The Amazing Race 15

The Amazing Race 15 is the fifteenth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. This season featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world, and was the last season to date to feature 12 teams of two, as subsequent seasons have featured 11 teams of two as normal.

The Amazing Race 15
Presented byPhil Keoghan
No. of teams12
WinnersMeghan Rickey & Cheyne Whitney
No. of legs12
Distance traveled25,000 mi (40,000 km)
No. of episodes11
Release
Original networkCBS
Original releaseSeptember 27 –
December 6, 2009
Additional information
Filming datesJuly 18, 2009 – August 7, 2009
Season chronology

The fifteenth cycle started on Sunday, September 27, 2009, with a two-hour premiere. It aired on CBS in the United States, and CTV Television Network (CTV) in Canada, on Sunday nights at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT with the season finale on December 6, 2009.[1][2] The show was hosted by Phil Keoghan. In Asia, it was aired on AXN.

Dating couple Meghan Rickey and Cheyne Whitney were the winners of this Race.

The complete season was released on DVD on May 21, 2014.

Production

Development and filming
Beneath the Sixth Street Viaduct on the Los Angeles River between Downtown Los Angeles and the Boyle Heights neighborhood, teams began The Amazing Race 15.

CBS aired the fifteenth season during the start of the 2009–2010 television season.[3] 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.[4]

The fifteenth season spanned 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 first time visits to Estonia and the Czech Republic.[5]

All route markers and clue boxes in Vietnam were colored yellow with a center 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 previously in Season 10. These were also the original route markers in Season 1.

The Race introduced a new twist called a Switchback, where teams faced one of the series' challenges marked either memorable or infamous with minor changes. The Switchback that debuted on Leg 8 revisited the infamous Swedish Roadblock from Season 6, in which one team member had to unroll one of 270 hay bales with only 20 containing clues.[6] Instead of being an exact duplicate, however, this Roadblock involved fewer bales (186) and instead of 20 clues, only seven Race flags were hidden. Additionally, the original version had the nine teams competing, but 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.

This was the second season since Season 10 to feature a surprise elimination at a location other than a Pit Stop, which occurred at the Starting Line. The eliminated team at the Starting Line, Eric and Lisa Paskel, acknowledged in a post-show 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 they had previous plans to travel to India. As a consequence, they were not allowed to have any further involvement in the show. Although their travel was over by the time the Race ended, they were not told where the Finish Line was and as a result they were the second team to be absent at the Finish Line to cheer for the top three teams (the first was Toni & Dallas from Season 13), and had no knowledge of the outcome of the Race before the season finale aired.[7]

This season was the first since Season 11 to have more than two non-elimination points (Season 11 had four non-elimination points). This was also the first American season in which 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
See also: List of The Amazing Race (American TV series) contestants

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 and to date, this is the final season, which featured the 12 teams of two concept. 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, during which Keoghan made stops to help with those casting calls.[8][9]

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, and his teammate, Justin Kanew, is the son of Jeff Kanew, who directed Revenge of the Nerds.[10]

Meghan & Cheyne were married on May 7, 2011 with the teams of Sam & Dan, Maria & Tiffany, and Brian & Ericka were in the wedding party. Brian & Ericka recently decided to divorce prior to this event.[11]

Future appearances

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 & Big Easy were also chosen to compete in the second All-Stars edition.

Tiffany later competed on Season 3 of Food Network's Worst Cooks in America and was eliminated in episode six.[12] Brian later appeared on Season 7 of ABC's Shark Tank to secure funding for a potty training product called "EZPeeZ" but was unable to secure a deal.[13] On May 25, 2016, Flight Time & Big Easy appeared on an Amazing Race-themed The Price is Right primetime special.[14]

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:

Team Relationship Position (by leg) Roadblocks
performed
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Meghan & Cheyne Dating 1st 6th 2nd 5th 1stƒ 1st 2nd 2nd 1st 1st 1st 1st Meghan 5, Cheyne 6
Sam & Dan Brothers 9th 2nd 5th 1st 5th 3rd 1st 4th 2nd 2nd 2nd 2nd Sam 6, Dan 6
Brian & Ericka Married 6th 10th 4th 3rd 2nd 4th 5th7 3rd 4th 4th 3rd9 3rd Brian 6, Ericka 6
Flight Time & Big Easy Harlem Globetrotters 5th 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd 6th 3rd 1st 3rd 3rd 4th10 Flight Time 5, Big Easy 610
Gary & Matt Father/Son 7th 1st 3rd 4th 4th 5th 4th 5th 5th Gary 4, Matt 5
Maria & Tiffany Professional Poker Players 11th3 7th 6th 8th 6th 2nd 6th8 Maria 2, Tiffany 5
Mika & Canaan Newly Dating 10th2 8th 7th 7th 7th 7th6 Mika 1, Canaan 5
Lance & Keri Engaged 3rd 4th 9th⊃4 6th 8th Lance 3, Keri 2
Zev & Justin Friends 2nd 5th 8th 9th5 Zev 2, Justin 2
Marcy & Ron Dating 4th 9th 10th Marcy 1, Ron 2
Garrett & Jessica Dating On & Off 8th 11th Garrett 1, Jessica 1
Eric & Lisa Married Yoga Teachers 12th1 Eric 0, Lisa 0
  • 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.
  1. ^ Eric & Lisa were eliminated at the Starting Line as per the provisions of the first task (see below).
  2. ^ Mika & Canaan initially arrived 10th, but had lost one of the tourists that they were required bring with them. They were required to backtrack to find their missing tourist before being allowed to check in. This did not affect their placement.
  3. ^ Maria & Tiffany lost two of the tourists that they were required bring with them to the Pit Stop. They chose not to backtrack to find the missing tourists and instead took a 2-hour penalty that would be given after checking-in at the Pit Stop. They arrived at the Pit Stop last, but were notified that it was a non-elimination leg. The 2-hour penalty they would have taken from the task was instead applied to their starting time in Leg 2.
  4. ^ In an unaired scene, Lance & Keri used their Blind U-Turn onto Sam & Dan; however, they had already passed the U-Turn point and were therefore unaffected by it.[15]
  5. ^ Zev & Justin initially arrived and checked in 1st, but soon discovered that Zev did not have his passport. They were not allowed to be checked in until they found it and brought it back to the Pit Stop. All other teams checked into the Pit Stop before Zev's passport could be found, resulting in Zev & Justin's elimination.
  6. ^ Mika & Canaan did not finish the task at the Atlantis The Palm resort due to Mika's fear of heights and swimming/water and incurred a 24-hour penalty for quitting the slide task. However, since they checked-in last, they were eliminated without the 24-hour penalty being issued.
  7. ^ Brian & Ericka initially arrived 5th, but were issued a 30-minute penalty as they did not travel by bicycle to the Detour as instructed in their clue. This did not affect their placement.
  8. ^ Maria & Tiffany failed to complete either of the Detour tasks and they elected to take a 24-hour penalty. Long after every other teams had checked-in at the Pit Stop, Phil came to the Detour location to inform them of their elimination, without the 24-hour penalty issued.
  9. ^ Brian & Ericka initially arrived 3rd, but were issued a 30-minute penalty for writing down the letters in the Roadblock task before reaching the office, which was explicitly prohibited in the clue. However, this did not affect their placement, and it was unaired.[16]
  10. ^ Big Easy chose to forfeit the Roadblock at Leg 11 and he & Flight Time were issued a 4-hour penalty at the Roadblock site. Long after they were able to continue racing, all the other teams had checked-in at the Pit Stop. When they finally found their next Route Marker at Kryocentrum, instead of performing the remaining tasks left for this leg, Flight Time & Big Easy were instead instructed to go directly to the Pit Stop for elimination.

Episode title quotes

Episode titles are often taken from quotes made by the racers.[17] 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[18] (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 – US$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 & Lisa, who chose to leave the show upon their elimination.[7] 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 & 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 & 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 & Ron were the third team eliminated and were the second team sent to the villa. Ron told Garrett & Jessica that the intensity had gone up a notch between the remaining racers in the last leg. The eliminated teams did a Vietnamese Martial Arts Exercise, then went out to a luxurious restaurant called Việt Xưa. They had different views as to who would be the next team eliminated; Marcy believed that Flight Time & Big Easy would be eliminated next, Garrett, Jessica and Ron went with Meghan & Cheyne, Sam & Dan, and Mika & Canaan, respectively.
  • After Leg 4, Zev & Justin were the fourth team eliminated but were not immediately sent to the villa due to Zev losing his passport. At the villa, Marcy 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 & 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 & Keri were the fifth team eliminated. The two teams at the villa were discussing Zev & Justin, speculating about their elimination. A van arrived at the villa and the teams went outside, fully expecting to see Zev & Justin. They were surprised to see that the van contained Lance & Keri; the third team to arrive at the villa. They explained to the other 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 & 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 & 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 & Canaan were the fifth and last team to arrive at the villa. They explained to the other four eliminated teams of Mika's fear of water and heights that led to their elimination. Canaan noted they were at the water slide for around 45 minutes.
  • After Leg 7, Maria & Tiffany were the seventh team to be eliminated. While the eliminated teams were playing cards, Maria & Tiffany called the villa to inform them of their elimination. They tried to explain to the other teams the true reason they were eliminated, but none of the other teams believed their story, as Maria & Tiffany had lied about their professions in the early stages of the Race. Maria & Tiffany told the teams they would see them at the End City. Several teams expressed their resentment of Maria & Tiffany as well as their satisfaction that they were eliminated from the Race and would not be joining them at the villa. The teams at the villa traveled to a rough-looking soccer field where they believed they would be playing against 7- to 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-show interview, however, they mentioned that they made up.
  • After Leg 9, Gary & 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 & Justin who believed it would be Gary & Matt who would be eliminated next. Gary & Matt then called the teams at the villa to inform them of their elimination. They told them about their Speed Bump that helped lead 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 & 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 into 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 & Big Easy's elimination especially Zev & Justin who wanted them to win. They told them about what went wrong at the Roadblock. Flight Time & Big Easy said that they wanted to see Meghan & Cheyne to win it all and told them that they would see them at the Finish Line. Lance & 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 & Jessica who wanted to see Sam & Dan to come in 1st, Brian & Ericka in 2nd, and Meghan & Cheyne in 3rd.
  • Leg 12 was the final leg of The Amazing Race 15. Maria & Tiffany, Gary & Matt, and Flight Time & Big Easy reunited with the other eliminated teams (except Eric & Lisa) at the Finish Line at Casa de Shenandoah. Most of the teams believed that they wanted to see Meghan & Cheyne win. Teams expressed their opinions about the final three teams at the Finish Line along with their joys and disappointments.

Race summary
The route of the Race
Destinations Air travel    Rail travel    Water travel    Bus travel
Helicopter travel    Bicycle travel    Gondola travel
Route Markers Detour    Roadblock    Fast Forward    U-Turn    Speed Bump    Pit Stop

Leg 1 (United States → Japan)
After arriving in Tokyo, teams gathered at a television studio at the base of the Tokyo Tower to compete in a Japanese game show for the Roadblock.

Airdate: September 27, 2009

The first Roadblock of the Race required one team member 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 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.

Additional tasks
  • At the Starting Line, teams had to search through over 1,000 license plates for one of eleven Japanese plates from Shinagawa and present it to Phil to receive tickets for one of two flights for their first destination: Tokyo, Japan. The kanji for Shinagawa (品川) were provided in the clue, though not explicitly. The first six teams to find the correct license plate would receive plane tickets on an American Airlines flight that would leave thirty minutes before a United Airlines flight with the next five teams. The last team without the correct license plate was eliminated from the Race.
  • After completing the Roadblock, teams received a colored flag along with their next clue and had to lead a group of 20 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 20 members of their group were present at the mat. If at least one member of their group was not present, teams had to go back to find them and bring them to the Pit Stop before being allowed to check in.

Leg 2 (Japan → Vietnam)
The Speed Bump for this leg had Maria & Tiffany preparing a traditional Vietnamese soup, phở, for the dockmaster in Cái Bè.

Airdate: September 27, 2009

For their Speed Bump, Maria & Tiffany had to prepare a serving of the Vietnamese soup phở for the Bến Tàu Du Lịch dockmaster by collecting the ingredients at a soup stand, combining the ingredients, and serving the completed phở to the dockmaster before they could continue racing.

The Roadblock for this leg required one team member to herd 150 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 to guide the ducks. When they completed the task, they could get their next clue. With only six available fields, if the team member failed to complete the task within ten minutes, they had to relinquish their spot to other teams before they could start over.

Additional task
  • Upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh City, teams had to travel by bus to Cái Bè and make their way to Bến Tàu Du Lịch Dock. At the dock, 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.

Leg 3 (Vietnam)
Teams ended the second Vietnam leg in Ho Chi Minh City at Reunification Palace, which was once the seat of power in former South Vietnam.

Airdate: October 4, 2009

The first Detour of the Race was 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 Đàn Park and deliver a concrete animal statue to a children's playground, along with five different colored balloons they collected along their route, 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. Once a security guard approved their letters, teams had to get assistance from the locals to unscramble the letters to spell the Vietnamese word Độc Lập, which means "independence", to receive their next clue.

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to disassemble two VCRs and organize the parts into separate piles in order to receive their next clue.

Additional task
  • At the start of the leg, teams had to travel to Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theatre in Ho Chi Minh City. There, teams had to grab a Race-colored ribbon from the mouth of a dragon puppet moving about in the water. Inside the ribbon was a small metal capsule with a postage stamp concealed inside, leaving teams 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), where teams would find their next clue.
Additional note
  • During the Pit Stop, the Bassac III traveled from Cái Bè to Mỹ Tho, where teams would begin this leg of the Race.

Leg 4 (Vietnam → Cambodia)
Teams ended the leg in Phnom Penh at Wat Phnom, which served as the fourth Pit Stop in the Race.

Airdate: October 11, 2009

The Detour was a choice between Cover or Wrap. In Cover, teams traveled to a marked motorcycle helmet shop located at the Russian Market, choose four helmets, and had to sell them to a family of four (two adults and two children) for US$10. When the sale was completed, they had to exchange the money with the store owner for their next clue. In Wrap, teams had to travel to the Russian Market and find stalls 980 and 981, where the shopkeeper would hand 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 to receive their next clue from the shopkeeper.

In this Roadblock, one team member had to put on a monkey mask and tail and perform three Classical Khmer monkey dance maneuvers as demonstrated by the monkey dancer to receive their next clue.

Additional tasks
  • Upon arrival in Phnom Penh, teams made their way to the Foreign Correspondents' Club and had to find an assignment editor reading a newspaper and whisper for their next assignment. Teams would then be given a newspaper with a duplicate photo of King Norodom Sihanouk and Jacqueline Kennedy taken in 1967. Teams were instructed to find a suite with this photo and had 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.
  • After completing the Detour, teams were instructed to travel by foot to Wat Toul Tom Pong for their next clue.

Leg 5 (Cambodia → United Arab Emirates)
This leg's Detour tasks took place in Ski Dubai, where the racers performed snow-related tasks, a stark contrast to the hot Dubai weather.

Airdate: October 18, 2009

The only Fast Forward of the Race instructed teams to travel 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 45 seconds or less. The first team to do so would win the Fast Forward award and would be driven to the Pit Stop in a Maserati.

In the Roadblock, one team member had to pick a traditional water bag and 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 filled their bag with water, they had to give it to a Bedouin and his thirsty camels to receive their next clue.

The Detour was 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, a carrot nose and a top hat before the snow melted. If the snowman was to the attendant's satisfaction, she would hand teams their next clue. In Find a Snowman, teams had to ride a ski lift to the top of the artificial mountain, sled down to the bottom, and dig through a mound of snow for a toy snowman buried within it. When teams found one, they had to give it to a person in a polar bear suit in exchange for their next clue.

Additional tasks
  • At the start of the leg, teams were only told to find the tallest building in the world in the Persian Gulf, leaving them to figure out that their next destination was the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Upon arrival, teams had travel to The Dubai Fountain and sign up for one of two departure times to Burj Dubai (now Burj Khalifa) the following morning. At their designated time, teams boarded an elevator bound for a balcony located on the 124th floor of the then still-under-construction building, where teams would locate their next clue.
  • Teams who didn't choose the Fast Forward had to travel to a parking area in The Dubai Mall, search for a marked car, and drive themselves to Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, where teams would be driven in a 4x4 vehicle to their next clue.

Leg 6 (United Arab Emirates)
While in Dubai, teams visited the Atlantis resort, located at the apex of the artificial Palm Jumeirah islands.

Airdate: October 25, 2009

The Roadblock for the leg required one team member to row an inflatable dinghy out to a yacht anchored offshore and meet a sheikh on board, who would give 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 their briefcase, they could retrieve their next clue in the briefcase.

The Detour was a choice between Gold or Glass. For both Detour options, teams had to travel by abra across the Dubai Creek to the neighborhood of Deira. In Gold, teams had to find Deepu Jewellers in Deira's Gold Souk, where they would use a precision scale to weigh out US$500,000 worth of gold to the nearest ounce to receive their next clue. The price of gold per ounce was displayed on a television monitor but would change by the minute. In Glass, teams made their way to the Spice Souk in Deira, where they had to open a crate and properly assemble twelve hookahs using all parts from the crate and three displayed hookahs as guides to receive their next clue.

Additional tasks
  • At the start of the leg at Souk Madinat Jumeirah, teams had to pick up a locked briefcase and bring it to their next destination.
  • After the Detour, teams made their way to Atlantis on Palm Jumeirah. There, 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, which instructed teams to search the grounds of the Dolphin Bay Beach for the Pit Stop. 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. This task was later referenced on Season 28 during the Roadblock at Aquaventure.

Leg 7 (United Arab Emirates → Netherlands)
This leg's Roadblock required one team member to climb to the top of the Martinitoren and count the bells in the carillon.

Airdate: November 1, 2009

In this Roadblock, one team member had to climb to the top of the Martinitoren and count all of the bells in the carillon. When the team member provided the correct number (62) to the carillonneur, they received their next clue. Otherwise they had to climb back up to the carillon to count again.

The leg's Detour required teams to dress in traditional Dutch costumes—one male and one female— and to ride bicycles to their Detour: Farmer's Game or Farmer's Dance. 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 (team members would alternate until one team member successfully hits 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, each team member would be given a serving of soused herring, which they had to eat in order to receive their next clue.

Additional tasks
  • Upon arrival in Amsterdam, teams picked up a marked vehicle and drove to the Cornelis Lely Monument on the Afsluitdijk to find their next clue.
  • After completing the Detour, teams have to ride their bicycles to the Pit Stop at Zoutkamp Harbor.

Leg 8 (Netherlands → Sweden)
Teams visited Tivoli Gröna Lund, Sweden's oldest amusement park, where one team member had to ride the Fritt Fall drop tower to find their next clue.

Airdate: November 8, 2009

The Detour was 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 would 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 "Locate Trygve the Strong Viking" in order to receive their next clue.

The Roadblock for this leg was a Switchback to Season 6, where one team member had to search through 186 hay bales to find one of seven flags. When team members found one of the flags, they were allowed to proceed to the nearby Pit Stop.

Additional task
  • At Tivoli Gröna Lund, 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 the carnival games. There, teams then had to play a game of ring toss until they ringed a large gnome hat with a Travelocity Roaming Gnome concealed beneath it. If successful, the game attendant would hand them the gnome, which contained their next clue on the bottom of its base. Teams had to keep the gnome with them for the duration of the leg.
Additional note
  • Teams returned to the De Ondernmeming Windmill to begin Leg 8.

Leg 9 (Sweden → Estonia)
This leg's Detour paid tribute to Estonia's leisure time in their rich raised bogs.

Airdate: November 15, 2009

For their Speed Bump, Gary & Matt had to find a Saunabuss parked nearby. They then had to strip naked and spend five minutes in the sauna with some locals before they could continue racing.

This leg's Roadblock required one team member to enter the cellar of the Mustpeade Maja and participate in a ceremony of the Brotherhood of Blackheads Guild. Team members had to pick up 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. 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. The clue read "Pikk Hermann Tower Gardens", which was their next destination.

The Detour was 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. Only two teams at a time could perform this task. In Sling, teams had to put on bog shoes and walk out onto a bog, where they used slingshots to fire assorted vegetables at a target, which when hit would collapse a table full of cabbages along with their next clue.

Additional task
  • At the start of the leg, teams were given a set of keys along with their clue, which instructed them to travel by ferry across the Baltic Sea to the city of Tallinn in Estonia. Upon arrival, teams had to make their way to Mustpeade Maja, where they had to find the right key that would sound an alarm and open the door to find their next clue inside.

Leg 10 (Estonia → Czech Republic)
The Roadblock in Prague required teams to searched among the seats of Estates Theatre to find a miniature mandolin.

Airdate: November 22, 2009

The leg's Detour was 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 would have 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 each got a ribbon that, when combined, had the next clue written on them.

For this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to search the Estates Theatre for a miniature mandolin. Once they found it, they had to bring it onstage to an actor dressed as the titular character from the Mozart opera Don Giovanni, which premiered at the theatre, to receive their next clue.

Additional tasks
  • Upon arrival in Prague, teams had to head to the Old Town Square. There, teams have to find a man in a vintage Praga, who would give them their next clue.
  • Once they completed the Detour, and returned to safety, teams had to join the two halves of the ribbons – Stavovské Divadlo, which referred to the Estates Theatre – to reveal the location of the next clue.

Leg 11 (Czech Republic)
The second leg in Prague took place in the city's Jewish quarter Josefov, the home of author Franz Kafka.

Airdate: November 29, 2009

For their Speed Bump, Brian & Ericka had to make their way to the M1 Lounge, where each of them had to prepare and drink a traditional shot of absinthe before they could continue racing.

In this Roadblock, 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. Additionally, team members had to memorize each letter they received and were not allowed to write any of them down for reference before entering the supervisor's office. There, the team member had to fill out a form with several biographical questions and attempt to unscramble the five letters to form his name. If they were correct, the inspector would hand them their next clue. If they were wrong, the team member would have to fill out the form again before they could unscramble the letters again. This task would be featured again on Season 30 as a Switchback.

The Detour was a choice between Legend or Lager. In Legend, teams had to build a golem by placing wet clay around a hay frame and then transport it to the Old New Synagogue. If the golem was to the satisfaction of the rabbis, teams would get 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.

Additional task
  • At Kryocentrum, teams had to strip down to their underwear and spend two minutes in a cryotherapy chamber, which reached temperatures of −160 °C (−256 °F). After enduring a two minute session, they would get their next clue.

Leg 12 (Czech Republic → United States)
The final leg of the Race took place at various resorts on the Las Vegas Strip: the MGM Grand, the Mandalay Bay, the Mirage, and the Monte Carlo.

Airdate: December 6, 2009

The final Roadblock of the Race required one team member to rappel down the exterior of the Mandalay Bay hotel tower face-down in order to retrieve the next clue.

Additional tasks
  • Upon arrival in Las Vegas, teams made their way to Graceland Wedding Chapel and had to obtain their next clue from an Elvis Presley impersonator.
  • At The Mirage, teams had to find the Love theater. One team member would be 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 dressed as a flower child to obtain their next clue.
  • The clue after the flower task instructed teams to go to "the most famous casino in Monaco" and left them to figure out that this was a reference to the namesake of the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino. There, teams had to count out a total of $1,000,000 worth of poker chips out of 8,400 chips of various denominations scattered on a poker table. Once the dealer verified their count was correct, they would receive a $1,000,000 poker chip along with their final clue. This task was incorrectly presented as a Roadblock.
  • The final clue instructed teams to travel to MGM Grand, where they had to visit Suite 88 and find "Mr. Las Vegas", Wayne Newton, who would tell them the location of the Finish Line: his house at Casa de Shenandoah.

Ratings

U.S. Nielsen ratings
# Airdate Episode Rating Share Rating/Share
(18-49)		 Viewers
(millions)		 Rank
(Overall)
1 – 2 September 27, 2009 "They Thought Godzilla Was Walking Down the Street"[19] 6.5 10 3.3/8 10.40 #25
3 October 4, 2009 "It's Like Being Dropped on Planet Mars"[20] 5.9 9 2.8/7 9.95 #26
4 October 11, 2009 "Sean Penn Cambodia Here We Come"[21] 6.7 10 3.0/8 10.52 #20
5 October 18, 2009 "I'm Like Ricky Bobby"[22] 5.8 9 3.0/7 10.92 #20
6 October 25, 2009 "Do It for the Hood! Do It for the Suburbs!"[23] 6.4 10 3.4/8 11.20 #22
7 November 1, 2009 "This Is Not My Finest Hour"[24] 6.5 10 3.3/8 11.22 #18
8 November 8, 2009 "This Is the Worst Thing I've Ever Done in My Life"[25] 6.9 10 3.5/9 11.62 #24
9 November 15, 2009 "We're Not Meant for the Swamp"[26] 6.6 10 3.2/8 11.39 #24
10 November 22, 2009 "We're Not Working With Anybody, Ever, Anymore!"[27] 6.9 11 3.7/9 12.19 #20
11 November 29, 2009 "It Starts With an "F", That's All I'm Saying"[28] 6.8 10 3.4/8 11.61 #18
12 December 6, 2009 "Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound"[29] 7.1 11 3.7/9 12.32 #9

Canadian ratings
# Airdate Episode Viewers
(millions)		 Rank
(Overall)
1 – 2 September 27, 2009 "They Thought Godzilla Was Walking Down the Street" 2.861 #6
3 October 4, 2009 "It's Like Being Dropped on Planet Mars" 2.669 #5
4 October 11, 2009 "Sean Penn Cambodia Here We Come" 2.001 #13
5 October 18, 2009 "I'm Like Ricky Bobby" 2.413 #9
6 October 25, 2009 "Do It for the Hood! Do It for the Suburbs!" 2.619 #5
7 November 1, 2009 "This Is Not My Finest Hour" 2.575 #3
8 November 8, 2009 "This Is the Worst Thing I've Ever Done in My Life" 2.763 #3
9 November 15, 2009 "We're Not Meant for the Swamp" 2.619 #8
10 November 22, 2009 "We're Not Working With Anybody, Ever, Anymore!" 2.260 #9
11 November 29, 2009 "It Starts With an "F", That's All I'm Saying" 2.419 #7
12 December 6, 2009 "Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound" 3.074 #1

Awards

In 2010, The Amazing Race 15 was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Reality Program during the 21st GLAAD Media Awards.[30]

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gollark: What format?
gollark: You said we are all "constantly accelerated". I do not experience acceleration.
gollark: I'm not accelerated.
gollark: Oh, I'm not. GTech™ Physics Site-21114 isn't, due to testing of INTRANSITIVE WINTERS technology.

References
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  2. "Fall TV: CBS Announces Premiere Dates". TVGuide.com. Retrieved June 24, 2009.
  3. Schneider, Michael (2009-04-16). "'Amazing Race' back for 15th cycle". Variety. Retrieved 2009-04-16.
  4. Andreeva, Nellie (2009-04-16). "CBS tweets 'Amazing Race' renewal". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2009-04-16.
  5. "'The Amazing Race 15': Exclusive reveal of the route, plus teases". Entertainment Weekly. 2009-09-24. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
  6. Lang, Derrik (2009-09-09). "Meet the teams on new season of The Amazing Race". Associated Press. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
  7. Eng, Joyce (2009-09-28). "Amazing Race's Eric and Lisa: Quickie Elimination Was "No Big Deal"". TV Guide. seattlepi.com. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
  8. Keoghan, Phil (2009-03-23). "Phil Keoghan blogs 'The Amazing Race': episode 6". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
  9. Elber, Lynn (2009-02-25). "'Amazing' ride: Phil Keoghan to bike across USA". Associated Press. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
  10. "Amazing Race Cast: Zev and Justin on CBS". cbs.com. 2011-10-14. Archived from the original on April 20, 2012. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  11. Garcia, Jennifer (2011-05-08). "Amazing Race Winners Meghan Rickey & Cheyne Whitney Marry!". People. Retrieved 2011-05-08.
  12. "Worst Cooks In America Season 3: Exclusive Interview with Tiffany Michelle". Reality Wanted. February 8, 2012. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  13. Boedeker, Hal (October 17, 2012). "'Shark Tank' flushes potty training product from UCF grad". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  14. "Big Brother, The Amazing Race, And Survivor Stars To Play The Price Is Right". CBS. April 25, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  15. "McMillen's Moments, Episode 5". Gina from Reality Wanted. 2010-03-19. Retrieved 2010-03-21.
  16. ""We Were Three or Four Inches Away From a Million Bucks" – RealityNewsOnline's Exclusive Interview with The Amazing Race 15's Third Place Team, Brian & Ericka". Teeuwynn Woodruff from Reality News Online. 2009-12-10. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
  17. "CBS TV Schedule". CBS. Archived from the original on September 3, 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-28.
  18. Eng, Joyce (2009-10-12). "Amazing Race's Justin Takes the Blame for Losing Zev's Passport". TV Guide. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
  19. "CBS wins premiere week in viewers and adults 25-54 – Ratings". TVbytheNumbers. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  20. "CBS Wins in Viewers and Adults 25-54 for second week in a row; NCIS reigns as the No. 1 program – Ratings". TVbytheNumbers. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  21. "CBS Dominates The Week In Viewers And Key Demos – Ratings". TVbytheNumbers. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  22. "TV Ratings: Weekly primetime broadcast TV ratings for the week ending October 18, 2009: featuring Sunday Night Football ratings, NCIS ratings, NCIS: Los Angeles ratings, Grey's Anatomy ratings, House ratings, Family Guy ratings, The Big Bang Theory ratings, Two and a Half Men ratings, Glee ratings, The Cleveland Show ratings, Dancing With the Stars ratings, CSI ratings, CSI: MIAMI ratings, The Mentalist ratings; Cougar Town ratings, Modern Family ratings – Ratings". TVbytheNumbers. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  23. "CBS Hour of Comedy Power – Ratings". TVbytheNumbers. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  24. "NCIS Rebroadcast Is the Week's Top Scripted Program – Ratings". TVbytheNumbers. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  25. "CBS first in viewers for sixth time in seven weeks; The Big Bang Theory is No. 1 comedy – Ratings". TVbytheNumbers. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  26. "TV Ratings: Weekly primetime broadcast TV ratings for the week ending November 15, 2009: featuring Sunday Night Football ratings, World Series ratings, NCIS ratings, NCIS: Los Angeles ratings, Grey's Anatomy ratings, V ratings, Family Guy ratings, The Big Bang Theory ratings, Two and a Half Men ratings, Glee ratings, Dancing With the Stars ratings, CSI ratings, CSI: MIAMI ratings, The Mentalist ratings; Cougar Town ratings, Modern Family ratings, ALCS ratings – Ratings". TVbytheNumbers. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  27. "TV Ratings: Sunday Night Football, AMAs, Grey's, Big Bang, House and NCIS top weekly broadcast charts – Ratings". TVbytheNumbers. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  28. "CBS Wins Thanksgiving Week In Viewers And Adults 25-54 – Ratings". TVbytheNumbers. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  29. "Season Finale of The Amazing Race 15 Posts Largest Audience Of the Season – Ratings". TVbytheNumbers. 2009-12-07. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  30. "21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards – English Language Nominees". Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. 2010. Retrieved February 21, 2010.
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