No. of legs 12 Continents visited 5 Number of legs 12 | Distance traveled 35,000 mi (56,000 km) Countries visited 9 | |
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Season Run February 25 (2015-02-25) – May 15, 2015 (2015-05-15) Filming dates November 12 (2014-11-12) – December 6, 2014 (2014-12-06) Winning team Laura Pierson & Tyler Adams |
The Amazing Race 26 is the 26th installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. In this installment, eleven teams of dating couples (six existing couples and five blind date teams who met for the first time at the start of the race) competed in a race around the world for a $1 million (USD) grand prize.The season premiered on CBS for the 2014–15 television season with a special 90-minute episode on Wednesday, February 25, 2015. Following the premiere, the program aired in the same time slot that the previous season of The Amazing Race took. The season finale aired on May 15, 2015.
Contents
- Development and filming
- Casting and contestants
- Marketing
- Results
- Prizes
- Episode title quotes
- Leg 1 United States Japan
- Leg 2 Japan
- Leg 3 Japan Thailand
- Leg 4 Thailand
- Leg 5 Thailand Germany
- Leg 6 Germany France Monaco
- Leg 7 France Namibia
- Leg 8 Namibia
- Leg 9 Namibia The Netherlands
- Leg 10 The Netherlands Peru
- Leg 11 Peru
- Leg 12 Peru United States
- Canadian ratings
- References
Blind date couple Laura Pierson & Tyler Adams, known as "Team SoCal," were the winners of the 26th season of The Amazing Race.
Development and filming
This season covered 35,000 miles (56,000 km), five continents, and eight countries, including visits to Japan, Thailand, Namibia, Germany, and for the first time Monaco. In some race segments, a special clue was available. Teams selecting the special clue received a Date Night reward, an opportunity to participate in a romantic activity.
The Save from the previous season returned for this season but was unaired, unclaimed, and unused. It could be obtained during the 3rd leg of the race by completing both sides of the detour.
For the second season in a row, four teams were going to compete in the final leg of the race. However, the host of the show, Phil Keoghan, eliminated one team in the middle of the final leg, leaving only three teams racing to the finish line for the $1 million grand prize.
In the beginning of each episode, the scene in which host Keoghan describes the country and pit stop, had been removed and was replaced by the team discussing what happened during the previous episode or a team having their date night before the next leg began.
Casting and contestants
The cast included Olympic couple Aly Dudek and Steven Langton, as well as New Kids on the Block member Jonathan Knight, racing with his boyfriend, Harley Rodriguez. This season was the first in the history of the American edition, or any international edition of the program, which did not include at least one all-female team. The reasons for not casting at least one lesbian dating couple, whether preexisting or blind date, are unknown.
In June 2015, Jackie Ibarra and Jeff Weldon were revealed as additional contestants to the show on the seventeenth season of fellow CBS reality show Big Brother; Keoghan introduced the pair to the game. Weldon was evicted third on Day 29. Ibarra was evicted eighth during a double eviction on Day 57, and became the second member of the jury.
Marketing
Travelocity and Ford continued their sponsorships with The Amazing Race. Fitbit became a new sponsor this season. Each team member received Fitbit devices, which were used in one of the tasks in Leg 10. This was also the last season to have Ford as a sponsor for the show.
Results
The following teams participated in the Race (listed along with their relationships and team names, as announced by CBS).
⋑ indicates that the team was U-Turned, but they used the second U-Turn on another team.
Prizes
The prize for each leg was awarded to the first place team for that corresponding leg of the race. The Date Night reward was a romantic activity at the next Pit Stop, and its invitation was found at random inside a clue envelope.
Episode title quotes
Episode titles are often taken from quotes made by the racers.
- "Great Way to Start a Relationship" – Hayley
- "I Got the Smartest Dude" – Jackie and Laura
- "#MurphysLaw" – Harley
- "The Great Amazing Nasty Race" – Hayley
- "Get in That Lederhosen, Baby" – Tyler
- "Smells Like a Million Bucks" – Tyler
- "Back in Business" – Hayley
- "Moment of Truth" – Tyler
- "Can I Get a Hot Tub!" – Tyler
- "Fruits of Our Labor" – Jenny
- "In It to Win It" – Tyler
- "Monster Truck Heroes" – Jenny
Leg 1 (United States → Japan)
Airdate: February 25, 2015
The first Detour of the Race was to choose between Syncing Steps or Samurai Sake. In Syncing Steps, teams traveled to Shinjuku Central Park to learn a series of synchronized "robotic" dance moves performed by members of World Order. Once World Order leader Genki Sudo judged their dance, he would deliver their next clue. In Samurai Sake, teams traveled to Nakano Sakaue Station Tavern, and were shown ten bottles of sake (tōkō, nanbubijin, okunomatsu, kanbe, yoshinogawa, michisakari, tsukasabotan, zaou, momokawa, shōchikubai). One team member had to take one of ten bottles of sake to a table of Samurais, while the other team member found the correct bottle from a much larger display of bottles. The teams received the next clue once they presented the correct bottle to the Samurais, and took a toast.
Leg 2 (Japan)
Airdate: February 27, 2015
This leg's Roadblock had one team member solve a yosegi (traditional puzzle box) that contained the password they would need to tell the guards to receive their next clue. One of the clue envelopes contained a "Date Night" reward to be used during the mandatory rest period.
In the leg's Blind Detour, only the task's names were delivered. In Share, teams made their way to the Takesan Donabe restaurant and had to feed each other a bowl of noodles, using only a pair of chopsticks sitting in front of a large fan. Once all the noodles were eaten, they would receive their next clue. In Chair, teams traveled to the M-Wave Olympic Arena. One team member sat on a chair mounted on a sled, the other team member pushed the chair around a speed skating track. After one lap, they switched places. Teams had to finish both laps in a combined time of no more than three minutes and fifty-five seconds for the coach to give next clue.
Leg 3 (Japan → Thailand)
Airdate: March 6, 2015
The Detour was a choice between Ski and Tree. In Ski, teams traveled to Phuket Wake Park, where each member had to ride one lap of the wave pool on a wakeboard. Once the lap was completed, they would get their next clue. In Tree, teams traveled to the Flying Hanuman restaurant where they dressed as waiters and delivered a full meal intact to customers by zip line. If they served the meals intact, they would receive their next clue.
Leg 4 (Thailand)
Airdate: March 13, 2015
For arriving last in the previous leg, Harley & Jonathan had to perform the Speed Bump and assemble a traditional Thai grasshopper made out of river reeds. Once done, they could continue racing. The Detour was a choice giving teams between two public forms of Thai transportation. In Wheel, teams traveled on foot to Sathon Road and then took a tuk tuk to the Snooker Club. Once there, they had to play snooker until they sank a red ball. Then, they received a bottle of milk for them to take to the Caturday Café, and give to the resident cats. Once the cats were fed, the café's owner gave the teams their next clue. In Water, teams traveled on foot to Sathon Pier and then took a water taxi to Wat Intharam Pier, where they searched for Wat Klang Food Market. At the market, each team member had to eat a thousand-year-old egg. Then, they received a metal placard clue sending them to the Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen temple to participate in a traditional Thai prayer before receiving their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock, the team member had to use power tools to remove the transmission from a faulty engine block. Inside was a screwdriver and the next clue was tucked inside that handle, one also contained a Date Night envelope.
Leg 5 (Thailand → Germany)
Airdate: April 3, 2015
This leg's Detour was a choice between Stein or Stack. In Stein, teams headed to the Wolfsee Halle restaurant and carried twenty-two full steins of beer and carefully delivered them all at once through the crowd. If they could deliver the mugs without dropping or spilling them, they would receive their next clue. In Stack, teams traveled to the grounds of Hasenöhrl-Hof and had to vertically stack fifteen empty beer crates with one team member standing on top of them. The team that could complete the stack without falling off, would get their next clue.
This leg's Roadblock was that one team member had to learn a Bavarian love song at the log house and then serenade their partner while perched on a ladder. If they could pronounce the words correctly and stay on key, they would receive their next clue. If they were incorrect, a bucket of water would be dumped on them and they would have to start over.
Leg 6 (Germany → France & Monaco)
Airdate: April 10, 2015
Teams left Hotel Pullman in Munich and traveled to Nice, France. This leg's Roadblock was a homage of Grace Kelly, one team member had to travel by foot and order a bouquet of roses at St Martin Gardens and a box of chocolates at Chocolaterie de Monaco. Then they delivered them to their partner waiting on a marked yacht at Port Hercules for their next clue.
After they won a game from a roulette wheel at Casino de Monte Carlo (see additional tasks below), teams had to take part in a Detour which was chosen for them. In Win By a Nose, teams had to make a bottle of perfume and cologne from Parfumerie Fragonard (French) using 12 essences to match the original scents and bring them to a judge, they then received their next clue. In Don't Slack Off, each team member had to zip-line 2,000 ft (610 m) above the city to La Turbie, then walk a tightrope back in order to receive their next clue.
Leg 7 (France → Namibia)
Airdate: April 17, 2015
Teams left Cap-d'Ail to start the leg. This leg's Roadblock had team members work with the Bushmen and build a traditional hut using wooden sticks and dried grass. Once the hut was completely built, a Bushman would give them their next clue. The teams then headed to the Ranger Headquarters and delivered a salt lick to the head ranger, who gave them their following clue.
The leg's Detour was a choice between Track or Pack. In Track, teams had to choose a truck and use a telemetric device consisting of an antenna and beacon to track down an elephant. When the elephant was located, the driver would give them their next clue. In Pack, teams worked as butchers where they cut slices of wildebeest meat, avoiding the bones, until they completely filled a bucket. They then boarded a truck and fed the meat to a pack of African wild dogs in order to receive their next clue.
Leg 8 (Namibia)
Airdate: April 17, 2015
The Speed Bump required Aly & Steve to make six toy planes from repurposed soda cans and assemble them properly. Once done, they could continue racing. The leg's Roadblock had a team member watch a briefcase drop from an airplane and retrieve it on foot, traveling nearly a mile to the marked area. After locating the briefcase, they walked to a hilltop to pick up the Travelocity Roaming Gnome and reunite with their partner at the starting point to open the briefcase with the clue inside.
This leg's Detour was a choice between Work or Play. In Work, teams had to help locals drag five tires attached to their marked vehicles to smooth 5 miles (8.0 km) of bumpy dirt road to the foreman's satisfaction. Once the task was complete, the foreman would hand them their next clue. In Play, teams had to do cross-country sand skiing through a series of sand dunes up a marked course, and then slide down on a sand board to Henrik May at the bottom, who gave them their next clue.
Leg 9 (Namibia → The Netherlands)
Airdate: April 24, 2015
This leg's Roadblock had a team member wear a traditional Dutch costume and search among hundreds of klompen (traditional wooden shoe) for one that exactly matched the one that was put on display in the store. Once they matched the pair, the cobbler handed them their next clue.
This leg's Detour was a choice of Soak or Shuffle. In Soak, teams had to pilot an electric-powered hot tub (known as Hot Tug) through the city's canals, while solving a rebus along the route. Once they wrote down the right answer, which was "Ice Skating Rink," they would receive their next clue. In Shuffle, teams had to play a traditional shuffleboard game called sjoelen and score 51 points in order to receive their next clue.
Leg 10 (The Netherlands → Peru)
Airdate: May 1, 2015
The Speed Bump required Matt & Ashley to use an old-fashioned typewriter to type a Llama Loan application. Once the forms were complete, they could continue racing. This leg's Roadblock had one team member harvest a section of sugarcane and chop down one row of crops from a field. Once they finished their row of crops, a farmer would give them their next clue and a bundle of sugarcane.
The leg's Detour was a choice between Mamas or Papas. In Mamas, teams had to walk through the busy streets of Otuzco Marketplace (Mercado Central) to find five different shops and purchase nine ingredients of Peruvian moonshine brew from a provided recipe, then deliver them to an elderly lady known as La Señora de La Chicha. She would trade the ingredients for a glass of moonshine that they would drink until getting their next clue. In "Papas," teams went to a lush potato field and sorted out a pile of potatoes by variety, eventually delivering them to a market and displaying each type of potato in a separate bin, arranging them to the vendor's approval. Once these potatoes were perfectly arranged, the potato vendor would give them their next clue.
Leg 11 (Peru)
Airdate: May 8, 2015
This leg's Detour was a choice between Shake Your Hips or Make Some Bricks. In Shake Your Hips, teams dressed in dancing costumes and were taught the marinera dance. After they performed with approving satisfaction from a head judge, they would get their next clue. In Make Some Bricks, teams traveled to the famous Chan Chan ruins where they needed to make twelve wet bricks from mud and sand. Once all twelve bricks were completed to the workers' specifications, they then used a wheelbarrow to transport the twelve dry bricks to a work site. Once the delivery was complete, a foreman gave them their next clue.
This leg's Roadblock had both team members pick up caballito de totora, then carry them to the beach on foot. Once there, one team member needed to paddle out to a buoy to get their next clue.
Leg 12 (Peru → United States)
Airdate: May 15, 2015
The final leg's first Roadblock had a team member dress in a Dallas Cowboys uniform, then get harnessed and pulled to the very top of the Stadium, where they then collected a football playbook. Once returned to the ground, they had to catch a touchdown pass and score a field goal to receive their next clue.
The final Roadblock of the Race had the team member that did not perform the previous Roadblock rappel from the top of Reunion Tower, and spot a row of yellow and red flags on the way down. They then marked a railroad shed near the Trinity River for the next task.
Canadian ratings
Canadian broadcaster CTV also airs The Amazing Race on Fridays. Episodes air at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and Central (9:00 p.m. Pacific, Mountain and Atlantic).
Canadian DVR ratings are included in Numeris' count.