''The Amazing Race 16'' is the sixteenth season of the American

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1 ...

show ''

The Amazing Race ''The Amazing Race'' is an adventure reality game show franchise in which teams of two people race around the world in competition with other teams. The ''Race'' is split into legs, with teams tasked to deduce clues, navigate themselves in fore ...

''. It featured eleven teams of two competing in a race around the world. The season premiered on CBS on Sunday, February 14, 2010, and the finale aired on May 9, 2010. In Canada, the show premiered on the

A-Channel A-Channel (proposed as The Alberta Channel) was a Canadian television system initially owned by Craig Media from September 1997 to 2004, then by CHUM Limited from 2004 to 2005 through A-Channel, Inc. It consisted of Craig's television stations in ...

instead of

CTV CTV may refer to: Television * Connected TV, or Smart TV, a TV set with integrated internet North America and South America * CTV Television Network, a Canadian television network owned by Bell Media ** CTV 2, a secondary Canadian televisio ...

due to the

2010 Winter Olympics )'' , nations = 82 , athletes = 2,626 , events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = February 12, 2010 , closing = February 28, 2010 , opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean , cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy Greene Wayne G ...

, but it returned to CTV after the Winter Olympics concluded. Brothers Dan and Jordan Pious were the winners of this season, while

cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the '' vaqu ...

brothers Jet McCoy and Cord McCoy finished in second place, and models Brent Horne and Caite Upton finished in third.

Production

Development and filming

The sixteenth season spanned across five continents and nine countries, including a first-time visit to the

Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, ...

. Racers were observed leaving

Los Angeles International Airport Los Angeles International Airport , commonly referred to as LAX (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles, California and its surrounding metropolitan area. LAX is located in the ...

on November 28, 2009. Racers checked into a pit stop in

Puerto Varas, Chile Puerto Varas, also known as "La ciudad de las rosas" or “the city of roses”, is a city and commune located in the southern Chilean province of Llanquihue, in the Los Lagos Region. The city is famous for its German traditions, its natural en ...

, on December 2, 2009. Filming of the show also was reported in

Bariloche San Carlos de Bariloche, usually known as Bariloche (), is a city in the province of Río Negro, Argentina, situated in the foothills of the Andes on the southern shores of Nahuel Huapi Lake. It is located within the Nahuel Huapi National Park. ...

, Argentina, and Germany. Production crews were reported in

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

, particularly in the Bugis area and the Singapore Flyer. In the episode which aired on February 28, 2010, and featured the contestants departing

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...

Phil Keoghan Philip John Keoghan ( ; born 31 May 1967) is a New Zealand television personality, best known for hosting the American version of ''The Amazing Race'' on CBS, since its 2001 debut. He is the creator and host of '' No Opportunity Wasted'', whi ...

acknowledged the February 27, 2010, Chilean earthquake in a special opening. Leg 4 featured an

Intersection In mathematics, the intersection of two or more objects is another object consisting of everything that is contained in all of the objects simultaneously. For example, in Euclidean geometry, when two lines in a plane are not parallel, thei ...

for the first time since season 11. Additionally, teams did a Roadblock together for the first time, where one person from each of the Intersected teams worked together to complete the Roadblock.

Casting

Applications were originally due on July 10, 2009, but the deadline was extended. Semi-finalist interviews were held in August 2009 and the final casting interviews took place in Los Angeles in September and October 2009. Filming took place in November and December 2009.

Cast

Notable cast members included '' Big Brother 11'' HouseGuests Jordan Lloyd and

Jeff Schroeder Jeffrey Kim Schroeder (born February 4, 1974, Los Angeles, California) is an American musician who plays guitar in the alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins—initially replacing co-founder James Iha in 2007 and remaining in the band aft ...

, professional bull rider Cord McCoy, and

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central division. Since , they have ...

third-base coach Steve Smith. Caite Upton was the 2007 Miss South Carolina Teen USA, who gained international notoriety after giving a convoluted response to a question asked to her during the Miss Teen USA 2007 pageant. ;Future appearances Jet & Cord raced again in '' The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business''. They raced again in '' The Amazing Race: All Stars''. Jordan & Jeff competed on '' Big Brother 13'' a year after this season. The two returned to the ''Big Brother'' house three years later on the thirty-third episode of '' Big Brother 16'', where they got engaged. In 2015, they also appeared on '' Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars 3''. On May 24, 2016, Jeff Schroeder appeared on a ''Big Brother''-themed primetime special of '' The Price is Right''. Jeff also appeared on the second episode of '' Big Brother: Over the Top'' to host a Power of Veto competition and on the penultimate episode of '' Big Brother 20''.

Results

The following teams are listed with their placements in each leg. Placements are listed in finishing order. *A placement with a dagger () indicates that the team was eliminated. *An placement with a double-dagger () indicates that the team was the last to arrive at a pit stop in a non-elimination leg, and had to perform a Speed Bump task in the following leg. *A indicates that the team won the Fast Forward. *A indicates that the team used the U-Turn and a indicates the team on the receiving end of the U-Turn. *A indicates that the teams encountered an Intersection. ;Notes

Race summary

Leg 1 (United States → Chile)

*Episode 1: "Nanna Is Kickin' Your Butt" (February 14, 2010) *Prize: A trip for two to

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The ...

(awarded to Jordan & Jeff) *Eliminated: Dana & Adrian ;Locations *

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

( Vista Hermosa Natural Park) (Starting Line) * Los Angeles →

* Los Angeles →

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whos ...

* Santiago →

Valparaíso Valparaíso (; ) is a major city, seaport, naval base, and educational centre in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. "Greater Valparaíso" is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about northwest of Santiago ...

*Valparaíso ( Ascensor Villaseca ') * Valparaíso ( Ascensor Artillería) *Valparaíso (Paseo Templeman) *Valparaíso (

Palacio Baburizza Palacio Baburizza is the former residence of Croatian businessman Pascual Baburizza located in Valparaíso, Chile. It was built in 1916 by Italian architects, and eventually turned into a museum in 1971, and declared a historic monument in 1976. ...

) ;Episode summary *Teams set off from Vista Hermosa Natural Park in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

, and had to travel by public transportation to

, where they booked one of two

American Airlines American Airlines is a major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the largest airline in the world when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and revenue passeng ...

flights to

Santiago, Chile Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...

. The first three teams received tickets on a flight that would have departed one hour ahead of the second flight; however, due to a mechanical failure on the first flight, those three teams were re-booked on the second flight with the remaining teams. After arriving in Santiago, teams had to travel by bus to

. * In this season's first Roadblock, one team member had to cross a

tightrope Tightrope walking, also called funambulism, is the skill of walking along a thin wire or rope. It has a long tradition in various countries and is commonly associated with the circus. Other skills similar to tightrope walking include slack rope ...

the length of a football field () suspended above the ground to the end of the valley, where they found their next clue. *After completing the Roadblock, teams had to take a

funicular A funicular (, , ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite ...

down the mountain to find their next clue. *At the Paseo Templeman, teams had to pick up painting supplies and find a group of house painters next to a house matching the color of their paint. Once at the house, they had to finish painting a portion of the house in order to receive their next clue. *Teams had to check in at the pit stop: the

in Valparaíso. ;Additional notes *Dana & Adrian were unable to complete the Roadblock. After all of the other teams had already checked in at the pit stop, Phil came out to the Roadblock to inform them of their elimination.

Leg 2 (Chile)

*Episode 2: "When the Cow Kicked Me in the Head" (February 21, 2010) *Prize: A pair of sailboats (awarded to Jet & Cord) *Eliminated: Jody & Shannon ;Locations *

(

) * Valparaíso →

* Santiago → Puerto Varas *

Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park () is located in Los Lagos Region, Llanquihue Province, of Chile. Its western entrance is close to the Ensenada locality, northeast of the provincial capital of Puerto Montt, and from Puerto Varas along Ruta ...

(Hotel Petrohué) →

Todos los Santos Lake Lake Todos los Santos (Spanish for "All Saints Lake") is a lake located in the Los Lagos Region of southern Chile, 96 km northeast of the regional capital Puerto Montt and 76 km east of Puerto Varas, within the boundaries of the Vicent ...

(Isla Margarita – Mirador) *Puerto Varas (Onces y Cabañas Bellavista) *Puerto Varas ( Iglesia del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús ' – Gruta de la Virgen) ;Episode summary *At the beginning of this leg, teams had to travel by bus back to

before boarding another bus to Puerto Varas. Once there, teams had to drive themselves to the Hotel Petrohué and then take a boat to Isla Margarita on

in order to find their next clue. * This season's first Detour was a choice between Llama Adoration or Condor Consternation. In Llama Adoration, teams traveled by boat to a farm where they had to properly dress a

llama The llama (; ) (''Lama glama'') is a domesticated South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since the Pre-Columbian era. Llamas are social animals and live with others as a herd. Their wool is soft ...

in order to receive their next clue. In Condor Consternation, teams traveled by boat to a beach where they used

hang glider Hang gliding is an air sport or recreational activity in which a pilot flies a light, non-motorised foot-launched heavier-than-air aircraft called a hang glider. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium alloy or composite frame covered ...

-like

condor Condor is the common name for two species of New World vultures, each in a monotypic genus. The name derives from the Quechua ''kuntur''. They are the largest flying land birds in the Western Hemisphere. They are: * The Andean condor (''Vu ...

costumes to "fly" to their next clue in the water. *After completing the Detour, teams had to travel back to Puerto Varas and then make their way to the Onces y Cabañas Bellavista, where they found their next clue. * In this leg's Roadblock, teams had to collect the ingredients to make

Kuchen Kuchen (), the German word for cake, is used in other languages as the name for several different types of savory or sweet desserts, pastries, and gateaux. Most Kuchen have eggs, flour and sugar as common ingredients while also, but not always ...

– including a plate of butter, a bowl of sugar, a bag of flour, a baker's dozen of eggs from a hen house, and a cup of milk from a cow – and then deliver them to the baker in order to receive a serving of Kuchen and their next clue. *Teams had to check in at the pit stop: the Iglesia del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús in Puerto Varas.

Leg 3 (Chile → Argentina)

*Episode 3: "Run Like Scalded Dogs!" (February 28, 2010) *Prize: A trip for two to

Patagonia Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and g ...

(awarded to Jet & Cord) *Eliminated: Monique & Shawne ;Locations * Puerto Varas ( Iglesia del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús ' – Gruta de la Virgen) * Puerto Varas →

San Carlos de Bariloche San Carlos de Bariloche, usually known as Bariloche (), is a city in the province of Río Negro, Argentina, situated in the foothills of the Andes on the southern shores of Nahuel Huapi Lake. It is located within the Nahuel Huapi National Park ...

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...

* Nahuel Huapi (El Boliche Viejo) *Nahuel Huapi (Peña Gaucha) *

Ñirihuau Ñirihuau is a village and municipality in Río Negro Province in Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an are ...

(Puente Ñirihuau) *

Neuquén Province Neuquén () is a province of Argentina, located in the west of the country, at the northern end of Patagonia. It borders Mendoza Province to the north, Rio Negro Province to the southeast, and Chile to the west. It also meets La Pampa Provinc ...

(Estancia Fortin Chacabuco) ;Episode summary *At the beginning of this leg, teams were instructed to travel by bus to San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina. Once there, teams had to make their way to El Boliche Viejo in Nahuel Huapi. Teams had to win a game of five-card stud against a Travelocity Roaming Gnome in order to receive the gnome with their next clue on its base, which directed them to the Peña Gaucha. Teams had to keep their gnome with them for the remainder of the leg. * In this leg's Roadblock, one team member used a lasso to rope a target away and pull it toward them in order to receive their next clue. *After completing the Roadblock, teams had to travel to Puente

in order to find their next clue. * This leg's Detour was a choice between Horse Sense or Horse Power. In Horse Sense, teams were given a set of directions and, using only a stationary compass, had to find a bag of loot buried in a field. They then delivered the bag to a bandit, and if the markings on their bag matched the coordinates given to them, he gave the team a

coin A coin is a small, flat (usually depending on the country or value), round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order ...

imprinted with the name of the pit stop. In Horse Power, teams went to a

polo Polo is a ball game played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small ha ...

field and, using a wooden practice horse, had to score a goal within nine strokes in order to receive a

trophy A trophy is a tangible, durable reminder of a specific achievement, and serves as a recognition or evidence of merit. Trophies are often awarded for sporting events, from youth sports to professional level athletics. In many sports medals (or, i ...

imprinted with the name of the pit stop. *Teams had to check in at the pit stop: Estancia Fortin Chacabuco in

Leg 4 (Argentina → Germany)

*Episode 4: "We Are No Longer in the Bible Belt" (March 7, 2010) *Prize: Two US$5,000 pre-loaded

Discover Card Discover is a credit card brand issued primarily in the United States. It was introduced by Sears in 1985. When launched, Discover did not charge an annual fee and offered a higher-than-normal credit limit, features that were disruptive to the ...

s (awarded to Louie & Michael) ;Locations *

(Estancia Fortin Chacabuco) *

→

Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on it ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

* Frankfurt →

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...

*Hamburg ( Jungfernstieg) *Hamburg (

Port of Hamburg The Port of Hamburg (german: Hamburger Hafen, ) is a seaport on the river Elbe in Hamburg, Germany, from its mouth on the North Sea. Known as Germany's "Gateway to the World" (''Tor zur Welt''), it is the country's largest seaport by volume ...

) *Hamburg ( Altonaer Rathaus ' – Kaiser Wilhelm I Statue) *Hamburg ( Adolf-Jäger-Kampfbahn Stadium ' Alt-Hamburger Bürgerhaus) *Hamburg ( Haifischbar ') *Hamburg ( Beatles-Platz) *Hamburg ( Reeperbahn – Indra Musikclub) ;Episode summary *At the beginning of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to

Frankfurt, Germany Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its ...

, and then travel by train to

. * After arriving in Hamburg, teams had to make their way to the Jungfernstieg, where they encountered an Intersection, which required two teams to join together to complete all tasks until further notice. The teams were paired up thusly: Dan & Jordan and Carol & Brandy, Jet & Cord and Louie & Michael, Brent & Caite and Jordan & Jeff, and Steve & Allie and Joe & Heidi. * In this leg's Roadblock, one member from each of the newly-joined teams had to take the

S-Bahn The S-Bahn is the name of hybrid urban-suburban rail systems serving a metropolitan region in German-speaking countries. Some of the larger S-Bahn systems provide service similar to rapid transit systems, while smaller ones often resemble c ...

to the

and complete a tandem bungee jump in order to receive their next clue, which they couldn't open until they reunited with their partners. At this point, teams were no longer joined. *After completing the Roadblock, teams had to find the Kaiser Wilhelm I Statue at the Altonaer Rathaus in order to find their next clue. * This leg's Detour was a choice between Soccer or Sauerkraut. In Soccer, teams traveled to the Adolf-Jäger-Kampfbahn Stadium and had to kick soccer balls from the penalty mark through five targets located in the goal in order to receive their next clue. In Sauerkraut, teams traveled to Alt-Hamburger Bürgerhaus restaurant and had to eat a plate of

sauerkraut Sauerkraut (; , "sour cabbage") is finely cut raw cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. It has a long shelf life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid formed when the bacteria ...

while a band played a song called the "Sauerkraut Polka". Teams had to finish the plate before the end of the song in order to receive their next clue. If the song ended before teams finished, they had to start over with a new plate of sauerkraut. *After completing the Detour, teams had to make their way to the Haifischbar, where each team had to drink a

boot of beer Beer glassware comprise vessels made of glass, designed or commonly used for serving and drinking beer. Styles of glassware vary in accord with national or regional traditions; legal or customary requirements regarding serving measures and fill ...

in order to receive their next clue. Teams were directed to the Beatles-Platz, and then had to search through Hamburg's

red-light district A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light districts are partic ...

in order to find the pit stop: the Indra Musikclub. ;Additional notes *This was a non-elimination leg.

Leg 5 (Germany → France)

*Episode 5: "I Think We're Fighting the Germans, Right?" (March 14, 2010) *Prize: Two 55" HD TVs (awarded to Louie & Michael) *Eliminated: Joe & Heidi ;Locations * Hamburg → Les Monthairons,

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

*Les Monthairons ( Château des Monthairons ') * Sainte-Menehould (Boulangerie Defontaine) * Massiges ( La Main de Massiges ') * Massiges (Church of Massiges) → Wargemoulin-Hurlus ( Mairie) ;Episode summary *During the pit stop, all teams boarded a bus and traveled from

to an unknown destination ( Les Monthairons, France). Teams began the leg at the Château des Monthairons and were instructed to purchase a fresh baguette at the Boulangerie Defontaine. Their next clue was baked into the baguette. * This leg's Detour was a choice between In the Trenches or Under Fire. For both tasks, teams dressed as

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

-era American soldiers. In In the Trenches, teams traveled through

trenches A trench is a type of excavation or in the ground that is generally deeper than it is wide (as opposed to a wider gully, or ditch), and narrow compared with its length (as opposed to a simple hole or pit). In geology, trenches result from erosi ...

to a

telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...

, where they deciphered a message in

Morse code Morse code is a method used in telecommunication to encode text characters as standardized sequences of two different signal durations, called ''dots'' and ''dashes'', or ''dits'' and ''dahs''. Morse code is named after Samuel Morse, one ...

– ''"We will prevail; Vive la France"'' – and presented their deciphered message to the French sergeant in exchange for the next clue. In Under Fire, teams crawled under

barbed wire A close-up view of a barbed wire Roll of modern agricultural barbed wire Barbed wire, also known as barb wire, is a type of steel fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strands. Its primary use is ...

to receive a message – ''"The war is over; Vive la liberté"'' – from a man in a

foxhole Foxhole may refer to: * Foxhole, a type of defensive fighting position constructed in a military context * Foxholes, Hertford, an eastern suburb of Hertford * Foxholes, North Yorkshire, a village and civil parish in Northern England * Foxhole, Cor ...

. They then crawled back to present the message to the sergeant. After completing either task, teams had to send their message to "headquarters" via

carrier pigeon The homing pigeon, also called the mail pigeon or messenger pigeon, is a variety of domestic pigeons (''Columba livia domestica'') derived from the wild rock dove, selectively bred for its ability to find its way home over extremely long distan ...

in order to receive their next clue. * For their Speed Bump, Jordan & Jeff had to reinforce a trench wall with branches before they could continue racing. *After completing the Detour, teams had to travel to the Church of Massiges, where they changed out of their

doughboy Doughboy was a popular nickname for the American infantryman during World War I. Though the origins of the term are not certain, the nickname was still in use as of the early 1940s. Examples include the 1942 song "Johnny Doughboy Found a Rose i ...

gear and into inaugural Tour de France bicycling gear, and then rode on antique bicycles along a course to the pit stop: the town hall of Wargemoulin-Hurlus. ;Additional notes * Louie & Michael chose to use the U-Turn on Joe & Heidi. *Joe & Heidi failed to complete the second Detour option that they had to do as a result of being U-Turned. After all of the other teams had already checked in at the pit stop, Phil came out to the Detour location to inform them of their elimination.

Leg 6 (France)

*Episode 6: "Cathy Drone?" (March 21, 2010) *Prize: A trip for two to Cancún, Mexico (awarded to Louie & Michael) *Eliminated: Jordan & Jeff ;Locations * Massiges (La Main de Massiges) *

Reims Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne. Founded b ...

(

Reims Cathedral , image = Reims Kathedrale.jpg , imagealt = Facade, looking northeast , caption = Façade of the cathedral, looking northeast , pushpin map = France , pushpin map alt = Location within France , ...

–

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronat ...

Statue) *

Épernay Épernay () is a commune in the Marne department of northern France, 130 km north-east of Paris on the mainline railway to Strasbourg. The town sits on the left bank of the Marne at the extremity of the Cubry valley which crosses it. Ép ...

(Leclerc Briant) *

Pierry Pierry () is a commune in the Marne department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographic ...

( Château de la Marquetterie ') *Épernay (l'ORCCA – La Maison Gallice) ;Episode summary *At the beginning of this leg, teams had to find a woman playing a

musical saw A musical saw, also called a singing saw, is a hand saw used as a musical instrument. Capable of continuous glissando ( portamento), the sound creates an ethereal tone, very similar to the theremin. The musical saw is classified as a plaq ...

outside the

in order to receive their next clue: a

cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

from a bottle of Leclerc Briant, whose

winery A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, ...

was their next destination. * In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to

rappel Abseiling ( ; ), also known as rappelling ( ; ), is the controlled descent of a steep slope, such as a rock face, by moving down a rope. When abseiling the person descending controls their own movement down the rope, in contrast to low ...

into the

chalk Chalk is a soft, white, porous, sedimentary carbonate rock. It is a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite and originally formed deep under the sea by the compression of microscopic plankton that had settled to the sea floor. C ...

cellars of Leclerc Briant's winery and search for a bottle of

champagne Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...

marked with a small yellow and red striped flag amongst the

riddling The traditional method is the process used in the Champagne region of France to produce Champagne. It is also the method used in various French regions to produce sparkling wines (not called “Champagne”), in Spain to produce Cava, in Portu ...

racks. Once they found the bottle, they returned to the surface and used a traditional

sabrage Sabrage is a technique for opening a champagne bottle with a saber, used for ceremonial occasions. The wielder slides the saber along the body seam of the bottle to the lip to break the top of the neck away, leaving the neck of the bottle open an ...

technique to open the bottle, the force of which propelled out their next clue. *After completing the Roadblock, teams had to travel to the Château de la Marquetterie in

, where they found their next clue. * This leg's Detour was a choice between Tower or Terra. In Tower, teams had to stack champagne saucers into a 15-level pyramid with only one glass on the top level, and then pour the entire contents of a magnum of champagne onto the top of the pyramid without breaking any of the glasses in order to receive their next clue. In Terra, teams had to search the

vineyard A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineyard ...

s for a cluster of wine grapes marked with an ''Amazing Race'' flag, which they could exchange for their next clue. *Teams had to check in at the pit stop: La Maison Gallice in

Leg 7 (France → Seychelles)

Aldabrachelys gigantea -La Digue Island, Seychelles-8

*Episode 7: "Anonymous?" (March 28, 2010) *Prize: A dinner on the beach and massages in the

, and $7,000 for each team member (awarded to Steve & Allie) ;Locations *

(l'ORCCA – La Maison Gallice) *

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

→ Victoria,

Pointe La Rue Pointe La Rue () is an administrative district of Seychelles located in the eastern region of the island of Mahé. The district has an area of 3.9 km2. Its population rose from 3086 (census of 2002) to 3172 (2009 estimate). The district is ...

→ L'Union *L'Union (L'Union Estate) * La Passe → St. Pierre Island * St. Pierre Island →

Praslin Praslin () is the second largest island (38.5 km2) of the Inner Seychelles, lying northeast of Mahé in the Somali Sea. Praslin has a population of around 7,533 people and comprises two administrative districts: Baie Sainte Anne and Gran ...

*Anse Volbert (Paradise Sun Hotel) ;Episode summary *At the beginning of this leg, teams were instructed to fly from

to the

. After arriving in Victoria, teams had to find a marked kiosk in the airport and take a number. The first three teams could then board one of three helicopters leaving at the same time to the island of La Digue. The last three teams departed one hour later. * This leg's Detour was a choice between Turtle Toddle or Ox Trot. In Turtle Toddle, teams used a banana to lure a , 100-year-old giant tortoise across a marked path on a lawn. Once the turtle crossed the finish line, both team members had to deliver a bunch of bananas to a fruit merchant away in order to receive their next clue. In Ox Trot, teams pulled a cart to a clearing where they had to load a pile of

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the f ...

s. After an ox was hitched to their cart, teams had to deliver the coconuts to the same fruit merchant in order to receive their clue. If teams lost any of their coconuts, they had to retrieve them in order to complete the task. *After finishing the Detour, teams had to swim to a marked boat and travel to a buoy near St. Pierre Island, where the captain gave them their next clue. * In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to dive into the ocean and retrieve one of seven bottles tied to a platform in the water. *After finishing the Roadblock, teams were taken to near the shoreline of

and had to swim to land. Once on shore, teams had to empty the contents of their bottle to reveal a puzzle map that, when assembled, led them to the pit stop at the Paradise Sun Hotel. ;Additional notes *Due to limited availability of flights, teams were provided tickets on the same flight to the Seychelles. *This was a non-elimination leg.

Leg 8 (Seychelles → Malaysia)

*Episode 8: "You're Like Jason Bourne, Right?" (April 4, 2010) *Prize: A trip for two to

Maui, Hawaii The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, whic ...

(awarded to Jet & Cord) *Eliminated: Steve & Allie ;Locations *Anse Volbert (Paradise Sun Hotel) * Baie Saint Anne → Victoria * Victoria → George Town,

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...

Bayan Lepas Bayan Lepas is a town in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is located within the Southwest Penang Island District, near the southeastern tip of Penang Island. Founded in the 19th century, Bayan Lepas has various industries. History Bayan Le ...

( Snake Temple) *George Town ( Tien Kong Than Temple

Esplanade An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cl ...

) *

Teluk Bahang Teluk Bahang is a town within the city of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is located within the Southwest Penang Island District, near the northwestern tip of Penang Island. Established as a fishing village, Teluk Bahang has evo ...

(Kuil Sri Singamuga Kaliamman) *Teluk Bahang (Tropical Spice Garden) *George Town (

Pinang Peranakan Mansion The Pinang Peranakan Mansion ( ms, Rumah Agam Peranakan Pulau Pinang) in George Town, Penang, Malaysia, is a museum dedicated to Penang's Peranakan heritage. The museum itself is housed within a distinctive green-hued mansion at Church Street, G ...

) ;Episode summary *At the beginning of this leg, teams were instructed to travel by boat to Victoria, and then fly to

George Town, Malaysia ) , short_description = Capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang , image_map = , map_caption = Location of George Town in Penang , pushpin_map = Penang#Malaysia#Asia#Earth , pushpin_maps ...

. Once in George Town, teams had to make their way to the Snake Temple, where they found their next clue. * This leg's Detour was a choice between Buddhist Tradition or Chinese Custom. In Buddhist Tradition, teams traveled to the Tien Kong Than Temple and carried a series of joss sticks to the top of the temple. After arranging them in the proper order, teams lit them and then received their next clue. In Chinese Custom, teams traveled to the

, where they participated in the

Chinese New Year Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar and solar Chinese calendar. In Chinese and other East Asian cultures, the festival is commonly referred to as the Spring Festival () a ...

tradition of balancing large flags on their foreheads and running across the esplanade. After both team members made it across the esplanade without letting their flags fall, they received their next clue. *After completing the Detour, teams had to travel to Kuil Sri Singamuga Kaliamman in

, where they found their next clue. * In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to prepare a traditional

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

offering called a float by breaking open several

s in order to find one that had colored flesh. They then had to build the float and give it to the waiting Gurukkal, who sent it out to sea and then gave racers their next clue. * For their Speed Bump, Jet & Cord traveled to the Tropical Spice Garden, where they found a woman crushing spices for tea. Then, by smell, they had to choose the correct prepared tea and serve it to a

guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan- Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential ...

sitting on a swing. Once the guru finished drinking the tea, they could continue racing. *Teams had to check in at the pit stop: the

in George Town.

Leg 9 (Malaysia → Singapore)

*Episode 9: "Dumb Did Us In" (April 11, 2010) *Prize: A pair of motorcycles (awarded to Dan & Jordan) *Eliminated: Carol & Brandy ;Locations * George Town (

) *

Sungai Nibong Sungai Nibong is a residential neighbourhood near the eastern coast of Penang Island in Malaysia, about south of the centre of George Town, Penang's capital city. The neighbourhood, within the Northeast Penang Island and Southwest Penang Islan ...

→

Kuala Lumpur , anthem = ''Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , sub ...

* Kuala Lumpur →

*Singapore (

Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall The Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall is a performing arts centre in the Central Area of Singapore, situated along Empress Place. It is a complex of two buildings and a clock tower joined together by a common corridor; the oldest part of the ...

) *Singapore ( Singapore Flyer) *Singapore ( Speakers' Corner Rochor Road) *Singapore (

Istana Park The Istana Park is a park in Singapore, located in the Museum Planning Area within the Central Area, Singapore's central business district. The park is bounded by Orchard Road, Penang Road, Penang Lane and Buyong Road. The park is a landmar ...

) *Singapore (ASL Marine Shipyard) *Singapore (

Sentosa Sentosa Island, known mononymously as Sentosa, and formerly ''Pulau Belakang Mati'', is an island located off the southern coast of Singapore's main island. The island is separated from the main island of Singapore by a channel of water, the K ...

– MegaZip Adventure Park) *Singapore (

Marina Barrage Marina Barrage is a dam in southern Singapore built at the confluence of five rivers, across the Marina Channel between Marina East and Marina South. First conceptualised in 1987 by then prime minister Lee Kuan Yew to help achieve greater self ...

) ;Episode summary *At the beginning of this leg, teams were instructed to travel by bus to

Kuala Lumpur , anthem = ''Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , sub ...

and then by train to

. Once in Singapore, teams had to make their way to the

, where they had to find

Allan Wu Allan Wu (, born on June 11, 1972) is a Singapore-based Chinese-American actor, host, VJ and former model. He is perhaps best known for being the host of 3 different editions of the popular reality game show, ''The Amazing Race''. He was the h ...

, the host of ''

The Amazing Race Asia ''The Amazing Race Asia'' is an Asian adventure reality game show based on the international ''Amazing Race'' franchise. Following the premise of other versions of the format, the show follows teams of two as they race across Asia and around the ...

'', who gave them their next clue. * In this season's only Fast Forward, one team traveled to the Singapore Flyer, where they had to climb out of an observation pod at the top of the

Ferris wheel A Ferris wheel (also called a Giant Wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondolas, capsule ...

and cross a ladder to the next pod. Dan & Jordan won the Fast Forward. * This leg's Detour was a choice between Pounding The Drums or Pounding The Pavement. In Pounding The Drums, teams traveled to Speakers' Corner, where they had to learn a complex drum routine for a

lion dance F Lion dance () is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture and other Asian countries in which performers mimic a lion's movements in a lion costume to bring good luck and fortune. The lion dance is usually performed during the Chinese New Y ...

performance and correctly perform the routine with a dance troupe in order to receive their next clue. In Pounding The Pavement, teams traveled to an open area on Rochor Road, where they had to deliver supplies to a marked ice cream cart and sell twenty-five Singaporean-style ice cream sandwiches in order to receive their next clue. *After completing the Detour, teams were instructed to find their next clue at the intersection of their "last pit stop city" (Penang) and

Orchard Road Orchard Road, often known colloquially as simply Orchard, is a major –long road in the Central Area of Singapore. Known as a famous tourist attraction, it is an upscale shopping area of Singapore, with numerous internationally renowned depa ...

, sending them to

at the intersection of Penang Road and Orchard Road. * In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to inspect an

anchor An anchor is a device, normally made of metal , used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ''ancora'', which itself comes from the Greek � ...

chain by counting the number of links, while dealing with noise created by the workers at the port and announcements from a loudspeaker, and write the correct number down on a clipboard in order to receive their next clue. *After completing the Roadblock, teams had to make their way to the MegaZip Adventure Park and ride the MegaZip, a long

zip-line A zip-line, zip line, zip-wire, flying fox, or death slide is a pulley suspended on a cable, usually made of stainless steel, mounted on a slope. It is designed to enable cargo or a person propelled by gravity to travel from the top to the bo ...

, in order to receive their next clue. *Teams had to check in at the pit stop: the

in Singapore. ;Additional notes * Brent & Caite chose to use the U-Turn on Carol & Brandy.

Leg 10 (Singapore → China)

*Episode 10: "I Feel Like I'm in, Like, Sicily" (April 25, 2010) *Prize: A trip for two to

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U ...

(awarded to Jet & Cord) ;Locations *

(

) * Singapore →

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Chinese, Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four Direct-administered municipalities of China, direct-administered municipalities of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

*Shanghai (

Zhujiajiao Zhujiajiao (; Shanghainese: ''Chukakoq'') is an ancient town located in the Qingpu District of Shanghai. The population of Zhujiajiao is 60,000. Zhujiajiao is a water town on the outskirts of Shanghai, and was established about 1,700 years ago. ...

) *Shanghai ( Tianzifang – Deke Erh Art Center) *Shanghai ( Hongkou Football Stadium) * Shanghai (

Shanghai Science and Technology Museum Shanghai Science and Technology Museum is a large museum in Pudong, Shanghai, close to Century Park, the largest park within the inner districts of the city.

) ;Episode summary *At the beginning of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to

Shanghai, China Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...

. Once in Shanghai, teams had to make their way to

and travel on foot to a boat dock, where they rode a boat to their next clue. * In this leg's first Roadblock, one team member had to make of lamian noodles in order to receive their next clue from

He Pingping He Pingping (; 13 July 1988 – 13 March 2010) was a Chinese citizen and, according to the ''Guinness World Records'', at one time the world's shortest mobile man. Early and personal life Pingping measured tall, and was the third child of a ...

, the world's shortest man. *After completing the first Roadblock, teams had to travel to the Deke Erh Art Center in Tianzifang, where they entered a fashion studio and chose a sketch of an outfit. They then had to choose the correct pieces of clothing as shown in the sketch and give them to a

fashion model A model is a person with a role either to promote, display or advertise commercial products (notably fashion clothing in fashion shows) or to serve as a visual aid for people who are creating works of art or to pose for photography. Thoug ...

to wear. If they chose the right clothing and accessories, the fashion designer gave them their next clue, which sent teams to Hongkou Football Stadium. * In this leg's second Roadblock, the team member who did not perform the previous Roadblock had to assemble a 96-piece puzzle and give the puzzle pieces to a group of fans in the bleachers. If assembled correctly, the puzzle pieces, when flipped over, revealed the seat number where teams could find their next clue. *After completing the second Roadblock, teams had to travel by train to the

Shanghai Science and Technology Museum Shanghai Science and Technology Museum is a large museum in Pudong, Shanghai, close to Century Park, the largest park within the inner districts of the city.

and search for the pit stop. ;Additional notes *He Pingping died about three months after the episode was filmed and one month before it aired. The episode concluded with the message in his memory. *This was a non-elimination leg.

Leg 11 (China)

*Episode 11: "They Don't Even Understand Their Own Language" (May 2, 2010) *Prize: A trip for two to the

Costa del Sol The Costa del Sol (literally "Coast of the Sun" or "Sun Coast") is a region in the south of Spain in the autonomous community of Andalusia, comprising the coastal towns and communities along the coastline of the Province of Málaga and the east ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

(awarded to Brent & Caite) *Eliminated: Louie & Michael ;Locations *

(

Shanghai Science and Technology Museum Shanghai Science and Technology Museum is a large museum in Pudong, Shanghai, close to Century Park, the largest park within the inner districts of the city.

) *Shanghai (

Garden Bridge The Garden Bridge project was an unsuccessful private proposal for a pedestrian bridge over the River Thames in London, England. Originally an idea of Joanna Lumley, and strongly supported by then-Mayor of London Boris Johnson, the designer Tho ...

) *Shanghai ( Longhua Temple) *Shanghai (

Yuyuan Garden Yu Garden or Yuyuan Garden (, Shanghainese ''Yuyoe'' , lit. ''Garden of Happiness'') is an extensive Chinese garden located beside the City God Temple in the northeast of the Old City of Shanghai at Huangpu District, Shanghai. It abuts the Yuyua ...

) *Shanghai (Art Stone Store Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant) *Shanghai ( Riverside Promenade ') ;Episode summary *At the beginning of this leg, teams were instructed to go to the

in order to find their next clue. * For their Speed Bump, Louie & Michael had to participate in a good luck ritual by each tossing one coin into the top opening of the large incense burner on the Longhua Temple grounds before they could continue racing. * In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to enter Arhat Hall at the Longhua Temple and count all of the golden statues in the room in order to receive their next clue. If their guess was incorrect, they had to wait ten minutes before making another guess. *After completing the Roadblock, teams traveled by motorcycle to the

, where they found their next clue. * This season's final Detour was a choice between Pork Chops or Pork Dumplings. In Pork Chops, teams entered an art stone store and looked through several hundred special stone stamps called chops for the two that had a pig on the bottom and one with each of their names in order to receive their next clue. In Pork Dumplings, teams had to travel to Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant and deliver ten orders of '' xiaolongbao'' across the market in order to receive their next clue. *Teams had to check in at the pit stop: the Riverside Promenade in Shanghai. ;Additional notes *

Bao Xishun Bao Xishun (also known as Xi Shun; born November 2, 1951) is a Chinese-Mongolian herdsman from Chifeng, Inner Mongolia, recognized by ''Guinness World Records'' as one of the world's tallest living men at tall. He was formerly certified as t ...

, the world's tallest man at the time, was the pit stop greeter in this leg.

Leg 12 (China → United States)

*Episode 12: "Huger than Huge" (May 9, 2010) *Winners: Dan & Jordan *Second Place: Jet & Cord *Third Place: Brent & Caite ;Locations *

( Riverside Promenade ') * Shanghai →

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...

*San Francisco ( Fort Point – Battery Godfrey) *San Francisco ( Coit Tower) *San Francisco ( Letterman Digital Arts Center – Yoda Fountain &

Industrial Light & Magic Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) is an American motion picture visual effects company that was founded on May 26, 1975 by George Lucas. It is a division of the film production company Lucasfilm, which Lucas founded, and was created when he began pr ...

) *San Francisco ( Fairmont San Francisco – Tonga Room) *San Francisco (

Great American Music Hall The Great American Music Hall is a concert hall in San Francisco, California. It is located on O'Farrell Street in the Tenderloin neighborhood on the same block as the Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theatre. It is known for its decorative balconie ...

) *San Francisco (

Candlestick Park Candlestick Park was an outdoor stadium on the West Coast of the United States, located in San Francisco's Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 ...

) ;Episode summary *At the beginning of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to

San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...

. Once in San Francisco, teams had travel to Battery Godfrey in Fort Point in order to receive their next clue, which was a riddle: ''"I was built in 1933. I'm 210 feet tall. My insides are lined with mural from 26 different artists. What am I?"''. Teams had to figure out that their next destination was Coit Tower. * In this season's final Roadblock, one team member had to use an ascender to reach the top archways of Coit Tower in order to get their next clue before being lowered back to the ground. *After completing the Roadblock, teams had to make their way to

, where one team member had to put on a motion capture suit and enter a sound stage while their partner directed them to walk an

avatar Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appear ...

through a virtual course based on '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars''. After getting through two levels of the course, the directing partner had to copy down their next clue from a computer screen which directed them to the Tonga Room. *Teams had to carry a

trunk Trunk may refer to: Biology * Trunk (anatomy), synonym for torso * Trunk (botany), a tree's central superstructure * Trunk of corpus callosum, in neuroanatomy * Elephant trunk, the proboscis of an elephant Computing * Trunk (software), in rev ...

from the Tonga Room to their next location: the

. Once there, teams opened their trunk, which contained eight

psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science o ...

posters of the eliminated teams and three posters for the non-elimination legs. Teams had to arrange the posters in chronological order in order to receive their final clue. : *The final clue was a portion of the " Jack Be Nimble" nursery rhyme; teams had to figure out that the missing word "candlestick" referred to the location of the finish line:

Elimination Station

The first five eliminated teams were sequestered at a villa in

Puerto Vallarta Puerto Vallarta ( or simply Vallarta) is a Mexican beach resort city situated on the Pacific Ocean's Bahía de Banderas in the Mexican state of Jalisco. Puerto Vallarta is the second largest urban agglomeration in the state after the Guadalaj ...

, Mexico, to await the finale. CBS posted short videos on its website after each episode to show the eliminated teams interacting at the villa. *After Leg 1, Dana & Adrian were the first team eliminated. They expressed their disappointment after Adrian's second attempt failed during the Roadblock task. Adrian is terribly afraid of heights, and he wanted to kiss Dana to reaffirm their relationship. They discussed their marriage, had a tour on a beach, and saw whales in the ocean. *After Leg 2, Jody & Shannon were the second team eliminated. Jody voiced her regrets that she did the Roadblock instead of Shannon. Adrian was surprised to hear that Jody had not hoped or expected to win ''The Amazing Race'', but Shannon still insisted that they could have won. The teams were awarded an elemental spa with treatments based on fire, earth, water, and air. *After Leg 3, Monique & Shawne were the third team eliminated. All previously eliminated teams were shocked to see Monique & Shawne who explained how they had a long day which led to their elimination and were saddened at missing their daughters' birthdays. The next day, the teams went to Las Juantas Y Los Veranos to make

tequila Tequila (; ) is a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila northwest of Guadalajara, and in the Jaliscan Highlands ('' Los Altos de Jalisco'') of the central western Mexican s ...

, which included Adrian cutting open a

blue agave ''Agave tequilana'', commonly called blue agave () or tequila agave, is an agave plant that is an important economic product of Jalisco, Mexico, due to its role as the base ingredient of tequila, a popular distilled beverage. The high production ...

in 6 minutes and 9 seconds. *Leg 4 was a non-elimination leg. The 3 eliminated teams bonded at the villa while Shannon was writing in her journal. Monique and Shawne suggested bringing Shannon to the beach, after which all the teams went. Shawne was given a leg and foot massage, while Shannon got her hair beaded, and Monique shared with Shannon how to win the Mexican guys with eye action. *After Leg 5, Joe & Heidi were the fourth team eliminated. They arrived while Adrian and Shannon were playing a game of

table tennis Table tennis, also known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small solid rackets. It takes place on a hard table div ...

. Jody & Shannon expressed their surprise and disappointment at seeing Joe & Heidi arrive, while Adrian was glad to have another man at the villa. Joe & Heidi expressed their frustration and explained how they arrived at the conclusion that Louie & Michael had Blind U-Turned them. Later, the teams went to town to shop. Joe tried to bargain with a store owner over the price of some jewelry for Heidi, which offended the owner. *After Leg 6, Jordan & Jeff were the fifth team eliminated. All the teams at the villa had a meal. As Jordan & Jeff arrived at the villa, they explained the circumstances that led to their elimination (struggling with navigation). They believed that Louie & Michael would be in the top 3. Joe again shared his disdain for Louie & Michael in a confessional. Jeff expressed his bitterness at having been evicted from ''Big Brother'' and now eliminated from ''The Amazing Race'' as he compares Elimination Station and ''Big Brother'' and Jury House. However, Jordan was satisfied from being in Elimination Station. The teams later went on a

snorkeling Snorkeling ( British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped breathing tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters ...

trip. While on the trip, Monique & Shawne suffered from

seasickness Motion sickness occurs due to a difference between actual and expected motion. Symptoms commonly include nausea, vomiting, cold sweat, headache, dizziness, tiredness, loss of appetite, and increased salivation. Complications may rarely include ...

, and Heidi helped Adrian become comfortable in the water. The snorkeling trip also helped ease Jeff's bitterness at being eliminated. *Leg 7 was a non-elimination leg. At the pool, Adrian, Jeff, and Joe discussed how Louie & Michael U-Turned Joe & Heidi, because the detectives disliked them for personal reasons. The eliminated teams watched an exciting Mexican dance, and many of the racers joined in the dance. Jody performed a solo by playing the drum, which impressed Shannon. Later in the day, Joe shared with Heidi the main reason why Louie and Michael U-Turned them. Heidi added that if Joe were to meet Louie and Michael, he would confront them about it and how it affected the outcome of the season. *After Leg 8, Steve & Allie were the sixth team eliminated. At 2:00 a.m. the eliminated teams gathered to speculate on the next eliminated team. Steve & Allie called the villa, and Monique picked up the phone. Everyone was surprised and disappointed to hear that Steve & Allie were eliminated, especially Shannon. Joe then asked Steve about Louie & Michael's current situation in the season. Steve told Joe that his team was too strong and was a threat, which resulted in the U-Turn. Steve shared that bad decisions and a bad cab resulted in their elimination. Steve also said that either Jet & Cord or Louie & Michael would win the season. *After Leg 9, Carol & Brandy were the seventh team eliminated. When Carol & Brandy called the villa early in the morning, the other eliminated teams were shocked and disappointed to hear of their elimination, especially Shannon who wanted an all-girl team win. Carol & Brandy talked about the U-Turn and their dislike for Brent & Caite that led to their elimination. In response, Jordan said that Carol & Brandy were probably jealous of Caite's beauty. Adrian, however, agreed with Carol & Brandy that them getting U-Turned was personal and that otherwise it could have been used on either Jet & Cord or Louie & Michael. That evening, the eliminated racers got to watch a Mexican wrestling match in an outdoor coliseum. Jordan got to escort a wrestler to the ring, and Adrian, the most enthusiastic fan of the group, bought a wrestling mask as a souvenir. *Leg 10 was a non-elimination leg. Jordan & Jeff talked with Dana and Adrian about how to strengthen their relationship. Then, all the teams at Elimination Station packed their bags and guessed where the final Leg would take place. Then left the villa and flew to End City. *After Leg 11, Louie & Michael were the eighth and final team eliminated. Elimination Station showed the five eliminated teams arriving at the End City in

, California. After arriving in San Francisco, the teams checked into a hotel, settled into their rooms, and awaited the phone call from the eighth team eliminated. Monique & Shawne were happy to see the end of the season. Dana said that Joe & Heidi hoped that Louie & Michael were not in the Final Three because of their dislike for them after being U-Turned. Louie & Michael called to the hotel, and the eliminated teams were shocked and disappointed to hear that Louie & Michael were eliminated. Joe asked Louie & Michael if they still felt that they had used the U-Turn correctly. Michael said yes because he thought Joe & Heidi would be tough to beat once the route reached Asia. Despite Louie and Michael being eliminated, Joe was still not satisfied. Jeff told Joe that Louie & Michael U-Turned Joe & Heidi because of personal reasons, which led to harsh words between Joe and Jeff. Joe concluded by saying that he will confront Louie and Michael the next time he sees them. *Leg 12 was the final leg of ''The Amazing Race 16''. Elimination Station showed the Finish Line in

. All the eliminated teams were happy to find out which team they thought would win $1,000,000. Steve & Allie, Carol & Brandy, and Louie & Michael reunited with the other eliminated teams at the Finish Line. Shannon noticed that the Final Three teams were Dan & Jordan, Brent & Caite, and Jet & Cord. Dana said that it's anybody's race. All the eliminated teams were waiting to find out who would cross the Finish Line first and win the $1,000,000. Dan & Jordan were the first team to cross the Finish Line and win the $1 million; Jet & Cord came in 2nd, and Brent & Caite came in 3rd. Teams expressed their opinions about the final three teams at the Finish Line along with their joys and disappointments about the season and the learning experiences they could draw from the experience.

Reception

Critical response

''The Amazing Race 16'' received mostly negative reviews.

Andy Dehnart Andy Dehnart (born August 26, 1977) is an American journalist and television critic. He may be best known as reality television's "longest-standing critic" for his online journalism, as he is the creator of the genre's first tracking website, real ...

of ''reality blurred'' called it a "relatively weak season". Michael Hewitt of the ''

Orange County Register ''The Orange County Register'' is a paid daily newspaper published in California. The ''Register'', published in Orange County, California, is owned by the private equity firm Alden Global Capital via its Digital Fiest/Media News subsidiaries. ...

'' wrote that "stupidity and luck ruled, and the game-changing plays came via two lethal U-Turns. As TV in general goes, season 16 was fine entertainment. But as 'The Amazing Race' goes, it was a disappointment." Daniel Fienberg of HitFix wrote that "there were too many dull teams and too many dull tasks and too little rewarding of excellence or punishing of the stupidity that ran amuck all season long. This group of contestants got to see some great locations and do some great stuff, but nothing was hard enough or challenging enough. Even a lame season of 'The Amazing Race' is still better than most of what passes for reality TV. Perhaps, though, this 'Amazing Race' installment has just paled in comparison to a classic All-Star edition of 'Survivor' currently being played out." In 2016, this season was ranked 24th out of the first 27 seasons by the ''

Rob Has a Podcast ''Rob Has a Podcast (RHAP)'' is an entertainment podcast hosted by former '' Survivor'' contestant Rob Cesternino. The podcast primarily provides commentary of reality television game shows. Overview Cesternino started ''RHAP'' in 2010, in orde ...

Amazing Race'' correspondents. Conversely, Luke Dwyer of TV Fanatic called this season a blast, praised the locations and tasks, and said that it "was one of the more entertaining in recent memory and Dan and Jordan's victory was well deserved."

Ratings

No episode aired on April 18, 2010 due to CBS's broadcast of the

Academy of Country Music The Academy of Country Music (ACM) was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Among the founders were Eddie Miller, Tommy Wiggins, and Mickey and Chris Christensen. They wanted to promote country musi ...

Awards and CTV's broadcast of the

Juno Awards The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...

U.S. Nielsen ratings

*Episode 1, "Nanna Is Kickin' Your Butt" aired on

Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, thr ...

, which is also the first day of

and the opening week of the

. *Episode 4, "We Are No Longer In The Bible Belt" had a considerably low number of viewers, most likely because it aired on the same night as the

82nd Academy Awards The 82nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2009 and took place on March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p. ...

. *Episode 7, "Anonymous?" had the most viewers and adults 25–54 rating since the November 4, 2007, episode of ''

The Amazing Race 12 ''The Amazing Race 12'' is the twelfth season of American reality television show ''The Amazing Race''. It featured eleven teams of two competing in a race around the world. The season premiered on CBS on November 4, 2007, and the finale aired o ...

'', as well as the best numbers in adults 18–49 since the January 6, 2008, episode of the same season. *Episode 8, "You're like Jason Bourne, right?" aired on

Easter Sunday Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the ''Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel P ...

. *Episode 12, "Huger Than Huge", the season finale, aired on

Mother's Day Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in th ...

. The show was down nearly two million viewers compared to the season 15 finale and was the lowest rated finale since season 4.

Canadian ratings

Canadian broadcaster

also aired ''The Amazing Race'' on Sundays at 8 p.m. The first three episodes were aired on

. When the show returned to the said network, episode four aired an hour earlier than its normal start time due to the network's broadcast of the 82nd Academy Awards.

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amazing Race 16 * 16 2010 American television seasons Television shows filmed in California Television shows filmed in Chile Television shows filmed in Argentina Television shows filmed in Germany Television shows filmed in France Television shows filmed in Seychelles Television shows filmed in Malaysia Television shows filmed in Singapore Television shows filmed in Shanghai