filming took place around May to June 2010.

The cast included a team of home shopping hosts, Internet entertainer Kevin Wu – popularly known as "KevJumba" – and his father Michael; Ivy League a cappella singers; and a birth mother and daughter who recently reunited following an adoption over 20 years earlier. This was the first season ever without a married couple. There were 3 beauty queens competing: Mallory Ervin, who competed in Miss America 2010, where she placed fourth runner-up; Brook Roberts, who competed in Miss America 2005; and Stephanie Smith, who was Miss South Carolina USA 2009.

Chad Waltrip proposed to Stephanie Smith during the course of the race, and they married on November 20, 2010; the couple is expecting their first child around June 6, 2011.

Gary & Mallory raced again in The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business among a cast of returning teams from seasons 12–17. They finished in 3rd place.

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
Nat & Kat	Doctors	2nd	7th	8th	1st	1stƒ	4th	1st	5th	3rd⋑	1st	3rd	1st	Nat 6, Kat 5
Brook & Claire	Home Shopping Hosts	4th	1st	6th	3rd	5th	2nd	2nd4	4th	4th⊂	3rd	2nd9	2nd	Brook 7, Claire 5
Jill & Thomas	Dating	1st	5th	7th	5thε2	3rd	1st	5th	2nd7	1st⊃	2nd	1st	3rd	Jill 5, Thomas 7
Nick & Vicki	Dating	10th	8th	5th	6th	6th	7th3	3rd	3rd	2nd	4th8	4th10		Nick 6, Vicki 4
Chad & Stephanie	Newly Dating→Engaged6	8th	4th	3rd	7th	7th	5th	6th5	1st	5th⋐				Chad 5, Stephanie 4
Gary & Mallory	Father / Daughter	6th	9th	2nd	2nd	2nd	6th	4th	6th					Gary 4, Mallory 4
Michael & Kevin	Father / Son	7th	3rd	9th	4th	4th	3rd	7th5						Michael 3, Kevin 4
Katie & Rachel	Beach Volleyball Partners	5th	2nd	4th	8th	8th								Katie 3, Rachel 2
Connor & Jonathan	Ivy League A Cappella Singers	3rd	6th	1st	9th									Connor 4, Jonathan 0
Andie & Jenna	Birth Mom / Daughter	9th	10th											Andie 0, Jenna 2
Ron & Tony	Best Friends	11th												Ron 11, Tony 0

• A red team placement means the team was eliminated.
• A green ƒ indicates that the team won a Fast Forward.
• A purple ε indicates that the team decided to use the Express Pass on that leg.
• An underlined blue team's placement indicates that the team came in last on a non-elimination leg & had to perform a Speed Bump in the next leg of the race whereas an underlined and italicized blue placement signifies that there was no Speed Bump on the next Leg (see note 3)
• A brown ⊃ or a cyan ⋑ indicate that the team chose to use one of the two U-Turns in a Double U-Turn; ⊂ or ⋐ indicate the team who received it.

1. ^ While neither Ron nor Tony was shown performing the Roadblock in Leg 1, the official website lists Ron as the team member who completed the task.
2. ^ Jill & Thomas elected to use the Express Pass to bypass the Detour in Leg 4.
3. ^ While Nick & Vicki came in last in a non-elimination leg, they did not face a Speed Bump in the following leg. Post-race interviews revealed that the Speed Bump was waived, and that everyone's placement in that leg was equalized at the Detour, in compensation for various production difficulties in the previous leg affecting all of the teams. One of the problems involved the judge at the Classical Music Detour who made erroneous calls causing teams (Nick & Vicki in particular) to spend more time at the task than they needed to.
4. ^ Brook and Claire took a taxi to the Tower to the Church of the Savior on Blood. But when they found it the clue told them to walk, they asked their cab driver to go back to the Bank Bridge to 1 Vladimirsky Prospekt Tower and performed the task correctly. They checked in the mat in 2nd-place without Phil giving them a 30 minute penalty.
5. ^ Chad & Stephanie initially arrived 6th, but were not allowed to check in because they did not pay their taxi fare and had also left their bags in the taxi. In this time, Michael & Kevin arrived to check in, but had been issued multiple penalties. When they returned, Chad & Stephanie were told they had been issued a 30-minute penalty for taking a taxi from 1 Vladimirsky Prospekt Tower to the Church of the Savior on Blood, which was explicitly prohibited in the clue. However, because Michael & Kevin had a longer penalty, Chad & Stephanie were checked in for a 6th-place finish; their penalty was instead applied to their starting time in Leg 8. Meanwhile, Michael & Kevin arrived at the Pit Stop in 6th while Chad & Stephanie were turned away. However, they were issued two 30-minute penalties: one for hiring a taxi to lead them from Bank Bridge to 1 Vladimirsky Prospekt Tower and the other for taking a taxi from the Tower to the Church of the Savior on Blood. While they sat out their penalty, Chad & Stephanie returned and were allowed to check in, resulting in Michael & Kevin being eliminated.
6. ^ Chad & Stephanie left the Pit Stop in Saint Petersburg over 2 hours late because they accidentally overslept. This did not affect their overall placement in Leg 8 since they were the last to depart. During Leg 8, Chad proposed to Stephanie, who accepted. Their relationship title was changed from "Newly Dating" to "Engaged".
7. ^ Jill & Thomas initially arrived 1st, but were issued a 30-minute penalty for paying a taxi driver to lead them to the Pit Stop, which was explicitly prohibited in the clue. Chad & Stephanie checked in for a 1st-place finish during their penalty, dropping Jill & Thomas to 2nd.
8. ^ Nick & Vicki elected to forfeit the Detour because they were too exhausted to continue. They arrived at the Pit Stop last, but were notified that it was a non-elimination leg. The 6-hour penalty they would have taken from the Detour was instead applied to their starting time in Leg 11.
9. ^ Brook & Claire initially arrived 1st, but were issued a 30-minute penalty for taking a taxi to their Detour location when the clue instructed teams to travel either on foot or take the subway. Jill & Thomas checked in for a 1st-place finish during their penalty, dropping Brook & Claire to 2nd.
10. ^ By the time Nick & Vicki made it to the Seung-il Bridge in Cheorwon, all the other teams had already checked in at the Pit Stop and it had become too dark for them to safely perform some of the tasks. During the broadcast of the leg, they were only shown performing the Speed Bump and then immediately checking in at the Pit Stop to be eliminated. In interviews after the episode was broadcast, they revealed that they did the Detour as well.

Episode title quotes

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

1. "They Don't Call It The Amazing Race For Nothin!" (England) – Brook
2. "A Kiss Saves the Day" (Accra, Ghana) – Brook
3. "In Phil We Trust" – (Jamestown, Ghana)Connor
4. "We Should Have Brought Gloves and Butt Pads" (Sweden) – Kevin
5. "Tastes Like a Million Dollars" (Norway) – Kat
6. "Run, Babushka, Run" (Russia) – Vicki
7. "I Want to Be in the Circus, That's Where I Belong" (Russia) – Brook
8. "Ali Baba in a Suit" – (Oman) Nick
9. "There's a Lot of Nuts and Bullets" (Bangladesh) – Jill
10. "I Hate Chinese Food" (Hong Kong, China) – Vicki
11. "I'm Surrounded by Ninjas" (South Korea) – Brook
12. "Hi. I'm Sorry. I'm in a Race" (Los Angeles, United States) – Nat

Prizes

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

• Leg 1 – The Express Pass – an item that can be used on the race to skip any one task of the team's choosing up until Leg 8.
• Leg 2 – A trip for two to Hawaii.
• Leg 3 – $5,000 for each team member.
• Leg 4 – A trip for two to Belize.
• Leg 5 – A trip for two to Costa Rica.
• Leg 6 – A trip for two to São Paulo, Brazil.
• Leg 7 – $5,000 for each team member.
• Leg 8 – A trip for two to Belize.
• Leg 9 – $15,000 Discover gift card.
• Leg 10 – A trip for two to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
• Leg 11 – A trip for two to Iguazu Falls, Argentina.
• Leg 12 – $1,000,000

Elimination Station

After elimination, the first five eliminated teams were sequestered at a villa in Cancun, Mexico, to await the finale. 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.

• After Leg 1, Ron & Tony were the first team eliminated and were sent to the villa. They expressed their disappointment in being the first eliminated team, but decided to make the most of their situation. After they settled into the villa, they decided to go kayaking, remarking how much easier it was compared to the coracle that they unsuccessfully manned during the race. Afterward, Ron and Tony sat by the pool and tried to predict who would be the first to join them in the villa; they agreed that it could be anyone.
• After Leg 2, Andie & Jenna were the second team eliminated and were sent to the villa. Ron and Tony welcomed them, glad to finally have another team in the villa to keep them company. Andie and Jenna revealed that they had only recently met, which shocked and moved both Ron and Tony. Andie and Jenna talked at length about their relationship over dinner with Ron and Tony, with Andie revealing the circumstances surrounding Jenna's adoption, and that she has 10 other children.
• Leg 3 was a non-elimination leg; hence, no new teams were sent to the villa. Ron and Tony gave Andie and Jenna salsa dancing lessons. Afterward, Andie and Jenna sat by the pool and discussed their relationship.
• After Leg 4, Connor & Jonathan were the third team eliminated and were sent to the villa. Prior to their arrival, Ron, Tony, Andie, and Jenna went on a whale shark watching excursion, but after Andie and Jenna became seasick from the rough waves, everyone returned to the villa without seeing any. Later, Connor and Jonathan arrived and shared the song they sang for Phil when they were eliminated. Connor and Jonathan then recounted what happened on their last leg, claiming that the remaining teams were starting to become more cutthroat – news which disappointed Andie and Jenna.
• After Leg 5, Katie & Rachel were the fourth team eliminated and were sent to the villa. Before their arrival, the three eliminated teams went to Kings Bath, where legend holds that the King bathed his children. Afterward, the three teams speculated on who would show up next, wanting another "fun" team to join them in the villa. Katie and Rachel arrived and immediately expressed how angry and disappointed they were to be eliminated, ignoring the other eliminated teams' attempts to console them. This irritated Ron and Tony, who claimed that Katie and Rachel's bitter attitudes were bringing a negative energy to the house. Later, Katie and Rachel admitted that they did enter the villa in a foul mood, but did not regret anything they had said, further bemoaning the fact that they were knocked out of the race.
• Leg 6 was a non-elimination leg; hence, no new teams were sent to the villa. The group played a game of water volleyball together in the villa's pool. Afterward, they went to the beach. Katie and Rachel, still bitter about being eliminated, said that they did not want one of the remaining all-female teams to win the race, since Katie and Rachel wanted to be the first all-female winners.
• After Leg 7, Michael & Kevin were the fifth team eliminated and were sent to the villa. After the other teams went snorkeling during the day, Katie and Rachel continued to state that they wanted an all-female team (specifically Brook and Claire) to be eliminated next, as they still were upset that they personally would not be the first all-female team to win; the two girls were disappointed when they saw Michael and Kevin arrive. Kevin stated his disappointment at their elimination due to their hour-long penalty, while Michael joked that he was glad to finally be done with the stresses of racing. While alone, Kevin continued to say he wished they had not been eliminated so they could have potentially gone to Asia (specifically China) and have an advantage, but Michael told him not to dwell on it. The next day, the eliminated teams visited Punta Sur, where Katie and Rachel spoke with Michael and Kevin about their elimination. Michael told them that they should not dwell on their loss, and that it should be an experience that will help them by teaching them how to accept even the biggest disappointments in life.
• After Leg 8, Gary & Mallory were the sixth team eliminated. The teams gathered around a phone, waiting for a call to see who was eliminated. Before the call, Jenna stated that she and Rachel had dreams the previous night that either Gary and Mallory or Brook and Claire were eliminated. Katie and Rachel stated, again, that they wanted Brook and Claire to be eliminated. Everyone was surprised when Gary and Mallory called, and told the teams that it was the hardest leg ever, and that they traveled for 16 hours and ended up losing to Nat and Kat with minutes to spare. After the call, the teams continued to comment on Katie and Rachel's obsession that an all-female team should not win the race this season. The next day, the eliminated teams went down to the docks to pick up an amberjack and then cook it in the traditional Mayan Tikin Xic style. Once the food was prepared, Andie told everyone that it reminded her of home and being with family, and that the eliminated teams were her substitute family, and Connor joked that she was their substitute birth mom. Later, Ron and Tony spoke with Andie on her relationship with Jenna, and Andie said that whatever Jenna wanted to do from this point on was fine with her.
• After Leg 9, Chad & Stephanie were the seventh team eliminated. Connor and Jonathan spoke about how they feel that the fact that they did not attend their graduation at Princeton makes it better that they did not have the transition from college student into adulthood. Later, the eliminated teams went to a restaurant named Alux, built in a cenote, and Jenna had everyone around the table say what they learned from their time on the Race.
• Leg 10 was a non-elimination leg, but this Elimination Station featured eliminated teams waiting for the phone call and Chad and Stephanie calling the villa after their elimination in Leg 9. They told the other eliminated teams how being U-Turned by Nat & Kat led to their elimination, and then shared the news about their engagement. Ron joked with them by asking if the elimination affected their engagement. The eliminated teams discussed who they wanted in the top 3, with Nat & Kat and Brook & Claire both mentioned, with jokes made towards Katie & Rachel's dislike that a girl-girl team might win and that it was not going to be them. Later, all the eliminated teams packed up and prepared for their flight to the final destination city. Michael finally admitted to Kevin that if he were more confident in himself, they might have been able to go farther in the Race. Andie and Jenna were glad that they would be returning home soon, and Jenna expressed how she felt about her relationship with her biological mother. As the eliminated teams left he villa, all of them speculated on what the final destination would be, with guesses ranging from somewhere in Arizona to Seattle to New York City.
• After Leg 11, Nick & Vicki were the eighth and final team eliminated. Elimination Station showed the five eliminated teams arriving at the End City in Los Angeles, California. After arriving in Los Angeles, the teams checked in to a hotel, settled into their rooms, and awaited the phone call from the eighth team eliminated. Ron commented that he and Tony are in their home city; Kevin commented that there would be a lot of interesting things to do in Los Angeles, while also saying to his father what it would be like if they were still racing; and Andie and Jenna discussed how their future relationship would develop. Later, the teams gathered to get the call from the field to learn that Nick & Vicki had been eliminated. Vicki mentions how she had gotten sick in the previous leg, and that coupled with a penalty contributed to their loss. Nick said that he believed that Jill & Thomas would win the race, as they had been coming in first lately, but Vicki said that she thinks Nat & Kat would win. The eliminated teams joked that Rachel would physically attack either Brook & Claire or Nat & Kat if they came across the finish line first, although Rachel said she was no longer upset that a girl-girl team could win this season.
• Leg 12 was the final leg of The Amazing Race 17. Elimination Station showed the Finish Line that takes place in Greystone Mansion. Gary & Mallory, Chad & Stephanie, and Nick & Vicki reunited with the other eliminated teams. Andie asked to see Stephanie's engagement ring, and she told the others that they had gotten in first place that leg and won a trip to Belize for their honeymoon. Tony led the eliminated teams in a dance before waiting for the remaining teams to cross the finish line. All the eliminated teams were waiting to find out who they think will cross the Finish Line first and win the $1 million. When they find out that Nat & Kat crossed the finish line first and win the $1 million, everyone congratulated them on being the first all-female team to win the $1 million and the race. Rachel, although still upset that she and Katie were not that team, said she was still happy for their win. The teams then greeted Brook & Claire as they crossed the finish line in 2nd Place, with everyone noting that the top two teams were both women teams. When Jill & Thomas finally crossed the finish line in 3rd Place, Thomas conceded that even though he and Jill were top competitors, Nat & Kat and Brook & Claire were truly the top two teams. Teams expressed their opinions about the final three teams at the Finish Line along with their joys and disappointments about the race, and the learning experiences they could draw from it.

Race summary

The Route of the Race (Complete Route Map).

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

Leg 1 (United States → England)

Teams traveled to Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire where they participated in various medieval-themed tasks.

• Gloucester, Massachusetts, United States (Eastern Point Yacht Club) (Starting Line)
• Boston (Logan International Airport) to London, England , United Kingdom (London Heathrow Airport)
• Amesbury, Wiltshire (Stonehenge)
• Ledbury, Herefordshire (Eastnor Castle)

The first Roadblock of the race required one team member to travel on horseback to a tournament area and use a giant slingshot to launch a watermelon towards a suit of armor standing 50 feet (15 m) away. Once they knocked the armor over, the team had to find a court jester who would give them their next clue to search the Castle grounds for the Pit Stop.

Additional task

• At Stonehenge, teams had to solve a riddle ("the opposite of Nor'easter") to discover that their next route marker was Eastnor Castle.
• At Eastnor Castle, teams had to climb a ladder on an exterior wall of the castle while peasants standing atop the wall taunted and poured dirty water on them. Once they climbed the wall, they had to retrieve a medieval flag and then use a coracle to cross the castle's moat to bring the flag to a knight in shining armor who would give the team the next clue.

Leg 2 (England → Ghana)

The Check Out Detour task showed the Ga custom of having coffins designed after the deceased's job in life.

• London (London Heathrow Airport) to Accra, Ghana (Kotoka International Airport)
• Accra (Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park)
• Accra (Makola Market)
• Accra (Teshie – Peace Motor Spare Parts)
• Accra (Kaneshie Market)

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to sell enough sunglasses to make GH₵15 (approx. US$10), while selling no single pair for less than GH₵3. In the leg's Detour, teams had a choice between Tune In or Check Out. In Tune In, teams had to travel to a nearby electronics store (named Adom Electronics) and pick up a television antenna setup, bring it to a marked house, and set it up to the customer's liking. If the television set picked up a proper signal, the house owner would give their next clue. In Check Out, teams had to bring a fantasy coffin from Emmanuel's Woodshop to a showroom across town to retrieve their next clue.

Leg 3 (Ghana)

In the Language Arts Detour, teams had to find a set of eight Adinkra symbols (seen are symbols on the Gold Tulip Hotel in Kumasi, Ghana) in a massive puzzle akin to a word search.

• Jamestown (Akotoku Boxing Academy)
• Dodowa, Dodowa District (Supply Depot)
• Dodowa, Dodowa District (Asebi D/A Primary School)
• Doryumu, Dodowa District (Home of Awusa Ntso)

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to perform a boxing workout; after first wrapping their hands properly, the team member had to punch a punching bag and then jump rope for 60 seconds each. Upon completion of the workout, their boxing trainer would give them their next clue. In the Detour, teams chose between Bicycle Parts or Language Arts. In Bicycle Parts, both team members had to use a stick to roll a bicycle wheel's rim down the length of a soccer field and back (two passes), without touching it with their hands or letting it fall over. Once they completed their two passes, one of the school children would give them their next clue. In Language Arts, teams chose a proverb with eight phrases highlighted that correspond to a series of eight Adinkra symbols. Using a nearby decoder key, teams had to locate the eight symbols in a massive word search-like puzzle. Once they circled the correct set of Adinkra symbols, one of the school children would give them their next clue.

Additional tasks

• At the Supply Depot, teams had to load up two wheelbarrows with building supplies and deliver them to the Asebi D/A Primary School.
• At the Asebi D/A Primary School, teams had to join a geography class studying a map of Africa. While the children located other nations in Africa, the teams had to correctly locate Ghana on the map in order to receive their next clue from the students.

Leg 4 (Ghana → Sweden)

Teams traveled to the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi, Swedish Lapland, located north of the Arctic Circle, where Michael and Kevin sat on ice chairs for their Speed Bump.

• Accra (Kotoka International Airport) to Kiruna, Lappland, Sweden (Kiruna Airport)
• Jukkasjärvi (Icehotel)
• Poikkijärvi Template:Sv icon (Fjellborg's Lodge)
• Riksgränsen (Vassijaure Train Station Template:Sv icon)
• Riksgränsen (Swedish–Norwegian Border)

For this leg's Speed Bump, Michael and Kevin had to sit on chairs made of ice in the Icehotel for 10 minutes before they could take their next clue and continue racing. In the Roadblock, one team member had to choose a sled dog team and hitch them to a summer training sled. They then had to take the dogs on a course and collect five different flags along the course which they could then trade for fur pelts at the end, which they would bring back to camp for their next clue. If they miss a flag, they have to take a penalty lap for each missed flag. The Detour was a choice between Sleds or Beds. In Sleds, teams had to use TechSleds to race down a mountain course in less than 1 minute and 58 seconds. If they failed to reach the end before the allotted time, they would have to repeat the run. In Beds, teams had build a traditional Sami dwelling known as a goahti, and then furnish the inside with furs and a fire pit. A Sami elder would give the team their next clue if the goathi was built and furnished to his or her liking.

Leg 5 (Sweden → Norway)

Skjomen Bridge in Nordland, Norway, was the location of this leg's Roadblock.

• Narvik, Nordland, Norway (Fagernesfjellet Mountain)
• Narvik (Skjomen Bridge)
• Narvik (Harvika)
• Narvik (Ankenes Marina)

The only Fast Forward of the race required one team to go to the Stornaustet immersive restaurant in Vidrek and eat an entire serving of smalahove, a dish made of a boiled sheep's head, between the two of them. The Roadblock required one team member to rappel off the Skjomen Bridge and then signal for one of two waiting boats to give them their next clue. After retrieving the clue from the boat, the team member had to use a mechanical ascender to return to the bridge deck. The Detour was a choice between Bike or Boat. In Bike, teams had to ride a bicycle along a course to a sign, where combinations of numbers and colors were shown. Teams then had to memorize the combination of the color that matched the color on their bike, return to the starting point, and then use the combination to unlock their next clue. In Boat, teams had to use a reference map to navigate a boat to a specific location. They then had to deliver two cod and a chainsaw to a summer lodge to receive their next clue.

Additional tasks

• Upon leaving the Pit Start, teams were told to run across the border from Sweden into Norway and then drive a marked car to Narvik.
• At Fagernesfjellet Mountain, teams had to ride the gondola to the top of the mountain to receive their next clue.

Leg 6 (Norway → Russia)

In Saint Petersburg, Russia, teams had to find Palace Square, location of the Alexander Column, from a photo on a film canister or on a vinyl record.

• Narvik (Narvik Station) to Uppsala, Sweden (Uppsala Central Station)
• Stockholm (Stockholm-Arlanda Airport) to Saint Petersburg, Russia (Pulkovo Airport)
• Saint Petersburg (Vasilievsky Island – Rostral Columns)
• Saint Petersburg (Palace Square)
• Saint Petersburg (Alexandrovskaya – Neighborhood Store)
• Saint Petersburg (Saint Isaac's Cathedral)

This leg's Detour was a choice between Classical Music and Classic Cinema. In Classical Music, teams traveled to Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace and listened to three different compositions (Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade, and Tchaikovsky's Troika) playing on three numbered gramaphones. They then entered a music hall full of pianists playing several different compositions and had to take a copy of the sheet music from the pianists playing each of the three compositions. Teams would receive their next clue from the maestro after putting the correct compositions in the correct order. In Classic Cinema, teams traveled to Lenfilm and searched through several hundred filmstrips until they found one matching the film playing in the theater (Sergei Eisenstein's October). When they showed the correct filmstrip to the projectionist, he would give the teams their next clue. In the Roadblock, one team member had to dress up like a babushka, pick up a sack of 50 potatoes, and fill a wheelbarrow with cow manure. A babushka would then show them how to properly plant the potatoes, and she would give them their next clue once the planting was completed.

Additional task

• Upon completing the Detour, teams received either a record (from Classical Music) or a film canister (from Classic Cinema) that featured a photo of their next route marker: Palace Square.

Leg 7 (Russia)

For this leg's Roadblock, teams played gorodki at the Peter and Paul Fortress.

• Saint Petersburg (Avtovo Circus)
• Saint Petersburg (Bank Bridge)
• Saint Petersburg (1 Vladimirsky Prospekt Tower)
• Saint Petersburg (Church of the Savior on Blood)
• Saint Petersburg (Peter and Paul Fortress – Gorodki Courts)
• Saint Petersburg (Peter and Paul Fortress – Naryshkin Bastion)

The leg's Detour was a choice between Circus Band and Circus Clown. In Circus Band, the team members had to learn a Russian folk song (Ivan Larionov's Kalinka) for the accordion. Once they played the song correctly, the band leader would give them their next clue. In Circus Clown, teams had to learn plate spinning and get 10 plates to spin without falling to receive their clue from a clown. In the Roadblock, the teams had to clear three gorodki pin formations before the pins get reset, to receive their next clue that told them to head inside the Fortress for the Pit Stop.

Additional tasks

• After receiving the clue from the Detour, teams began a "Russian mystery" task. The first clue was to find the canal bridge guarded by four creatures with golden wings: Bank Bridge.
• At Bank Bridge, the next clue told teams to head on foot (without their taxi leading them) to 1 Vladimirsky Prospekt's Tower. At the top of the tower, only two team members at a time would be allowed to look around for a clue to their next location: a figurine of the Church of the Savior on Blood. After locating the Church in the skyline, teams then had to walk to the Church for their next clue.
• After arriving at the Church of the Savior on Blood, teams were told to find the burial site of Peter the Great: Peter and Paul Fortress.

Leg 8 (Russia → Oman)

In Muttrah, Oman, teams navigated the Old Souq to deliver frankincense to a man known as "Ali Baba".

• Saint Petersburg (Pulkovo Airport) to Muscat, Oman (Muscat International Airport)
• Muscat (Riyam Park – Burj Al Mubkharah)
• Al Hamra (Jebel Shams)
• Nizwa (Stack of Books)
• Muttrah (Muttrah Souq)
• Muscat (Al Alam Palace)

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member rappelled 500 feet (150 m) down the side of Jebel Shams to a field of hundreds of oil lamps, a handful of which held Aladdin's magic ring. Once they found a lamp with the ring, they had to turn it in for their next clue. In this leg's Detour, teams chose between Water Table and Wedding Table. In Water Table, teams pumped water from a well into a water truck and then drove back into town to deliver the water to their assigned house in the neighborhood of Aswat Al Eid. After delivering the water, the customer gave them their next clue. In Wedding Table, teams traveled to an Arab market and purchased 25 chickens and several other ingredients needed to serve the traditional Omani dish maqbous. Once the dish was complete, they gave the maqbous to a bride and groom who gave them their next clue.

Additional tasks

• At Burj Al Mubkharah, teams were given small silver ingots with a time stamped on it. This time would be when they would be allowed to climb the fort's watchtower to receive their next clue.
• At Muttrah Souq, teams had to find the frankincense vendor, then had to search the marketplace for "Ali Baba" to trade the frankincense for their next clue.

Leg 9 (Oman → Bangladesh)

In Dhaka, Bangladesh, the Rickshaw Capital of the world, teams had to use cycle rickshaws for travel and had to build one in the Roadblock.

• Muscat (Muscat International Airport) to Dhaka, Bangladesh (Shahjalal International Airport)
• Dhaka (Sundarban Square Supermarket)
• Dhaka (Sadarghat)
• Dhaka (Nazira Bazaar – Tekka Mistiri Rickshaw Garage)
• Dhaka (Lalbagh Fort)

In the Detour, teams chose between Balanced Meal or Balanced Bricks. In Balanced Meal, teams picked up 30 filled tiffin carriers and took them by boat to a larger boat in the harbor. After lifting the lunches to the boat, teams would have to take 10 empty carriers back to shore where they can exchange them for the next clue. In Balanced Bricks, teams had to unload bricks from a brick barge and carry them to a shop in the market in baskets on their head. Once they had 100 unbroken bricks, they would receive their next clue. In the Roadblock, one team member had to assemble a cycle rickshaw properly, using all parts given, in order to receive their clue.

Additional tasks

• At Sundarban Square Supermarket, teams had to find the sugarcane stall and then press a sugarcane to collect its juice. One team member would then have to drink the juice to receive their next clue.

Leg 10 (Bangladesh → Hong Kong)

In Hong Kong, teams visited the memorial statue of martial artist and film star Bruce Lee on the Avenue of Stars.

• Dhaka (Shahjalal International Airport) to Hong Kong , China (Hong Kong International Airport)
• and Central (Central Piers) to Cheung Chau, Islands District (Cheung Chau Ferry Pier)
• Cheung Chau (Cheung Po Tsai Cave)
• Cheung Chau (Cheung Chau Ferry Pier) to Kowloon (Kowloon Public Pier)
• Jordan (Majesty Chinese Restaurant [金御海鮮酒家])
• Tsim Sha Tsui (Avenue of Stars – Statue of Bruce Lee)
• Central (Statue Square)

In the Roadblock, one team member had to use chopsticks to search among several plates of food on a buffet for one of five pieces of fake food normally used for display. If the racer picked up a real piece of food, he or she had to eat it before moving on. Once they found the fake food, they would receive their next clue. In the Detour, teams chose between Ding Ding and Sampan. In Ding Ding, teams rode the Hong Kong Tramways, colloquially known as the "Ding Ding", looking for three signs (reading "Pit Stop", "Statue", and "Square") which reveal the location of the Pit Stop. In Sampan, teams went to the Jumbo Kingdom's dock and took a pair of budgerigars in a birdcage on a sampan, searching Aberdeen Harbour for a boat with the registration number matching the number on their birdcage. They could then trade the birdcage for the location of the Pit Stop.

Leg 11 (Hong Kong → South Korea)

While in Seoul, racers took part in a short track speed skating Detour.

• Hong Kong (Hong Kong International Airport) to Incheon, South Korea (Incheon International Airport)
• Cheorwon, Gangwon (Seung-il Bridge [승일교])
• Dongducheon, Gyeonggi (Camp Casey)
• Dongducheon (Dongducheon Station) to Seoul (World Cup Stadium Station)
• Seoul (Seoul World Cup Stadium)
• Seoul (Yeouido Hangang Park Template:Ko icon [한강공원] – Airplane Statue)
• Seoul (Wongudan)

In the leg's Roadblock, one team member chose a headband and then searched among 200 soldiers practicing taekwondo for the one wearing a matching headband. Once they found the right soldier, the soldier would break open a wooden board that contained their next clue. If they picked the wrong soldier, the soldier would take the headband, and they would have to retrieve another headband. In the race's final Detour, teams chose between Full Throttle or Full Bottle. In Full Throttle, teams traveled to the Mok-dong Ice Rink (목동 아이스링크) and put on short track speed skating suits and completed a two-person skating relay of 24 laps of the rink before they were given their next clue. In Full Bottle, teams traveled to Namdaemun Market to put on delivery uniforms and then deliver six glass bottles of ginseng tonic to a holistic wellness store, without breaking any of the glasses, and then both drink from a bottle of ginseng before they would receive their next clue. For this leg's Speed Bump, Nick & Vicki had to clean one of the M109 Self-Propelled Howitzers at Camp Casey.

Additional tasks

• Upon arriving at the Seung-il Bridge, teams whitewater rafted down the Hantan River to a Humvee that would then drive them to Camp Casey in Dongducheon.

Leg 12 (South Korea → United States)

At the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, teams participated in a Roadblock where they had to decorate the theme float (similar to the one pictured) for the 2011 Tournament of Roses Parade.

• Incheon (Incheon International Airport) to Los Angeles, California, USA (Los Angeles International Airport)
• Long Beach (Port of Long Beach – Pier J 266)
• Pasadena (Rose Bowl)
• Los Angeles (Quixote Studios)
• Beverly Hills (Greystone Mansion)

In the race's final Roadblock, one team member had to decorate three sections of the theme float for the Tournament of Roses Parade, by gluing chrysanthemums to one section, placing roses in special vials of water and then placing them in a section of the float, and then covering a giant cardboard rose with finely ground straw to cover it with "natural materials" as stated in the rules for decorating the floats. If they completed the float sections correctly, the floral director would tell them that they could receive their next clue from 2009 Rose Queen Courtney Lee.

Additional tasks

• At the Port of Long Beach's Pier J, teams rode an elevator to the top of one of the pier's gantry cranes where they received their clue. They were then dropped down from the crane on a tandem bungee swing over the water. Once they were on the dock, again, they could read the clue which told them they would be riding a helicopter to a surprise destination: the Rose Bowl.
• After completing the Roadblock, teams had solve a series of riddles in their clue — "I am Sancho Panza's master" (Don Quixote), "I am the place to hear The Symphony in the Glen" (Griffith Park), "Monroe's Year of the Itch" (The Seven Year Itch) — to figure out their next destination: Quixote Studios' Stage 7 located in Griffith Park.
• At Quixote Studios, teams were put in front of a large game show-like board that flashed videos of 48 people wearing different kinds of hats, 11 of which were the greeters at the Pit Stop maps for the race (the others were from previous races). Teams used a control panel to pick the greeters and then place them in the order that they appeared along the race. Once they had the correct people and order, they could get their final clue from game show host Bob Eubanks.

Ratings

US Ratings

#	Airdate	Episode	Rating	Share	Rating/Share	Viewers	Rank	Rank	Rank	Rank
			Households		18–49	(millions)	Timeslot (Viewers)	Timeslot (18–49)	Week (Viewers)	Week (18–49)
1	09/26/10	"They Don't Call It The Amazing Race For Nothin!"	6.3	10	3.7/9	11.54	#2	#2	#26
2	10/03/10	"A Kiss Saves the Day"	6.2	10	3.4/9	10.67	#2	#2	#28	#25
3	10/10/10	"In Phil We Trust"	6.9	11	3.8/9	11.99	#3	#3	#20	#13
4	10/17/10	"We Should Have Brought Gloves and Butt Pads"	6.3	10	3.5/9	10.94	#2	#2	#21	#21
5	10/24/10	"Tastes Like a Million Dollars"	6.7	10	3.4/8	11.42	#2	#2	#20	#19
6	10/31/10	"Run, Babushka, Run"	5.3	9	2.6/7	09.09	#3	#3	(<#25)	(<#25)
7	11/07/10	"I Want to Be in the Circus, That's Where I Belong"	6.5	10	3.3/8	11.01			#20	#23
8	11/14/10	"Ali Baba in a Suit"	6.0	9	2.8/7	10.34	#2	#2
9	11/21/10	"There's a Lot of Nuts and Bullets"	6.2	9	3.0/7	10.59	#2	#2	#24
10	11/28/10	"I Hate Chinese Food"	6.3	10	3.1/8	11.07			#13	#17
11	12/05/10	"I'm Surrounded by Ninjas"	6.1	9	3.1/8	10.34	#2	#2	#17	#14
12	12/12/10	"Hi. I'm Sorry. I'm in a Race"	7.0	11	3.7/9	12.12	#2	#2	#11	#10

• Episode 6, "Run, Babushka, Run", aired on Halloween when viewership was down for all shows and where it went up against Sunday Night Football and Game 4 of the World Series.

Canadian Ratings

Canadian broadcaster CTV also airs The Amazing Race on Sundays at 8pm.

#	Airdate	Episode	Viewers (millions)	Rank (Week)
1	09/26/10	"They Don't Call It The Amazing Race For Nothin!"	2.438	#8
2	10/03/10	"A Kiss Saves the Day"	2.623	#3
3	10/10/10	"In Phil We Trust"	2.301	#7
4	10/17/10	"We Should Have Brought Gloves and Butt Pads"	2.990	#1
5	10/24/10	"Tastes Like a Million Dollars"	2.723	#2
6	10/31/10	"Run, Babushka, Run"	2.360	#6
7	11/07/10	"I Want to Be in the Circus, That's Where I Belong"	2.674	#4
8	11/14/10	"Ali Baba in a Suit"	2.791	#2
9	11/21/10	"There's a Lot of Nuts and Bullets"	2.632	#3
10	11/28/10	"I Hate Chinese Food"	2.506	#4
11	12/05/10	"I'm Surrounded by Ninjas"	2.681	#1
12	12/12/10	"Hi. I'm Sorry. I'm in a Race"	2.738	#1

Australian Ratings

The Amazing Race 17 airs Thursdays fastracked at 7:30pm on Australia's Seven Network.

#	Airdate	Episode	Viewers (millions)	Rank (Week)
1	09/30/10	"They Don't Call It The Amazing Race For Nothin!"	0.787	#59
2	10/07/10	"A Kiss Saves the Day"	0.795	#44
3	10/14/10	"In Phil We Trust"	0.773	#48
4	10/21/10	"We Should Have Brought Gloves and Butt Pads"	0.802	#52
5	10/28/10	"Tastes Like a Million Dollars"	0.849	#55
6	11/04/10	"Run, Babushka, Run"	0.772	#62
7	11/11/10	"I Want to Be in the Circus, That's Where I Belong"	0.904	#45
8	11/18/10	"Ali Baba in a Suit"	0.667	#71
9	11/25/10	"There's a Lot of Nuts and Bullets"	0.797	#49
10	12/02/10	"I Hate Chinese Food"	0.718	#49
11	12/09/10	"I'm Surrounded by Ninjas"	0.688	#48
12	12/16/10	"Hi. I'm Sorry. I'm in a Race"	0.749	#37

External links

• Official website
• Template:TARWiki