The Amazing Race 15

Development and filming

CBS aired the fifteenth season during the start of the 2009–2010 television season. CBS was the first broadcaster to announce that the show would be broadcast on Twitter, following Keoghan's own announcement of the show's renewal via Twitter.

The fifteenth season spans eight countries in 21 days. Teams traveled 25,000 miles (40,000 km) visiting: Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands and Sweden, as well as Estonia and the Czech Republic, which appeared on the show 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 faced one of the series' previous 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 seven flags were hidden. Additionally, the original version had the nine teams competing; by the time this race reached the task, only five teams were involved. Also, the original version's task leg was an elimination leg, but the leg that featured the Switchback was a non-elimination leg.

All route markers and clue boxes in Vietnam were colored yellow with a white stripe rather than the typical yellow with a red stripe to avoid confusion with the flag of the former independent state of South Vietnam. This was also done in Season 10, and later in Season 22. 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 and Lisa, who were eliminated at the Starting Line, acknowledged in a post-race interview that they were the first team to leave the show voluntarily instead of spending the remainder of the Race at the Elimination Station. As a consequence, they were not present at the Finish Line (the second team not to be in the season finale at the finish line, the first being in Season 13) and had no knowledge of the outcome of the Race before the season finale aired.

This was the first season since Season 11 to have more than two non-elimination points (Season 11 had four non-elimination points). This was also the first US season where 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."

Wayne Newton appeared in the season finale; teams were instructed to find him in a suite at the MGM Grand Las Vegas, where he then gave them the location of the Finish Line.

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.

Married couple Eric and Lisa were eliminated at the very start of the race when they finished last in a clue-finding challenge before the teams headed off to the airport to start the competition. When they were told they would be headed to Elimination Station, they informed production that they had previous plans to travel to India and would not go to ES. As a result, they were not allowed to have any further involvement in the show; although their travel was over by the time the race ended, Eric and Lisa were not told where the final Pit Stop was and as a result are one of two teams (the other was Toni and Dallas in The Amazing Race 13) that did not show cheer for the winning team and the two runners-up.

Some of the more prominent members of the cast are: professional poker players Maria Ho and Tiffany Michelle, Miss America 2004 Ericka Dunlap, Harlem Globetrotters Herbert "Flight Time" Lang and Nathaniel "Big Easy" Lofton, and country singer-songwriter Canaan Smith.

One member of the cast, Zev Glassenberg, has Asperger's Syndrome. His teammate, Justin Kanew, is the son of Jeff Kanew, who directed Revenge of the Nerds.

Meghan and Cheyne were married on May 7, 2011; the teams of Sam and Dan, Maria and Tiffany, and Brian and Ericka were in the wedding party. Brian and Ericka recently decided to divorce prior to this event.

Friends Zev Glassenberg and Justin Kanew and Harlem Globetrotters Nate "Big Easy" Lofton and Herbert "Flight Time" Lang raced again in The Amazing Race 18 among a cast made up of returning teams from seasons 12-17. Flight Time and Big Easy were also chosen to compete in the second All-Stars edition.

Results

The following teams participated in the Race, each listed along with their placements in each leg and relationships as identified by the program. 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:

A red team placement indicates that the team was eliminated.

A green ƒ indicates that the team won a Fast Forward clue.

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 task in the following leg.

A brown ⊃ means the team chose to use a U-Turn; ⊂ indicates the team who received it; ⊂⊃ around a leg number indicates a leg where the U-Turn was available but not used.

Episode title quotes

Episode titles are often taken from quotes made by the racers. The first episode is a two-part episode that shows legs 1 and 2 of the race.

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

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 (unaired)

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 were sequestered at a villa in Phú Quốc, Vietnam to await the finale. The exception was Eric and 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 team was sent to the villa and no episode was shown. Eric and Lisa were the first team eliminated, at the Starting Line, but they did not go to the Elimination Station (see above).

After Leg 2, Garrett and Jessica were the second team to be 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 and Tiffany or Mika and 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 faced them in the prior leg. Garrett noticed that Jessica was extremely bummed since being eliminated and he 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 and Ron were the third team eliminated and were the second team sent to the villa. Ron told Garrett and 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 had different views as to who would be the next team eliminated; Marcy believed that Flight Time and Big Easy would be eliminated next, Garrett, Jessica and Ron went with Meghan and Cheyne, Sam and Dan, and Mika and Canaan respectively.

After Leg 4, Zev and Justin were the fourth team eliminated but were not immediately sent to the villa due to Zev losing his passport. At the villa, Marcy and Ron asked Garrett and 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 because of the passport mishap and told them that they would join them as soon as they could.

After Leg 5, Lance and Keri were the fifth team eliminated. The two teams at the villa were discussing Zev and Justin, speculating about their elimination. A van arrived at the villa and the teams went outside, fully expecting to see Zev and Justin. They were surprised to see that the van contained Lance and Keri; the third team to arrive at the villa. They explained to the other teams that their bad directional skills had led to their elimination, as well as the lodging conditions during the Cambodia Pit Stop. The three eliminated teams drove 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 and Canaan were the sixth team to be 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 and Justin had showed up; the fourth team to arrive at the villa. The three eliminated teams were happy to see Zev and Justin who explained how they were eliminated and what they went through after this. The four eliminated teams went out to the night market where Zev sampled a chicken foot. Mika and 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 forty-five minutes.

After Leg 7, Maria and Tiffany were the seventh team to be eliminated. While the eliminated teams were playing cards, Maria and 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 other teams believed their story, as Maria and Tiffany had lied about their professions in the early stages of the race. Maria and Tiffany told the teams they would see them at the End City. Several teams expressed their resentment of Maria and 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 Vietnamese soccer players easily defeated the eliminated boys 4-0. The eliminated teams at the villa had a Shaman visit the villa and the 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 hoped they would remain friends. In a post race interview, however, they mentioned that they made up.

After Leg 9, Gary and Matt were the eighth team eliminated. Prior to the call, the eliminated teams at the villa made predictions as to who would be eliminated next. All teams believed it was Brian and Ericka, except for Zev and Justin who believed it would be Gary and Matt who would be eliminated next. Gary and Matt then called the teams at the villa to inform them of their elimination. They told them about their Speed Bump that helped lead 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 to 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, while Lance wished for it to be on the East Coast so he could easily return to Boston afterward.

After Leg 11, Flight Time and Big Easy were the ninth and final team eliminated. Elimination Station showed five of the six eliminated teams arriving at the End City in Las Vegas, Nevada. After arriving there, the teams checked in to a hotel. Once they checked in, they discussed with each other who would be eliminated next prior to a phone call from the ninth team. The teams at the hotel were shocked and disappointed to hear about Flight Time and Big Easy's elimination especially Zev and Justin who wanted them to win. They told them about what went wrong at the Roadblock. Flight Time and Big Easy said that they wanted to see Meghan and Cheyne to win it all and told them that they would see them at the Finish Line. Lance and Keri were 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 wanted to see Meghan and Cheyne to win, except for Garrett and Jessica who wanted to see Sam and Dan to come in 1st, Brian and Ericka in 2nd, and Meghan and Cheyne in 3rd.

Leg 12 was the final leg of The Amazing Race 15. Maria and Tiffany, Gary and Matt, and Flight Time and Big Easy reunited with the other eliminated teams at the Finish Line minus Eric and Lisa. Most of the teams believed that they wanted to see Meghan and Cheyne win. Teams expressed their opinions about the final three teams at the Finish Line along with their joys and disappointments.

Leg 1 (United States → Japan)

Airdate: September 27, 2009

Los Angeles, United States (Los Angeles River – Sixth Street Viaduct) (Starting Line and Elimination Point)

Los Angeles (Los Angeles International Airport) to Tokyo, Japan (Narita International Airport)

Minato (Tokyo Tower Studios)

Shibuya (Shibuya Scramble Crossing)

Shibuya (Konnō Hachimangū Shrine) (Japanese)

At the Starting Line on Sixth Street Viaduct, teams had to search through over 1,000 license plates for one of 11 Japanese plates from Shinagawa, and present it to Phil to receive tickets for one of two flights, with room for eleven teams, for their first destination: Tokyo, Japan. The kanji for Shinagawa (品川) were given in the clue, though not explicitly. The team without a license plate were not given tickets to Tokyo and were eliminated.

On arrival in Tokyo, teams headed to the Tokyo Tower in Minato to find their next clue: the Roadblock, asked "Who's ready to play Sushi Roulette?". One team member had to participate 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 eleven plates of sushi, two of which were "wasabi bombs" – temaki-style sushi filled only with hot wasabi. If the racer received a wasabi bomb, he or she had two minutes to eat it in order to receive the next clue. If they failed to finish it within the time allotted, they had to play again until they received a new wasabi bomb and could complete the task. Racers who received plain sushi had to eat the sushi and play until they received a wasabi bomb.

After the Roadblock teams received a colored flag as a clue and had to lead a group of twenty Japanese tourists wearing the same colored visors as their flag via the scramble crossing in Shibuya to the Pit Stop at Konnō Hachimangū Shrine. Teams were not allowed to check in unless all twenty members of their group were present at the mat. If at least one member of their group was not present, they had to go back to find them and bring them to the Pit Stop before being allowed to check in.

Leg 2 (Japan → Vietnam)

Airdate: September 27, 2009

Tokyo (Narita International Airport) to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (Tan Son Nhat International Airport)

Ho Chi Minh City (Bến xe Miền Tây (Vietnamese)) to Cái Bè (Cái Bè Bus Terminal)

Cái Bè (Bến Tàu Du Lịch Dock)

Cái Bè (Fruit Farm Mud Pits)

Cái Bè (Cai Be Township Sports Ground)

Cái Bè (Cai Be Market (Vietnamese) – Bassac III Riverboat)

At the start of the leg, teams were told they were headed to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Once teams arrived, they traveled by bus to Cái Bè and made their way to Bến Tàu Du Lịch Dock. At the Dock, Maria and Tiffany encountered a Speed Bump and 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 to receive their next clue so that they could catch up with the others. Teams had to take a sampan along the Mekong Delta to a Fruit Farm Mud Pit. 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.

The clue collected at the farm had the teams go to Cai Be Township Sports Ground for the Roadblock, asking "Who's feeling just ducky?". One team member had to herd one hundred and fifty ducks out of their pen, lead them across a bridge and back, and then herd them back into their pen in ten minutes using two flags as a means to guide the ducks. They then received the next clue. With only three available fields, if the team member failed to complete the task within ten minutes, they had to relinquish their spot and wait for another turn. The clue directed the teams by foot to Bassac III Riverboat along Cai Be Market for the Pit Stop.

Leg 3 (Vietnam)

Airdate: October 4, 2009

Cái Bè to Mỹ Tho (Mỹ Tho Boat Pier)

Ho Chi Minh City (Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theatre)

Ho Chi Minh City (Ho Chi Minh City Post Office)

Ho Chi Minh City (Tao Dan Park (Vietnamese) or Hotel A Dong)

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 with all of the teams on board. Teams opened their clue and had to travel to Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theatre in Ho Chi Minh City. On arrival, 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 Saigon Central Post Office (referred to as the "Ho Chi Minh City Post Office" in the show) and had to find their next clue.

The clue turned out to be the Detour, giving them a choice 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 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", to receive their next clue.

The Detour clues instructed teams to the Blind U-Turn Point, however, it was not aired. Teams instructed by their clues to go to Điện cơ 008 and pick up their Roadblock clue, asking "Who's ready for a complete breakdown?". One team member had to disassemble two VCRs and organize the parts into two separate piles in order to receive their next clue. This clue sent teams to head to the Pit Stop at Reunification Palace.

Leg 4 (Vietnam → Cambodia)

Airdate: October 11, 2009

Ho Chi Minh City (Tan Son Nhat International Airport) to Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Phnom Penh International Airport)

Phnom Penh (Foreign Correspondents' Club)

Phnom Penh (Hotel Le Royal)

Phnom Penh (Russian Market (Khmer))

Phnom Penh (Wat Toul Tom Pong)

Phnom Penh (Wat Phnom)

At the start of the leg, teams were informed of their next destination: Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Upon arrival, teams made their way to the Foreign Correspondents' Club and had to find two correspondents reading newspapers and whisper to them, "May I have my next assignment?". With their next clue hidden inside a newspaper, they then got 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.

On arriving at Hotel Le Royal, teams picked up the Detour clue, giving them a choice between Cover or Wrap. In Cover, teams headed to a marked motorcycle helmet shop (located at Russian Market), choose four helmets, then sold them to a family of four (two adults and two children) for US$10. When the sale was completed, they handed the money to the store owner who handed 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 handed them their next clue.

The Detour clues instructed teams travel by foot to Wat Toul Tom Pong for the Roadblock: "Who's ready to go bananas?". 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 the monkey dancer was satisfied with the performance, he handed them their next clue. The clue sent the teams for the Pit Stop at Wat Phnom.

Leg 5 (Cambodia → United Arab Emirates)

Airdate: October 18, 2009

Phnom Penh (Phnom Penh International Airport) to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (Dubai International Airport)

Dubai (Dubai Fountain)

Dubai (Burj Dubai)

Dubai (Dubai Autodrome)

Dubai (The Dubai Mall – Park # P2)

Margham (Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve)

Dubai (Mall of the Emirates – Ski Dubai)

Dubai (Souk Madinat Jumeirah)

At the start of the leg, teams were informed they were traveling to the Persian Gulf and only told to find the tallest building in the world, which directed them to their next destination, the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. On arrival, teams headed to Dubai Fountain and signed up for one of two departure times to Burj Dubai (now Burj Khalifa) the following morning. At the designated time, teams boarded an elevator bound for a balcony located on the 120th floor of the then still-under-construction building, where their next clue was located.

The clue turned out to be a chance for a Fast Forward. Teams traveled to the Dubai Autodrome where one team member had to drive a Formula Three open wheel race car and complete a single lap around the track in forty-five seconds or less. If successful, they would win the Fast Forward and be driven to the Pit Stop in a Maserati. Other teams had to travel to the parking area in The Dubai Mall and search the marked cars to drive them to Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve where teams encountered the Roadblock, asking "Who thinks they can beat the desert heat?". 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 obtain their next clue.

The Roadblock clue instructed teams to travel to Ski Dubai for the snow-contrasted Detour: a choice 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 handed them their next clue. The clues sent them to Souk Madinat Jumeirah for the Pit Stop.

Leg 6 (United Arab Emirates)

Airdate: October 25, 2009

Dubai (Dubai Creek – Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club)

Dubai (Old Textile Souq Quarter – Abra Station)

Bur Dubai (Dubai Old Souk Abra Station) to Deira (Deira Old Souk Abra Station)

Deira (Gold Souk (Deepu Jewellers) or Spice Souk)

Palm Jumeirah (Atlantis, The Palm – Aquaventure (Leap of Faith))

Palm Jumeirah (Atlantis, The Palm – Dolphin Bay Beach)

At the start of the leg at Souk Madinat Jumeirah, teams had to pick up a locked briefcase along with a clue to their next destination, the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht club. There they had to take part in the Roadblock, which asked teams "Who's ready to row, row, row your boat?". 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, they had to open a locked briefcase they had been 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). When they opened it they found their next clue in the briefcase.

This clue instructed teams to travel to the Old Textile Souq Quarter by Abra from Bur Dubai to Deira and pick up the Detour clue: a choice 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 using three displayed hookahs as guides – before receiving their next clue.

In the clue after the Detour teams were instructed to Atlantis in Palm Jumeirah and onon arrival, 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 found 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. The clue told the teams to search Dolphin Bay Beach for the Pit Stop.

Leg 7 (United Arab Emirates → The Netherlands)

Airdate: November 1, 2009

Dubai (Dubai International Airport) to Amsterdam, The Netherlands (Amsterdam Airport Schiphol)

Afsluitdijk (Cornelis Lely Monument)

Groningen (Martinitoren)

Vierhuizen (Dutch), De Marne (Windmill De Onderneming (Dutch))

Zoutkamp (Harbor)

At the start of the leg, teams were informed their next destination was Amsterdam, Netherlands. On arrival, they had to pick up a marked vehicle and drive to the Cornelis Lely Monument in Afsluitdijk, at the center of Frisian coast to find the next clue. The clue instructed teams to travel to Martinitoren in Groningen where they encountered the Roadblock, asking "Who's got strong legs and keen eyes?". 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 (sixty-two) to the carillonneur, they received their next clue. If they provided the wrong number, they had to climb back up to the carillon to count again.

The next clue instructed teams to head to De Marne Windmill and pick up their Detour clue, giving them a choice 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 of 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 eight 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 took 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, they would give each team member a serving of soused herring which they had to eat in order to obtain their next clue. This clue sent teams on their bicycles to the Pit Stop at Zoutkamp Harbor.

Leg 8 (The Netherlands → Sweden)

Airdate: November 8, 2009

Amsterdam (Amsterdam Airport Schiphol) to Stockholm, Sweden (Stockholm-Arlanda Airport)

Sigtuna (Arlanda North Station) to Stockholm City (Stockholm Central Station)

Stockholm (Terminal Nybroviken) to Djurgården (Terminal Allmänna Gränd (Swedish))

Djurgården, Stockholm (Tivoli Gröna Lund – Fritt Fall (Swedish))

Djurgården, Stockholm (Tivoli Gröna Lund – Ring Toss Booth)

Sigtuna (Skokloster (Swedish))

Väsby (Bögs Gård Farm (Swedish))

At the start of this leg, teams were informed they were traveling to Stockholm, Sweden. Upon arrival, they went by train and ferry to Tivoli Gröna Lund and, on arriving at the 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. Teams then 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 handed 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.

The clue was for the Detour, a choice 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. Once they were protected, they set off an explosion with dynamite, which unearthed a metal box containing the 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" in order to receive their next clue.

The clue instructed teams to go to Bögs Gård Farm in Väsby where they encountered the Roadblock, asking "Who thinks they can spot a needle in a haystack?". 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 one hundred and eighty-six hay bales to find one of seven flags (the Season 6 Roadblock had sisters Lena and Kristy searching for their clue for nearly ten hours). When teams found one of the flags, they were allowed to proceed to the nearby Pit Stop.

Leg 9 (Sweden → Estonia)

Airdate: November 15, 2009

Stockholm (Frihamnsterminalen (Swedish)) to Tallinn, Estonia (Port of Tallinn)

Tallinn (Mustpeade Maja (Estonian))

Tallinn (Saunabuss (Estonian))

Tallinn (Pikk Hermann Tower Gardens)

Keava (Keava Raba (Estonian))

Keava (Keava Raba Overlook Tower)

At the start of the leg, teams were given a set of keys along with their clue and instructed to travel to the capital city of Tallinn in Estonia. On arrival, Gary and Matt encountered the Speed Bump and had to find a Saunabuss parked nearby, strip naked, and spend five minutes in the sauna with some locals before they could continue racing.

In Tallinn, teams made their way to Mustpeade Maja, where they had to find the right key that would sound an alarm to open the door. Teams then found the clue which was for the Roadblock, asking teams "Who can solve a medieval mystery?". One team member went into the cellar of the Mustpeade Maja and participated in a ceremony of the Brotherhood of the Blackheads Guild. Team members took a candelabra with a room number attached to it from a table of revelers. When they found the 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.

This clue had these words on a scroll: Pikk Hermann Tower Gardens. The clue was the Detour: a choice 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. The clue directed them to Keava Raba Outlook Tower for the Pit Stop.

Leg 10 (Estonia → Czech Republic)

Airdate: November 22, 2009

Tallinn (Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport) to Prague, Czech Republic (Prague Václav Havel Airport)

Prague (Old Town Square)

Prague (Vltava – Kajaky Trója)

Prague (Estates Theatre)

Prague (Prague Castle)

At the start of the leg, teams were told to head to the city of Prague, Czech Republic. Upon arrival, teams had to head to Old Town Square and on arrival, locate a man in a vintage Praga who would give them their next clue.

Teams were instructed to head to the Vltava River and find Kajaky Trója where they searched for their Detour clue - giving them a choice between Fast & Furious or Slow & Steady. In Fast & Furious, teams had to row a kayak down a man-made 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 got a ribbon that had the next clue written on them.

With this clue, teams had to figure out that the words on their ribbons – Stavovské Divadlo – referred to the Estates Theatre, their next destination. On arrival, they encountered the Roadblock, where teams were asked "Who can remain composed under pressure?". 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 (which premiered at the theatre), who the handed them their next clue. This clue directed the teams to the Pit Stop at Prague Castle.

Leg 11 (Czech Republic)

Airdate: November 29, 2009

Prague (Spanish Synagogue)

Prague (M1 Lounge)

Prague (Ekotechnické Museum (Czech))

Prague (Kryocentrum (Czech))

Prague (Charles Bridge)

Prague (Old New Synagogue or Pivovar a Restaurace "U Fleků" (Czech) to Restaurace Kozička (Czech))

Prague (Střelecký Island (Czech))

At the start of the leg, teams were instructed to head to the Spanish Synagogue where they encountered their next clue. However, Brian and Ericka had to do the Speed Bump, and find the M1 Lounge, where each of them had to prepare and drink a traditional shot of absinthe before they could continue racing with the others.

The next clue instructed teams to travel to the Ekotechnické Museum for the Roadblock, asking "In order to attain the impossible, one must attempt the absurd". One team member entered the museum and searched 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 of 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 handed them the next clue.

This clue instructed temas to go to the Kryocentrum where they 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, sending them to the Charles Bridge. On arrival, they found the Detour clue, giving them a choice 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, he would hand them their next clue. In Lager, teams had to carry a total of thirty glasses of beer from a brewery called Pivovar a Restaurace "U Fleků" through the busy town square and deliver them to a bar called Restaurace Kozička to obtain their next clue. The clue directed them to the Pit Stop at Střelecký Island.

Leg 12 (Czech Republic → United States)

Airdate: December 6, 2009

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)

At the start of the leg, teams were told their final destination city: Las Vegas, Nevada. On arrival in Las Vegas, teams made their way to Graceland Wedding Chapel and had to search for the next clue right behind an Elvis Presley impersonator. The clue instructed teams to travel to Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino for the final Roadblock, where teams asked "Who's ready to climb down the mountain?". One team member had to rappel down the exterior of the Mandalay Bay hotel tower face-down in order to retrieve the next clue.

The clue after the Roadblock sent teams to The Mirage to find the 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 obtain their next clue.

This clue 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. Onon arrival, 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 received a chip worth $1,000,000 and their final clue. This task was incorrectly presented as a roadblock.

The clue teams received instructed them to the MGM Grand, where they had to find Suite 88 and would find Wayne Newton, who would tell them the location of the Finish Line: his house at Casa de Shenandoah.

Awards

In 2010, The Amazing Race 15 was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Reality Program during the 21st GLAAD Media Awards.