The Amazing Race 26

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The Amazing Race 26
Presented byPhil Keoghan
No. of teams11
WinnersLaura Pierson & Tyler Adams
No. of legs12
Distance traveled35,000 mi (56,000 km)
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes12
Release
Original networkCBS
Original releaseFebruary 25 (2015-02-25)[1] –
May 15, 2015 (2015-05-15)[2]
Additional information
Filming datesNovember 12 (2014-11-12)[3] –
December 6, 2014 (2014-12-06)[4]
Season chronology
← Previous
Season 25
Next →
Season 27
List of episodes

The Amazing Race 26 is the twenty-sixth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. In this installment, eleven teams of dating couples (six existing couples and five blind date teams who met for the first time at the start of The Amazing Race) competed in a race around the world for a US$1 million grand prize.[5][6] The season premiered on CBS for the 2014–15 television season with a special 90-minute episode on Wednesday, February 25, 2015. Following the premiere, the program aired in the same time slot that the previous season of The Amazing Race took. The season finale aired on May 15, 2015.[1][2]

Blind date couple Laura Pierson and Tyler Adams, known as "Team SoCal," were the winners of this season.

Production[]

Development and filming[]

The Amazing Race 26 began at Castaic Lake outside of Los Angeles.

This season covered 35,000 miles (56,000 km), five continents, and eight countries, including visits to Japan, Thailand, Namibia, Germany, and for the first time Monaco. In some legs, a special clue was available. Teams that received the special clue were given a Date Night reward, an opportunity to participate in a romantic activity.[7]

The Save from the previous season returned for this season but was unaired, unclaimed, and unused. It could be obtained during the third leg by completing both sides of the Detour.[citation needed]

For the second season in a row, four teams competed in the final leg. However, the host of the show, Phil Keoghan, eliminated one team in the middle of the final leg, leaving only three teams to race to the Finish Line for the $1 million grand prize.

Starting with this season, the scenes in which host Phil Keoghan described the country and Pit Stop were removed and replaced with the teams discussing what happened during the previous episode or a team having their date night before the next leg began.

Casting[]

See also: List of The Amazing Race (American TV series) contestants

The cast included Olympic couple Aly Dudek and Steven Langton, as well as New Kids on the Block member Jonathan Knight, racing with his boyfriend, Harley Rodriguez.[8] This season was the first in the history of the American edition or any international edition of the program, which did not include at least one all-female team. The reasons for not casting at least one lesbian dating couple, whether preexisting or blind date, are unknown.

At the Pit Stop of Leg 3, Matt Cucolo proposed to Ashley Gordon, who accepted, becoming the third team to do so after Hayden & Aaron from The Amazing Race 6 and Chad & Stephanie from The Amazing Race 17.[9][10]

Future appearances[]

No team from this season has competed on a subsequent returnee season.

In June 2015, Jackie Ibarra and Jeff Weldon were revealed as additional contestants on the seventeenth season of fellow CBS reality show Big Brother by Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan.[11] Weldon was evicted third on Day 29.[12] Ibarra was evicted eighth during a double eviction on Day 57 and became the second member of the jury.[13]

Marketing[]

Travelocity and Ford continued their sponsorships with The Amazing Race. Fitbit became a new sponsor this season. Each team member received Fitbit devices, which were used in one of the tasks in Leg 10. This was also the last season to have Ford as a sponsor for the show.[14]

Results[]

The following teams participated in the season, each listed along with their placements in each leg, their relationships at the time of filming, and their team name. 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:[7]

Team Relationship Team name Position (by leg) Roadblocks
performed
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Laura & Tyler Blind Dating Team SoCal 3rd 2nd 4th 4th 6th 6th 2nd 1st⋑ 1st 4th 3rd 1st Laura 5, Tyler 6
Jelani & Jenny Blind Dating The Legal Team 1st 1st 3rd 7th 4th 5th 4th 4thε4⊂ 3rd 2nd 2nd 2nd Jelani 6, Jenny 5
Hayley & Blair Blind Dating Rx For Love 8th 9th 2nd 2nd 5th 1st 3rd 3rd 2nd 1st 1st 3rd Hayley 5, Blair 6
Mike & Rochelle Dating for 8 Months Truck Stop Love 7th⊃ 8th 1st 6th 7th 3rd 5th 5th 4th 3rd 4th 4th5 Mike 6, Rochelle 4
Matt & Ashley Dating for 3 Years→Engaged2 The Hairstylists 9th 7th 6th2 8th 2nd 4th 1st 2nd⊃ 5th 5th Matt 5, Ashley 3
Aly & Steve Dating for 7 Months Sochi Love 4th 3rd 5th 3rd 1st 2nd 6th 6th⋐ Aly 3, Steve 3
Jeff & Jackie Blind Dating Team JJ 2nd 6th 8th 5th 3rd 7th Jeff 2, Jackie 2
Bergen & Kurt Blind Dating The Blonde Date 6th 5th 7th 1st 8th3 Bergen 1, Kurt 1
Harley & Jonathan Dating for 7 Years Team New Kid 5th 4th 9th 9th Harley 1, Jonathan 1
Libby & CJ Dating for 10 Years Team Tuskegee 10th 10th Libby 1, CJ 0
Jeff & Lyda Dating for 4 Years Flight Crew 11th⊂
⋑1 		Jeff 0, Lyda 0
Key
  • A red team placement means the team was eliminated.
  • 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 during the next leg.
  • A brown ⊃ or an cyan ⋑ indicates that the team chose to use one of the two U-Turns in a Double U-Turn, respectively; ⊂ or ⋐ indicates the team who received it; ⊂
    ⋑     indicates that the team was U-Turned, but they used the second U-Turn on another team.
  • A purple ε indicates that the team decided to use the Express Pass on that leg.
  • An underlined leg number indicates that there was no mandatory rest period at the Pit Stop and all teams were ordered to continue racing. The first place team was still awarded a prize for that leg. An underlined team placement indicates that the team came in last, was ordered to continue racing, and didn't have to perform a Speed Bump in the next leg. Teams were warned that at some point in the next leg, a team would be eliminated.
Notes
  1. ^ Jeff & Lyda used their Blind U-Turn on Jeff & Jackie; however, they already passed the U-Turn point and therefore were unaffected by it.
  2. ^ At the Leg 3 Pit Stop, Matt proposed to Ashley, who accepted.
  3. ^ Bergen & Kurt left their Ford Focus vehicle behind on their way to Schlafwagenfabrik due to difficulties driving it, and instead traveled by taxi. They were then issued a 2-hour penalty upon arrival, as they did not have their vehicle present to perform the task there. Throughout the leg, Bergen & Kurt had to walk or use public transportation. Additionally, Bergen & Kurt got lost while finding the Detour location of their choice and fell behind all the other teams. Phil met with them where they rested the night to inform them of their elimination.
  4. ^ Jelani & Jenny used the Express Pass to bypass the Detour in Leg 8; However, they still had to do one side of the Detour since Matt & Ashley U-Turned them before they got to the board.
  5. ^ Mike & Rochelle were the last team to arrive at the P2 ranch and were eliminated in the middle part of the final leg.

Episode title quotes[]

Episode titles are often taken from quotes made by the racers.[15]

  1. "Great Way to Start a Relationship" – Hayley
  2. "I Got the Smartest Dude" – Jackie and Laura
  3. "#MurphysLaw" – Harley
  4. "The Great Amazing Nasty Race" – Hayley
  5. "Get in That Lederhosen, Baby" – Tyler
  6. "Smells Like a Million Bucks" – Tyler
  7. "Back in Business" – Hayley
  8. "Moment of Truth" – Tyler
  9. "Can I Get a Hot Tub!" – Tyler
  10. "Fruits of Our Labor" – Jenny
  11. "In It to Win It" – Tyler
  12. "Monster Truck Heroes" – Jenny

Prizes[]

The prize for each leg was awarded to the first place team for that corresponding leg. The Date Night reward was a romantic activity at the Pit Stop, and its invitation was found at random inside a clue envelope.

  • Leg 1 – The Express Pass – an item that can be used to skip any one task of the team's choosing.
  • Leg 2 – Fitbit watches and a fitness package for each team member, plus a personal chef, cooking lessons and a one-year gym membership or a year of fresh grocery delivery.
  • Leg 3 – A trip for two to Prague, Czech Republic
    • Date Night – A romantic evening on the beach at the Pit Stop – Awarded to Bergen & Kurt, later conceded to Matt & Ashley
  • Leg 4 – A trip for two to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
    • Date Night – A romantic evening on a water boat at Chao Phraya River – Awarded to Laura & Tyler.
  • Leg 5 – A 2015 Ford Focus for each racer.
    • Date Night – A romantic evening at the Bavarian Public Observatory (Unaired) – Awarded to Mike & Rochelle.
  • Leg 6 – A trip for two to Cape Town, South Africa
    • Date Night – A romantic evening at a hotel on the French Riviera – Awarded to Laura & Tyler.
  • Leg 7 – US$5000 each
    • Date Night – Massages (Unaired) – Awarded to Laura & Tyler.
  • Leg 8 – A trip for two to Queenstown, New Zealand
  • Leg 9 – A trip for two to Seoul, South Korea
    • Date Night – Unknown – Awarded to Jelani & Jenny.
  • Leg 10 – A Fitbit package for each racer, a phone and laptop of the racer's choice, and either home gym equipment or a one-year gym membership.
    • Date Night – A romantic dinner with a performance from a mummy – Awarded to Jelani & Jenny.
  • Leg 11 – A trip for two to Goa, India
  • Leg 12 – US$1,000,000

Race summary[]

Race Route
Destinations Legenda lotnisko.svg Air travel   Legenda kolej.svg Rail travel   BSicon BOOT.svg Water travel   Bus-logo.svg Bus travel
Maki-heliport-15.svg Helicopter travel   Maki-bicycle-15.svg Bicycle travel   Maki-aerialway-15.svg Gondola travel
Route Markers Detour icon.svg Detour   Roadblock icon.svg Roadblock   U-Turn icon.svg U-Turn   Speed Bump icon.svg Speed Bump   TAR-pitstop-icon.png Pit Stop
Icons placed after a location indicate the clue was picked up at this location,
while icons placed before a location indicate that the clue was picked up at a prior location.

Leg 1 (United States → Japan)[]

Upon arrival in Tokyo, teams traveled to Kanda Shrine, a Japanese Shinto shrine.

Airdate: February 25, 2015[16]

  • Castaic, California, United States (Castaic Lake) (Starting Line)
  • Flight: Los Angeles (Los Angeles International Airport) to Tokyo, Japan (Narita International Airport)
  • Tokyo (Chiyoda – Kanda Shrine)
  • Detour: Syncing Steps or Samurai Sake Tokyo (Shinjuku – Shinjuku Central Park or Nakano – Nakanosakaue Chicken Tavern)
  • Tokyo (Shinjuku – Wakaba Higashi Park) Blind Double U-Turn: Mike & Rochelle U-Turned Jeff & Lyda and Jeff & Lyda attempted to U-Turn Jeff & Jackie
  • Tokyo (Chiyoda – Akihabara UDX Building Parking Space) Pit Stop: Leg 1

This season's first Detour was a choice between Syncing Steps or Samurai Sake. In Syncing Steps, teams traveled to Shinjuku Central Park and had to learn and perform a series of synchronized "robotic" dance moves with members of World Order to the satisfaction of World Order leader Genki Sudo to receive their next clue. In Samurai Sake, teams traveled to Nakano Sakaue Station Tavern and were shown ten bottles of sake (tōkō, nanbubijin, okunomatsu, kanbe, yoshinogawa, michisakari, tsukasabotan, zaou, momokawa, shōchikubai). One team member had to take an order from a pair of samurai, while the other team member had to find the correct bottle from a large display of bottles. When the correct sake bottle was presented, teams would make a toast with the samurai before receiving their next clue.

Additional tasks
  • At Castaic Lake, teams had to complete a mud run obstacle course on a lake shore and grab a ring, which contained airplane tickets to their first destination: Tokyo, Japan. The first eight teams were on the first flight via EVA Air, and the last three were on the second flight departing 45 minutes later via China Airlines.
  • Before leaving Castaic Lake, teams had to choose a marked Ford Fusion Hybrid to drive themselves to Los Angeles International Airport.
  • After getting the clue at Wakaba Higashi Park, teams were instructed to search "in the vicinity of" the UDX building for a parking space to find the Pit Stop.

Leg 2 (Japan)[]

One of the Detour choices in Nagano paid tribute to the 1998 Winter Olympics where team members had to push their partners around M-Wave's speed skating track.

Airdate: February 27, 2015[17]

In this season's first Roadblock, one team member had to solve a traditional puzzle box called yosegi that contained the password they would need to tell the guards to receive their next clue. One of the clue envelopes contained a Date Night reward.

This leg's Detour was a Blind Detour, where teams would learn about the task they chose at its location, was a choice between Share or Chair. In Share, teams made their way to the Takesan Donabe restaurant and had to feed each other a bowl of noodles, using only a pair of chopsticks while sitting in front of a large fan, to receive their next clue. In Chair, teams traveled to the M-Wave Olympic Arena. One team member would sit on a chair mounted on a sled while their partner pushed the chair around a speed skating track and then switch places after one lap. Teams had to finish both laps within a combined time of three minutes and fifty-five seconds to receive their next clue from a coach.

Additional task
  • At the start of the leg, teams had to ride a bullet train to Nagano and find Matsushiro Castle to get their next clue.

Leg 3 (Japan → Thailand)[]

This leg focused on the famous nightlife in Phuket's Patong Beach.

Airdate: March 6, 2015[18]

This leg's Detour was a choice between Ski or Tree. In Ski, teams traveled to Phuket Wake Park, where each member had to ride one lap of the wave pool on a wakeboard to receive their next clue. In Tree, teams traveled to Flying Hanuman, where they dressed as waiters and had to deliver a full meal intact to customers by zip line to receive their next clue.

Additional tasks
  • Upon arrival in Phuket, teams had to head to Bangla Road and search for a street hawker with selfie sticks that had one of three departure times for the next morning. The first three teams received the 8:30 a.m. slot, the next three received the 8:45 a.m. slot, and the last three received the 9:00 a.m. slot.
  • At Baan Teelanka, the "Upside Down House", teams had to search for their next clue hanging upside-down from a toilet.
  • At My Way Cabaret, teams dressed in "showgirl" costumes, including stockings, feathered headdresses, heels, and makeup, before learning a dance and performing it before an audience. Once the manager was satisfied with the team's dance, teams would receive their next clue.
Additional note
  • Teams had a chance to earn The Save by completing both Detours; however, as no teams decided to complete both Detours, this aspect of the task went unaired.

Leg 4 (Thailand)[]

Maha Chetsadabodin Pavilion Court inside Wat Ratchanatdaram complex, overlooking Loha Prasat, in downtown Bangkok was the Pit Stop for this leg.

Airdate: March 13, 2015[19]

  • Flight: Phuket (Phuket International Airport) to Bangkok (Don Mueang International Airport)
  • Bangkok (Wat Yan Nawa)
    • Speed Bump: Thai Grasshopper Bangkok (Wat Yan Nawa – Mekhala Pier)
  • Detour: Wheel or Water Bangkok (Snooker Club and Caturday Café or Wat Klang Food Market and Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen)
  • Bangkok (Pathum Wan Siang Gong) Roadblock: "Who's feeling clutchy?"
  • Bangkok (Wat Ratchanatdaram – Maha Chetsadabodin Pavilion Court overlooking Loha Prasat) Pit Stop: Leg 4

For their Speed Bump, Harley & Jonathan had to assemble a traditional Thai grasshopper made out of river reeds before they could continue racing.

This leg's Detour was a choice between two public forms of Thai transportation: Wheel or Water. In Wheel, teams traveled on foot to Sathon Road and then took a tuk tuk to the Snooker Club. Once there, they had to play snooker until they sank a red ball. Then, they received a bottle of milk for them to take to the Caturday Café and give to the resident cats. Once the cats were fed, the café's owner would give teams their next clue. In Water, teams traveled on foot to Sathon Pier and then took a water taxi to Wat Intharam Pier, where they searched for Wat Klang Food Market. At the market, each team member had to eat a thousand-year-old egg. Then, they received a metal placard clue sending them to the Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen temple to participate in a traditional Thai prayer before receiving their next clue.

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to use power tools to remove the transmission from a faulty engine block. Inside the transmission was a screwdriver with the next clue tucked inside that handle. One of the clue envelopes contained a Date Night reward.

Additional task
  • After the Roadblock, teams had to figure out that the clue, a piece of fabric with the inscription "Metal Castle" from a screwdriver, directed them to the Pit Stop at Loha Prasat in Wat Ratchanatdaram.

Leg 5 (Thailand → Germany)[]

One of the Detour choices in Bavaria required teams to participate in Germany's world's famous beer festival, the Oktoberfest.

Airdate: April 3, 2015[20]

  • Flight: Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi Airport) to Munich, Bavaria, Germany (Munich Airport)
  • Railway: Oberding (Munich Airport Terminal Station) to Munich (Munchen Marienplatz Station)
  • Munich (Wies'n Tracht und Mehr)
  • Munich (St. Peter's Church – Alter Peter Tower)
  • Munich (Schlafwagenfabrik)
  • Schliersee (Lake Schliersee)
  • Detour: Stein or Stack Fischbachau (Wolfsee Halle) or Geitau, Bayrischzell (Hasenöhrl-Hof)
  • Schliersee (Markus Wasmeier Museum) Roadblock: "Who wants a woo?"
  • Schliersee (Lake Spitzingsee) Pit Stop: Leg 5

This leg's Detour was a choice between Stein or Stack. In Stein, teams traveled to the Wolfsee Halle restaurant, where they had to carry twenty-two steins full of beer and carefully deliver them all at once while walking through a crowd without dropping or spilling them to receive their next clue. In Stack, teams traveled to the grounds of Hasenöhrl-Hof and had to vertically stack fifteen empty beer crates without the one team member standing on top of them falling or toppling the crates to receive their next clue.

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to learn a Bavarian love song and then serenade their partner with the correct word pronunciation and key while perched on a ladder to receive their next clue. If they sang incorrectly, a bucket of water would be dumped on them and they would have to start over.

Additional tasks
  • Upon arrival in Munich, teams had to travel by train to a clothing shop and don traditional German outfits, lederhosen for men and dirndl for women. They would wear the clothes for the duration of the leg.
  • At St. Peter's Church, teams had to climb to the top of Alter Peter Tower and search for one of eight marked Ford Focuses below.
  • At Schlafwagenfabrik, teams had to reverse through a Winter Wonderland and use the car's rear-view camera to see four signposts: Sch, li, er and see. At the end of the course, they would assemble them to discover their next destination, Schliersee, and would receive their next clue.
  • At the lakeside in Schliersee, teams chose a marked boat and rowed to their next clue, which was attached on a buoy.

Leg 6 (Germany → France & Monaco)[]

The Roadblock in Monaco had team members searching the yachts around Port Hercules for their partners.

Airdate: April 10, 2015[21]

In this leg's Roadblock, which homaged Grace Kelly, one team member had to travel by foot and order a bouquet of roses at St Martin Gardens and a box of chocolates at Chocolaterie de Monaco. Then they delivered them to their partner waiting on a marked yacht at Port Hercules for their next clue.

At the Casino de Monte Carlo (see additional tasks below), teams had to take part in a Detour which was chosen for them by their roulette spin. A Black Spin took teams to Win By a Nose, where teams had to make Fragonard Parfumeur's signature perfume and cologne using 12 essences to match the original scents. When the perfumer confirmed that teams recreated the scents, they received their next clue. A Red Spin would send the teams to Don't Slack Off, where each team member had to zip-line 2,000 ft (610 m) above the city to La Turbie, then walk back across a tightrope to receive their next clue.

Additional tasks
  • At the Hotel Westminster, teams had to choose from a variety of outfits, a suit for men and an evening gown for women, to be worn for the rest of the leg on the next day. Once they were dressed and ready the following morning, they would take a helicopter ride across the border to Monaco.
  • After the Roadblock, teams had to travel to Casino de Monte Carlo. After entering the casino, they spun a roulette wheel, which determined their Detour task. Then, they had to pick up a Ford Fiesta from a valet and drive to the specified location.

Leg 7 (France → Namibia)[]

While in Namibia, racers built grass huts for the Roadblock with Bushmen.

Airdate: April 17, 2015[22]

  • Cap-d'Ail (Marina) (Pit Start)
  • Flight: Nice (Nice Côte d'Azur Airport) to Windhoek, Namibia (Hosea Kutako International Airport)
  • Flight: Windhoek (Hosea Kutako International Airport) to Omaruru (Erindi Private Game Reserve)
  • Omaruru (Erindi Private Game Reserve – San Village) Roadblock: "Who's feeling grassy?"
  • Omaruru (Erindi Private Game Reserve – Ranger Headquarters) Detour: Track or Pack
  • Usakos (Spitzkoppe) Pit Stop: Leg 7

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to work with bushmen and build a traditional hut using wooden sticks and dried grass to receive their next clue.

The leg's Detour was a choice between Track or Pack, each with a limit of three stations. In Track, teams had to choose a truck and use a telemetric device consisting of an antenna and beacon to track down an elephant to receive their next clue. In Pack, teams worked as butchers and had to cut slices of wildebeest meat, avoiding the bones, until they completely filled a bucket. Teams then boarded a truck and fed the meat to a pack of African wild dogs to receive their next clue.

Additional tasks
  • Once in the Namibian capital of Windhoek, teams chose a bush plane pilot that would fly them to the Erindi Private Game Reserve. Once there, teams had to choose a marked Ford Ranger and drive themselves to a bushmen village to retrieve their next clue and had to pick up a salt lick before arriving at the village.
  • After the Roadblock, teams had to deliver their salt lick to the head ranger at the ranger headquarters to receive their next clue.
  • After the Detour, teams drove themselves to Spitzkoppe and looked for a rock formation in order to find the Pit Stop.

Leg 8 (Namibia)[]

As one of the choices for the second Detour in Namibia, teams took part in sand skiing through the Namib desert, the oldest desert in the world.

Airdate: April 17, 2015[23]

For their Speed Bump, Aly & Steve had to properly assemble six toy planes from repurposed soda cans before they could continue racing.

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to watch a yellow supply case drop 1,000 feet (300 m) from an airplane and retrieve it on foot. After locating the supply case, they had to walk to a hilltop to pick up the Travelocity Roaming Gnome and reunite with their partner at the starting point to open the supply case containing their next clue.

This leg's Detour was a choice between Work or Play. In Work, teams had to attach five tires to their vehicles and drive 5 miles (8.0 km) over a bumpy dirt road to smooth the road to a foreman's satisfaction and receive their next clue. In Play, teams had to cross-country sand ski across a series of sand dunes and then slide down on a sand board to the bottom of a dune, where Henrik May would give them their next clue.

Additional tasks
  • At Swakopmunder Buchhandlung (a German language bookstore), teams had to pick up a copy of the Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper and find their next clue, which was written in German.
  • After the Detour, teams had to find the Goanikontes Oasis in the Moon Valley Landscape. There, each team member had to pick one of four exotic animals (camel, donkey, oryx, or zebra) and lead it to the Pit Stop.

Leg 9 (Namibia → Netherlands)[]

One of the Detour choices in Amsterdam had teams riding in a hot tub through the Canals of Amsterdam.

Airdate: April 24, 2015[24]

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to don a traditional Dutch costume and search among hundreds of klompen (traditional wooden shoes) for one that exactly matched the one on display to receive their next clue from the cobbler.

This leg's Detour was a choice between Soak or Shuffle. In Soak, teams had to pilot an electric-powered hot tub called HotTug through the city's canals, while solving a rebus along the route. Once teams wrote down the right answer, "Ice Skating Rink", they would receive their next clue. In Shuffle, teams had to play a traditional shuffleboard game called sjoelen and score 51 points to receive their next clue.

Additional tasks
  • After the Roadblock, teams had to ride provided bicycles along the Amstel River to Munttoren in Amsterdam to find their next clue.
  • After the Detour, teams had to ride their bikes to the ice skating rink on Museumplein, which was the Pit Stop.

Leg 10 (Netherlands → Peru)[]

The Virgen de La Puerta Statue beside Plaza de Armas in Otuzco served as the tenth Pit Stop.

Airdate: May 1, 2015[25]

For their Speed Bump, Matt & Ashley had to use an old-fashioned typewriter to properly type out a llama loan application before they could continue racing.

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to harvest a row of sugarcane using a machete to receive their next clue and a bundle of sugarcane from a farmer.

This leg's Detour was a choice between Mamas or Papas. In Mamas, teams had to walk through the busy streets of Otuzco's marketplace to find five different shops and purchase nine ingredients used to prepare chicha, a Peruvian moonshine, from a provided recipe, then deliver them to an elderly lady known as La Señora de La Chicha. She would trade the ingredients for a glass of chicha that teams had to drink before receiving their next clue. In Papas, teams traveled to a lush potato field and had to pack potatoes into bags. They then had to deliver the potatoes to a market and correctly arrange each type of potato in a separate bin of a marked stall to receive their next clue from the potato vendor. If the potatoes were incorrectly sorted, the stall would collapse and teams would have to start over.

Additional tasks
  • At Plaza de Armas, teams had to find a brass band master of ceremonies with their next clue. Teams that arrived at night would receive a departure time for the next day and could enjoy a fireworks festival called Festival de Fuerza.
  • At Plazuela de la Merced, teams had find their next clue at "a shine with the morning sun", a shoeshine stand.
  • At Parque Ramón Castillo in Otuzco, teams gave their sugarcane from the Roadblock to a fitness expert. Then, they used a chalkboard to write their activity data (steps and calories) from their Fitbit fitness watch device and used a calculator to calculate the steps needed to work off the 576 calories (2,410,000 J) from a sugarcane juice drink. Lastly, they had to drink a glass of sugarcane juice to receive their next clue from the fitness expert.
  • After the Detour, teams had to walk to the Statue of Virgen de La Puerta beside Plaza De Armas for the Pit Stop.
Additional note
  • Teams were provided tickets for a flight to Trujillo but were under no obligation to use them.

Leg 11 (Peru)[]

The Roadblock in Huanchaco required racers to take a ride on a caballito de totora.

Airdate: May 8, 2015[26]

  • Trujillo (Universidad Nacional de Trujillo)
  • Detour: Shake Your Hips or Make Some Bricks Trujillo (Asociación de Criadores y Propietarios de Caballos de Paso or Chan Chan)
  • Huanchaco (Avenida Ribera and Manco Capac)
  • Roadblock: "Who wants to ride a sea horse?" Huanchaco (Beach)
  • Huanchaco (Church of Virgen del Socorro) Pit Stop: Leg 11

This season's final Detour was a choice between Shake Your Hips or Make Some Bricks. In Shake Your Hips, teams had learn and perform the marinera dance in traditional costume to the satisfaction of a head judge to receive their next clue. In Make Some Bricks, teams traveled to the famous Chan Chan ruins, where they had to make twelve wet bricks from mud and sand. Once all twelve bricks were completed to the foreman's specifications, they then used a wheelbarrow to transport twelve dry bricks to a work site to receive their next clue from an archeologist.

In this leg's Roadblock, both team members had to carry a caballito de totora to the beach on foot. Once there, the chosen team member had to paddle out to a buoy to get their next clue.

Additional tasks
  • At the start of the leg, teams returned to Trujillo to search for "South America's largest mosaic." Once there, they had to find a payaso (a clown) with a magnifying glass and were taken to a specific section of the mosaic located outside of Universidad Nacional de Trujillo to find a tiny route marker flag and trade it to the clown for the Detour clue.
  • After the Roadblock, teams were instructed to make their way on foot to the Pit Stop at Virgen Del Socorro.

Leg 12 (Peru → United States)[]

The Reunion Tower in Dallas was the location for the final Roadblock in The Amazing Race 26.

Airdate: May 15, 2015[27][28]

  • Flight: Trujillo (FAP Captain Carlos Martínez de Pinillos International Airport) to Dallas, Texas, United States (Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport)
  • Arlington (AT&T Stadium) Roadblock: "Who wants to score?"
  • Burleson (P2 Ranch) (Elimination Point)
  • Dallas (Reunion Tower) Roadblock: "Who has a sharp eye?"
  • Dallas (Railroad Track Shed near Trinity River)
  • Dallas (Continental Avenue Bridge) Finish Line

In this leg's first Roadblock, one team member had to dress in a Dallas Cowboys uniform, then get harnessed and pulled to the very top of the stadium, where they then collected a football playbook. After returning to the ground, they had to catch a touchdown pass and score a field goal to receive their next clue.

In this season's final Roadblock, the team member who did not perform the previous Roadblock had to rappel from the top of Reunion Tower and spot a row of yellow and red flags, which were near the Trinity River and where teams would find their next clue.

Additional tasks
  • At P2 Ranch in Burleson, teams dressed in western hats, shirts, and boots and worked with cowboys to herd at least six Texas Longhorn steers into a pen to receive their next clue. The first three teams to arrive at the ranch were permitted to perform the task, while the last team to arrive was eliminated.
  • At the Trinity River, teams had to drive a monster truck through a series of mud pits to reach their final memory challenge. For this task, team members had to work together to unlock a shed using a combination which corresponded to the leg number in which four places were visited during the season (8-3-9-1):
Leg Place Country
8 Buchhandlung Namibia
3 Baan Teelanka Thailand
9 Munttoren Netherlands
1 Kanda Myojin Japan
Once the shed was unlocked, they would find enlarged prints of the selfies they had taken during the season and had to attach them to a large world map in chronological order from right to left to receive their final clue.

Reception[]

Critical response[]

The Amazing Race 26 received mixed reviews. Daniel Fienberg of HitFix wrote that "'Amazing Race' tried to do something that 'Amazing Race' wasn't equipped to do this season and the experiment was an utter failure, but it speaks to the resiliency of the format that it didn't destroy the season entirely. I don't think this was a great season of 'The Amazing Race,' but whatever problems I had with the season were entirely about weakly integrated product placement, redundant challenges and problematic Race architecture that left too many Legs stagnant and unchanged from start to finish."[29] Meredith Goodman of The Daily Northwestern was negative towards the blind date format calling it "the tackiest gimmick of all".[30] Jodi Walker of Entertainment Weekly wrote that "this season has been a weird one, but it's certainly been interesting."[31] Rob Moynihan of TV Insider wrote that the blind date "gamble paid off, with most of that season's memorable moments stemming from the contempt between blind dating medical professionals Hayley and Blair."[32] Luke Gelineau of TV Equals wrote "I ended up liking this season a bit more than I thought I was going to."[33] In 2016, this season was ranked 25th out of the first 27 seasons by the Rob Has a Podcast Amazing Race correspondents.[34] Kareem Gantt of Screen Rant wrote that "it was a truly suspenseful race throughout the season, and the cast was thoroughly likable, so much so that you hated for any team to get bumped off of this season."[35]

Ratings[]

U.S. Nielsen ratings[]

No. Title Air date Rating/share
(18–49) 		Viewers
(millions) 		DVR
(18–49) 		DVR viewers
(millions) 		Total
(18–49) 		Total viewers
(millions) 		Ref
1 "Great Way to Start a Relationship" February 25, 2015 (2015-02-25)[a] 1.5/4 6.16 0.9 N/A 2.4 N/A [36][37]
2 "I Got the Smartest Dude" February 27, 2015 (2015-02-27) 1.1/4 6.15 0.7 N/A 1.8 N/A [37][38]
3 "#MurphysLaw" March 6, 2015 (2015-03-06) 1.2/5 6.07 0.7 N/A 1.9 N/A [39][40]
4 "The Great Amazing Nasty Race" March 13, 2015 (2015-03-13) 1.3/5 6.29 N/A N/A N/A N/A [41]
5 "Get in That Lederhosen, Baby" April 3, 2015 (2015-04-03)[b] 1.3/5 6.05 N/A 1.93 N/A 8.00 [42][43]
6 "Smells Like a Million Bucks" April 10, 2015 (2015-04-10) 1.1/4 5.75 N/A N/A N/A N/A [44]
7 "Back in Business" April 17, 2015 (2015-04-17)[c] 1.1/4 5.46 0.7 N/A 1.8 N/A [45][46]
8 "Moment of Truth" April 17, 2015 (2015-04-17) 0.7 N/A 1.8 N/A
9 "Can I Get a Hot Tub!" April 24, 2015 (2015-04-24) 1.1/4 5.75 0.7 N/A 1.8 N/A [47][48]
10 "Fruits of Our Labor" May 1, 2015 (2015-05-01) 1.1/5 5.52 N/A N/A N/A N/A [49]
11 "In It to Win It" May 8, 2015 (2015-05-08) 1.1/5 5.48 0.7 N/A 1.8 N/A [50][51]
12 "Monster Truck Heroes" May 15, 2015 (2015-05-15) 1.1/5 5.72 0.6 1.81 1.7 7.53 [52][53]
  1. ^ The season premiere was a special 90-minute episode that aired at Wednesday 9:30 PM ET.
  2. ^ No episodes aired on March 20 or March 27 as a result of CBS's coverage of the 2015 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.
  3. ^ To make up for one of the delayed episodes due to coverage of the 2015 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, another episode aired immediately after this one.

Canadian ratings[]

Canadian broadcaster CTV also airs The Amazing Race on Fridays. Episodes air at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and Central (9:00 p.m. Pacific, Mountain and Atlantic).

Canadian DVR ratings are included in Numeris' count.

No. Air date Episode Viewers
(millions) 		Rank
(Week) 		Ref
1 February 25, 2015 (2015-02-25) "Great Way to Start a Relationship" 1.97 10 [54]
2 February 27, 2015 (2015-02-27) "I Got the Smartest Dude"
3 March 6, 2015 (2015-03-06) "#MurphysLaw" 2.05 9 [55]
4 March 13, 2015 (2015-03-13) "The Great Amazing Nasty Race" 1.96 10 [56]
5 April 3, 2015 (2015-04-03) "Get in That Lederhosen, Baby" 2.02 6 [57]
6 April 10, 2015 (2015-04-10) "Smells Like a Million Bucks" 1.98 7 [58]
7 April 17, 2015 (2015-04-17) "Back in Business" 1.53 19 [59]
8 April 17, 2015 (2015-04-17) "Moment of Truth"
9 April 24, 2015 (2015-04-24) "Can I Get a Hot Tub!" 1.73 16 [60]
10 May 1, 2015 (2015-05-01) "Fruits of Our Labor" 1.56 19 [61]
11 May 8, 2015 (2015-05-08) "In It to Win It" 1.67 14 [62]
12 May 15, 2015 (2015-05-15) "Monster Truck Heroes" 1.77 9 [63]

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External links[]

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