The Amazing Race 29

The Amazing Race 29 is the twenty-ninth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. Unlike previous seasons, which almost exclusively feature teams with pre-existing relationships, this edition features 22 contestants who were all complete strangers that met for the first time and formed eleven teams of two at the Starting Line. These teams competed in a race around the world for a US$1 million grand prize.^[3]

The season premiered on Thursday, March 30, 2017 on CBS for the 2016–17 television season replacing the low-rated Training Day.^[4] The season finale aired on June 1, 2017.

Brooke Camhi and Scott Flanary were the winners of this season.

Production[]

Development and filming[]

Miraflores Locks on the Panama Canal was the first destination visited in the 29th season of The Amazing Race after teams started off at Grand Hope Park in Downtown Los Angeles.

In March 2016, CBS renewed The Amazing Race for the 2016–17 TV season, but was left out of the Fall schedule for the first time since Season 12 and the entire Fall schedule run since the 2003–04 TV season. The show's Friday time slot instead went to new drama series MacGyver. It was announced in November 2016 that the season would premiere Friday, April 21, 2017 in its regular Friday time slot after MacGyver had finished its season run. On March 10, 2017, CBS announced that it was moving low-rated new drama Training Day to Saturdays and would move the season's premiere up to March 30 to fill the now vacated Thursday, 10:00 p.m. time slot.^[5][6]

The season included visits to 17 cities across five continents and nine countries over 36,000 miles (58,000 km) with teams traveling to countries including Panama, Tanzania, Norway, and Greece.^[3] Filming began on June 10, 2016 in Los Angeles,^[1][7] and concluded on July 2, 2016 in Chicago.^[2]

This season also introduced a few alterations to the show's rules. While the traditional limit on Roadblock performances were still enforced, there was an additional requirement for this season wherein team members could not perform more than four Roadblocks before the ninth leg. Additionally, there was no limit on how many times a team could use the U-Turn on this season.^[8]

Casting[]

Winter X Games snowboarder Matt Ladley was one of the twenty-two individuals included in this season's cast.

Future appearances[]

Becca & Floyd from "Team Fun" returned to compete on The Amazing Race 31.^[9]

In 2020, Jennifer "Jenn" Lee from "Team Long Hair Don't Care" appeared on the thirty-fifth season of The Challenge, thus becoming the first contestant from The Amazing Race to be featured on the MTV series,^[10] and was eliminated on the second episode.^[11]

Results[]

As announced by CBS, the following teams participated in the season. Unlike the traditional format of The Amazing Race, these contestants arrived at the Starting Line unpaired, an idea that Amazing Race producers claim fans have repeatedly suggested to them in the past. A challenge prior to the official start was used to determine a ranking of the 22 contestants. The highest-ranked unpaired contestant was then allowed to draft any remaining unpaired contestant as his or her teammate. The process continued until all eleven teams were determined. Selections were based solely on first impressions and the interactions contestants had with each other during the first challenge. Each team is listed with the unique hashtag the show's graphics use to identify them.

Key

• A red team placement indicates the team was eliminated.
• A brown ⊃ or a cyan ⋑ indicates that the team chose to use one of the two U-Turns in a Double U-Turn, while a ⊂ or ⋐ indicates the team who received it.
• A green ƒ indicates that the team won a Fast Forward.
• An underlined leg number indicates there was no mandatory rest period at the Pit Stop, and all teams were ordered to continue racing. 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.
• An underlined blue placement indicates the team came in last on a non-elimination leg and had to perform a Speed Bump during the next leg.
• A purple ε indicates the team decided to use the Express Pass on that leg; if next to a leg number, it indicates that the team with the Express Pass forfeited the Pass at the Pit Stop of that leg without ever having used it.

Notes

Episode title quotes[]

Episode titles are often taken from quotes made by the racers.^[14]

1. "We're Coming For You, Phil!" – Seth
2. "Scared Spitless" – Liz
3. "Bucket List Type Stuff" – Logan
4. "Another One Bites the Dust" – Liz
5. "Have Faith in Me, Broski" – Liz
6. "Double U-Turn Ahead" – Phrase on Clue
7. "Have Fun and Get It Done" – Tara
8. "Good Job, Donkey" – Tara
9. "I Thought We Were Playing It Nice" – London
10. "Riding a Bike Is Like Riding a Bike" – London
11. "As Easy As Stacking Cups" – Redmond
12. "We're Going To Victory Lane" – Race-car driver at Chicagoland Speedway (non-racer)

Prizes[]

The prize for each leg, with the exception of Legs 5 and 11, was awarded to the first place team for that leg. Trips were provided by Travelocity. The prizes were:

• Leg 1 – US$2,000 each (Unaired)^{[citation needed]}
• Leg 2 – A trip for two to Barbados
• Leg 3 – A trip for two to Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Leg 4 – US$5,000 each
• Leg 6 – A trip for two to Ushuaia, Argentina
• Leg 7 – A trip for two to Grenada
• Leg 8 – US$7,500 each
• Leg 9 – A trip for two to Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
• Leg 10 – A trip for two to Costa Rica
• Leg 12 – US$1,000,000

Race summary[]

Complete Race map and countries visited during the season

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
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 → Panama)[]

The pavement of Cinta Costera, overlooking the skyline of downtown Panama City, served as the first Pit Stop.

Airdate: March 30, 2017

• Los Angeles, California, United States (Grand Hope Park) (Team Pairing and Starting Line)
  • Los Angeles (F&M Gallery – Luggage Shop)
• Los Angeles (Los Angeles International Airport) to Panama City, Panama (Tocumen International Airport)
• Panama City (Panama Canal – Miraflores Locks)
• Soberanía National Park (Panama Rainforest Discovery Center – Canopy Tower)
• Gamboa (Gamboa Rainforest Resort)
• Panama City (Cinta Costera III)

This season's first Detour was a choice between Scoot or Shoot. Both options required teams to paddle a traditional Panamanian vessel called a cayuco. In Scoot, teams had to beat a pair of professional canoers in a 400-metre (0.25 mi) regatta to receive their next clue. Teams that lost on the first attempt received a 50-meter head start for the second attempt, and teams that needed a third attempt were given a 100-meter head start. In Shoot, teams had to row to a marshy area and use a bow and arrow to shoot down two silver fishes hung on a cluster of bamboo poles to receive their next clue.

Additional tasks

• To determine the teams, host Phil Keoghan announced to the racers a series of cardinal directions and distances to find the luggage shop near Grand Hope Park. Once at the shop, they had to retrieve a suitcase tagged with the flag of Panama and return to the Starting Line. The racers were ranked in the order in which they completed this task. Teams were then formed by having the highest-ranked contestant choose his or her teammate from among the remaining unpaired racers with the final two contestants automatically paired by default. Furthermore, one of the 22 suitcases contained the only Express Pass available.
• Once the competition began, most teams had to find a taxi and make their way to Los Angeles International Airport to book one of two Copa Airlines flights to Panama. As a consolation prize for being forced to team together by default, Jessie & Francesca were driven to the airport by host Phil Keoghan himself. The first flight carried five teams and was scheduled to arrive ninety minutes before the second flight with the remaining six teams.
• Once in Panama, teams had to choose a marked Toyota Fortuner and drive themselves to the Miraflores Locks to find their next clue, which instructed them to search the canopy tower of the Panama Rainforest Discovery Center to find their next clue.

Leg 2 (Panama → Brazil)[]

Upon arrival in São Paulo, teams traveled by helicopter over the city before making their way to Praça da Sé in front of São Paulo Cathedral for their clue.

Airdate: April 6, 2017

• Panama City (Tocumen International Airport) to São Paulo, Brazil (São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport)
• Carapicuíba (Helipark Táxi Aéreo e Manutenção Aeronáutica) to São Paulo (Maksoud Plaza)
• São Paulo (Praça da Sé)
• São Paulo (Santa Ifigênia – Rua General Osório (in Portuguese) or Brás – Rua Palmorino Mônaco)
• São Paulo (Paulista Avenue)
• São Paulo (Instituto Cervantes São Paulo)
• São Paulo (Trianon Park)

This leg's Detour was a choice between Keep The Beat or Work Your Feet. In Keep The Beat, teams traveled to Rua General Osório to perform a musical routine with a samba group. One team member had to perform on the surdo drum and the other had to perform with the chocalho jingle stick to the satisfaction of the band leader to receive their next clue. In Work Your Feet, teams made their way to a stretch of Rua Palmorino Mônaco beneath an overpass where they had to assemble makeshift workout equipment using rudimentary supplies including a tire, a refrigerator, weight racks, metal cans, and a barrel, which needed a specified volume of water, to the satisfaction of a professional boxer to receive their next clue.

In this season's first Roadblock, one team member had to rappel down the façade of Instituto Cervantes São Paulo and completely wash a marked window to receive their next clue from a person inside the room.

Additional tasks

• At the Helipark in Carapicuíba, teams had to sign up for a helicopter ride across the São Paulo skyline to a building adjacent to Praça da Sé.
• At Paulista Avenue, teams had to find a woman with a red and yellow scarf riding a bike in the pedestrian zone who would hand them their next clue.

Leg 3 (Brazil → Tanzania)[]

The Roadblock in Zanzibar had racers visit the island's famous Darajani Market to buy a list of groceries.

Airdate: April 13, 2017

• São Paulo (São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport) to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (Julius Nyerere International Airport)
• Dar es Salaam (Askari Monument)
• Dar es Salaam (Azam Marine Ferry Terminal) to Zanzibar City, Zanzibar (Ferry Terminal)
• Mkokotoni (Mkokotoni Market)
• Zanzibar City (Stone Town – Darajani Market)
• Zanzibar City (Stone Town – Emerson on Hurumzi Rooftop Tea House)

This leg's Detour was a choice between Build It or Weave It. For both Detour options, teams had to travel across the bay on a dhow. In Build It, teams had to build wooden desks in an outdoor workshop. Once the desk was built to the carpenter's standards, they had to deliver it to a nearby school where they would then learn Swahili greetings from the teacher. After teams recited four phrases with proper enunciation, they would receive their next clue. In Weave It, teams had to observe a climber harvest coconut leaves from a tall palm tree. Then, they had to use the leaves to weave a basket based on a demonstration to earn their next clue.

In this leg's Roadblock at Darajani Market, one team member received a shopping list of eighteen local food items with some of the items written in Swahili. Using their own money (either United States dollars or Tanzanian shillings), they had to purchase all of the items and give the ingredients to the family chef outside of the market to receive their next clue.

Additional task

• At the Askari Monument, teams had to search through the classifieds in a newspaper for one with a picture of a boat telling them to travel by ferry to Zanzibar.

Leg 4 (Tanzania)[]

One of the Detour choices in Zanzibar had teams searching throughout Stone Town for Islamic-influenced royal doors; one of which was located in House of Wonders.

Airdate: April 20, 2017

• Zanzibar City (Stone Town – Mercury House)
• Zanzibar City (Stone Town – Al-Tamimi Curio Shop or Soko Muhogo Street, House of Wonders, Hurumzi Street near Arab Fort, and Gizenga Street)
• Zanzibar City (Ferry Terminal) to Dar es Salaam (Azam Marine Ferry Terminal)
• Dar es Salaam (DASICO Umasida Dispensary)
• Dar es Salaam (Msasani – Coco Beach)

This leg's Detour was a choice between Lock or Knock. In Lock, teams had to go to Al-Tamimi Curio Shop and look through artisanal wooden chests, each one carved with a secret compartment into the main drawer, for a key with an attached piece of paper showing a symbol. Once teams found the key, they had to find a cabinet with the same symbol and unlock it to release their next clue. In Knock, teams had to travel through the streets of Stone Town to locate three royal doors, which were distinguished by a carving of a lion, serpent and falcon on top, and knock on each of them to receive a wooden carving. After collecting all three carvings, teams then had to deliver them to a marked shop on Gizenga Street to receive their next clue.

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to make a ladle strainer out of sheet metal. First, they had to cut a circular piece of sheet aluminum to make a spoon. After that, they had to punch the center piece to make holes for the strainer. Then, they had to pound the metal into a perfect circle and attach a long piece of metal to create the handle. Once their ladle was correctly assembled, the supervisor would hand them their next clue.

Additional task

• At the start of the leg, teams were instructed to find the house of "Farrokh Bulsara", who they would figure out was known to the rest of the world as Freddie Mercury, and travel to his childhood house in Stone Town for their next clue.

Leg 5 (Tanzania → Norway)[]

Teams ended the leg in Norway at the top of Mount Aksla, the viewpoint hill overlooking the town of Ålesund.

Airdate: April 20, 2017

• Dar es Salaam (Julius Nyerere International Airport) to Ålesund, Norway (Ålesund Airport, Vigra)
• Godøy (Høgsteinen Fyr Lighthouse (in Norwegian))
  • Geiranger (Geirangerfjord)
• Slinningen (Slinningsbålet (in Norwegian))
• Ålesund (Downtown Ålesund or Kayak More Tomorrow and Brosundet Canal)
• Ålesund (Mount Aksla (in Nynorsk))

In this season's only Fast Forward, one team had to board a helicopter from an adjacent field at Høgsteinen Fyr Lighthouse and would fly to Geirangerfjord, where they would discover they had to skydive from a height of 10,000 feet (3,000 m). After landing back at the lighthouse, they would win the Fast Forward award.

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to climb the side of a 13-story tower made out of 31,000 wooden pallets, then nail down one pallet at the top of the stack to help create the world's tallest hand stacked bonfire festival called Slinningsbålet. Once completed, they would receive their next clue and climb back down.

This leg's Detour was a choice between Trolls or Troll. In Trolls, teams had to go to Kulturhus in Downtown Ålesund where an actress gave them a scroll containing a poem and a map of downtown highlighting six images of sculptures. Using the map, they had to locate each building with the corresponding sculpture. At each location, they must recite the poem at the doorway, where a troll impersonator would give them a gigantic fake firework. Once they returned to Kulturhus with all six fireworks, the actress would give them a scroll with the name of the next Pit Stop. In Troll, teams had to travel to Kayak More Tomorrow and paddle a kayak along Brosundet Canal to search among fishing lures for one imprinted with the name of the next Pit Stop.

Additional task

• At Høgsteinen Fyr Lighthouse, teams had to consume a Norwegian fish dish known as rakfisk before receiving their next clue.

Leg 6 (Norway → Italy)[]

This leg in Italy featured the villages along the shoreline of Lake Como, including Varenna (pictured above).

Airdate: April 27, 2017

• Åndalsnes (Åndalsnes Station) to Ullensaker (Oslo Airport Station)
• Oslo (Oslo Airport, Gardermoen) to Milan, Italy (Milan Malpensa Airport)
• Milan (Piazza Fontana (in Italian))
• Milan (ATMosfera Tram Ristorante)
• Cernobbio (Navigazione Lago di Como) to Varenna (Varenna Ferry Terminal) (Overnight Rest)
• Varenna (Greenway dei Patriarchi)
• Perledo (Castello di Vezio) or Menaggio (L'Angolo Benedetto Castelli)
• Tremezzo (Teresio Olivelli Park overlooking Lake Como)

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to ride ATMosfera Tram Ristorante, a dining tram which tours Downtown Milan, to find three marked words along the ride: Cernobbio, Concordia, and Lago. However, only four team members could ride the tram at one time. During the ride, they received a plate of gnocchi and parmigiana melanzane, which they had to finish, in order to complete the ride. At the end of the ride, they had to recite the three correct words to the tram conductor to receive their next clue. If they failed to say all three words, they had to perform the task again.

This leg's Detour was a choice between Make a Mold or Grab a Hold. In Make a Mold, teams had to travel to Castello di Vezio and assemble a ghost figure by using one teammate as a wire mesh mold for plaster mold casting. After the plaster solidified to create the figure, teams would be given their next clue. In Grab a Hold, teams had to travel by Riva Aquarama to the village of Menaggio and find L'Angolo Benedetto Castelli, where one team member would climb 90 feet (27 m) up the face of a rock to retrieve their next clue, while their partner belayed the line from the bottom.

Additional tasks

• At the previous Pit Stop, teams were provided a smartphone with the Travelocity app from Phil to book their flight to Milan, Italy.
• At Cernobbio, teams had to claim a departure time for the following morning from Varenna Ferry Terminal, each with a 5-minute interval beginning at 7:00 a.m to the final time at 7:30 a.m., from a lifesaver on a steamboat named Concordia. At their designated times, teams opened their next clue which told them to travel to a garden along Greenway dei Patriarchi to find their next clue.
• After finishing the Detour, teams had to take a Riva Aquarama to the village of Tremezzo to find their next Pit Stop along the shoreline at Teresio Olivelli Park.

Leg 7 (Italy)[]

One of the Detour choices in Venice had teams become traditional Venetian gondoliers.

Airdate: May 4, 2017

• Cernobbio (Piazza Risorgimento – Monumento ai Caduti) (Pit Start)
• Cernobbio to Venice (Venice Marco Polo Airport Dock)
• Venice (Venice Marco Polo Airport Dock to Piazza San Marco)
• Venice (Trattoria al Ponte del Megio or Campo San Polo)
• Venice (Ca' Zenobio)
• Venice (Campo San Vio (in Italian))

This leg's Detour was a choice between Sing It or Bring It. In Sing It, teams had to dress as gondoliers, learn a traditional Italian serenade called "La Biondina in Gondoleta", and then perform the song on board a gondola tour along the Grand Canal to the satisfaction of the mandolin player to receive their next clue. In Bring It, teams had to work as porters by stacking a dolly with suitcases and then navigating through the stairs and narrow alleys of Venice to deliver them to the hotel listed on their suitcases' tag to receive their next clue from the hotel's porter.

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to choose an actor from a Venetian masquerade performance, Commedia dell'arte, and paint an exact copy of their mask to the satisfaction of the artist to receive their next clue.

Additional tasks

• At the beginning of the leg, teams made their way to a nearby bus stand where they boarded one of two buses heading to Venice. The first bus departed at 4:15 a.m. and the second at 4:30 a.m.
• After arriving in Venice, teams had to take a water taxi to Piazza San Marco and find a spazzino, a local street sweeper dressed in a green outfit, who would hand them their next clue.

Leg 8 (Italy → Greece)[]

For the Roadblock in Athens, one team member dressed as a Greek Presidential Guard and performed the changing of the guard.

Airdate: May 11, 2017

• Venice (Ponte della Costituzione) (Pit Start)
• Venice (Venice Marco Polo Airport) to Bari (Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport)
• Bari (Port of Bari) to Patras, Greece (Port of Patras)
• Arachova (Kaplanis Taverna)
• Arachova (Streets of Arachova or Egarsios Steps and Church of Saint George (in Greek))
• Athens (Panathenaic Stadium)
  • Athens (Kantina Food Truck)
• Athens (Zappeion)
• Athens (Areopagus overlooking The Acropolis)

This leg's Detour was a choice between For the Bride or For the Groom. In For the Bride, teams had to transport two containers of milk on a donkey through the streets of Arachova to find local cheese makers and exchange each container for a piece of cheese. Both cheese pieces then had to be delivered to the bride. In For the Groom, teams had to compete in a footrace with locals up the 252 steps of Egarsios leading to the Church of Saint George, where they had to find a shepherd who would give them a pair of animals (sheep and goat) to deliver to the groom. After executing the Detour, teams received a plate, which they had to break open to get their next clue.

For their Speed Bump, Liz & Michael traveled on foot to the nearby Kantina food truck to prepare a traditional skewered dish called kokoretsi by wrapping sections of meat with intestines before they could continue racing.

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to learn how to perform the changing of the guard routine of the Greek Presidential Guards, known as Evzones, that takes place outside the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. After learning the routine, they had to perform it inside the Zappeion hall in sync with an Evzone and to the satisfaction of a command instructor to receive their next clue.

Additional task

• At the Panathenaic Stadium, teams had to run one complete victory lap around the track to receive their next clue.

Leg 9 (Greece → Vietnam)[]

Upon arrival in the Vietnamese capital city of Hanoi, teams headed to Tượng Đài Lý Thái Tổ, overlooking Hoàn Kiếm Lake, to receive their clue from a group of dancers waving fans.

Airdate: May 18, 2017

• Athens (Volterou Street)^[15] (Pit Start)
• Corinth (Corinth Canal – Old Bridge)
• Athens (Athens International Airport) to Hanoi, Vietnam (Noi Bai International Airport)
• Hanoi (Tượng Đài Lý Thái Tổ (in Vietnamese))
• Hanoi (Quán Sứ Temple)
• Hanoi (Hoàn Kiếm District – 42 Hàng Vải Street and 56 Cầu Gỗ Street or 41 Cửa Nam Street and Chân Cầm Street)
• Hanoi (Thống Nhất Park (in Vietnamese))

This leg's Roadblock was a Switchback from Season 9, where one team member had to bungee jump 240 feet (73 m) off a bridge into the Corinth Canal to receive their next clue.

This season's final Detour was a choice between Bamboo Climb or Window Design. In Bamboo Climb, teams had to transport a marked 15-foot ladder made of bamboo through the busy streets to an apartment building, and get it up a narrow stairwell. On the roof, they had to use the ladder to retrieve a birdcage, and then return both the cage and the ladder to the starting point to receive their next clue. In Window Design, teams had to carry three mannequins—a man, woman, and child—through the streets to a clothing shop, where they had to dress and arrange them in the window to match a provided photo and receive their next clue.

Additional task

• At Tượng Đài Lý Thái Tổ, teams had to search among a group of dancers waving fans. When they found a fan with a yellow marker, the dancer would give them their next clue.

Leg 10 (Vietnam)[]

The province of Ninh Bình in northern Vietnam, well known for its limestone mountains landscape, was visited by teams in this leg.

Airdate: May 18, 2017

• Hanoi (Bến Xe Khách Mỹ Đình) to Ninh Bình (Bến Xe Khách Ninh Bình)
• Hoa Lư (Tam Cốc Wharf)
• Hoa Lư (Bích Động Temple)
• Hoa Lư (Thôn Hải Nham (in Vietnamese))
• Hoa Lư (Đền Thái Vi – Bến Thành (in Vietnamese))
• Hoa Lư (Tam Cốc Wharf)
• Hoa Lư (Tam Cốc – Hang Múa Peak)

For their Speed Bump, Tara & Joey had to collect 72 duck eggs from around a pond before they could continue racing.

This leg's Roadblock was a Switchback from Season 3, where one team member had to load a bicycle with a correct number of large (15) and small (17) shrimp traps, that matched an example bicycle, and deliver them to a fisherman 1 mile (1.6 km) down the road to receive their next clue.

Additional tasks

• At Bích Động Temple, they had to search the ground for their next clue and their travel companion, the Travelocity Roaming Gnome, which they had to keep with them for the duration of the leg.
• At Bến Thành, teams had to collect and deliver an offering of specified prayer items (including red napkins, candles, flowers, and fake money) up the Ngô Đồng River stream to a ceremonial dragon boat. One team member had to row the oars using the traditional way by using only their feet. Once they had given the offering, they would then go back to the pier, accompanied by their respective dragon boat, to receive their next clue.
• Before reaching the Pit Stop, teams had to climb approximately 500 steps along the Lying Dragon Mountain (Núi Ngọa Long) trail to the top of Hang Múa Peak.

Additional note

• After arriving at Ninh Bình Bus Station, teams made their way to the nearby Tam Cốc Wharf to get two bicycles, which then would be their only means of transportation for much of the leg.

Leg 11 (Vietnam → South Korea)[]

Upon arrival in South Korea, teams headed to the famous Gangnam District of Seoul where teams would get their next clue from K-pop dancers.

Airdate: May 25, 2017

• Hoa Lư (Hidden Charm Hotel) (Pit Start)
• Hanoi (Noi Bai International Airport) to Seoul, South Korea (Incheon International Airport)
• Seoul (Gangnam District – Gangnam Station)
• Seoul (Hanyang University Olympic Gymnasium)
• Seoul (Mugyewon Arts & Cultural Center (in Korean))
• Seoul (OGN e-Stadium (in Korean))
• Seoul (Sebitseom – Gavit Some Roof Garden)

In this leg's first Roadblock, one team member had to take part in sport stacking by quickly arranging cups into three specified formations within seven seconds to receive their next clue.

In this season's final Roadblock, the team member who did not perform the previous Roadblock had to play the video game Street Fighter V against a professional video game player. The racers underwent a coaching session before facing off against the professional players, which included Seon-woo "Infiltration" Lee and Lee Chung "Poongko" Gon,^[16] and had to defeat the professional gamer in one round of the game in order to receive their next clue. Every 10 rounds, the professional gamer would receive a disadvantage. After 10 rounds, they would play with one hand. After 20 rounds, they would play blindfolded. After 30 rounds, they would play blindfolded and with one hand.

Additional tasks

• In the Gangnam District, teams had to find an outdoor K-pop performance at the "Gangnam Style" sign to receive their next clue from the dancers.
• At Mugyewon Arts & Cultural Center, teams had to prepare the traditional dish kimchi after watching a silent demonstration. Once approved, they had to transfer it to a jar and then bury the closed jar in soil to start fermentation. Lastly, after tasting some kimchi, teams would receive their next clue.

Leg 12 (South Korea → United States)[]

In the final city of Chicago, teams visited Wrigley Field, the home of Chicago Cubs, where teams had a final task involving its traditional hand-turned scoreboard.

Airdate: June 1, 2017

• Seoul (Incheon International Airport) to Chicago, Illinois, United States (O'Hare International Airport)
• Joliet (Chicagoland Speedway)
• Chicago (Monroe Street Station)
• Chicago (Chicago Water Tower, Buckingham Fountain, and Wabash Avenue Bridge)
• Chicago (City Hall Rooftop)
• Chicago (Wrigleyville Dogs)
• Chicago (Wrigley Rooftops – 3639 North Sheffield Avenue)
• Chicago (Wrigley Field)
• Chicago (Milton Lee Olive Park)

Additional tasks

• At O'Hare International Airport, teams had to search for a woman in a red hat who had their next clue, which went unaired.^[17]
• At the Chicagoland Speedway, one team member had to join a pit crew and change one tire on a NASCAR race car in 40 seconds or less. Once they successfully finished changing the tire, their partner had to drive one lap around the track in 48 seconds or less. Once both were completed, they would get their next clue at the winner's podium.
• At Monroe Street Station, teams had to search the train platform for a city worker with their next clue, which contained three riddles that teams had to figure out represented three locations within Downtown Chicago: (1) I have a Gothic spire. I'm impervious to fire. I'm 154 feet tall, look no higher. (Chicago Water Tower), (2) I am tiered like a wedding cake. From me, a drink you should not take. To find me, look no further than the lake. (Buckingham Fountain), (3) I stand in the twin corncob's shadow. And control the Kupcinet bascule for those below. Climb the steps to my operator, and you'll be good to go (Wabash Avenue Bridge). At these locations, they would receive a postcard from a designated person. Putting the three postcards together spelled out their next destination: City Hall Rooftop.
• At City Hall, teams had to locate the rooftop garden, where they would find the city's beekeeper and exchange the three postcards for their next clue.
• At Wrigleyville Dogs, teams had to make ten Chicago-style hot dogs and deliver them to the roof of 3639 North Sheffield Avenue, one of the Wrigley Rooftops, where a group of Chicago Cubs fans awaited. After delivering the hot dogs, Season 19 winners Ernie & Cindy would hand them the tickets to enter Wrigley Field through the marquee entrance for their next clue.
• At Wrigley Field, the teams had to recall their placements in each leg. One team member had to go inside the press box while the other had to enter the stadium's hand-operated scoreboard (pictured), which displayed the locations of the eleven Pit Stops in alphabetical order. Unable to see the locations displayed on the scoreboard, the team member inside the scoreboard had to install numbered signs in the proper locations on the multi-level structure to indicate their team's placement at each Pit Stop, guided by his/her partner giving instructions from the press box via one-way radio:

Leg	Country	Pit Stop City	Placements
5	Norway	Ålesund	5th	1st	6th
8	Greece	Athens	4th	1st	3rd
4	Tanzania	Dar es Salaam	5th	1st	7th
9	Vietnam	Hanoi	3rd	5th	4th
6	Italy	Lake Como	6th	3rd	5th
10	Vietnam	Ninh Bình	4th	3rd	2nd
1	Panama	Panama City	8th	6th	4th
2	Brazil	São Paulo	8th	7th	6th
11	South Korea	Seoul	2nd	3rd	1st
7	Italy	Venice	5th	3rd	4th
3	Tanzania	Zanzibar	5th	2nd	6th

Once the placements were correct, they had to go on the field to home plate where the umpire would hand them a worksheet with equations based on their placements throughout the season. The solution would give them a three-digit number corresponding to the section of seats to search for their final clue.

Additional note

• On the flight from Seoul to Chicago, the final three teams received a free upgrade to premium-class.

Reception[]

Critical response[]

The Amazing Race 29 received mostly positive reviews. Andy Dehnart of reality blurred wrote that the twist of casting individuals was able to refresh the format of The Amazing Race and the season "delivered a cast that has consistently delivered."^[18] Mikey Glazer of TheWrap wrote that the format of this season worked because "unlike previous seasons where the two-person teams often suffered from one clunker team member — camouflaged in the edit under proverbial team nicknames like 'the frat boys' or 'the dancers' — each of the 22 racers on this season was identifiable, memorable and got a full story arc."^[19] Lincee Ray of Entertainment Weekly praised how this format was able to deliver "highly entertaining" teams like Brooke & Scott due to their love/hate relationship.^[20] Conversely, Ken Tucker of Yahoo! called this season "dire" as the format led to teams that either got along well or despised each other and said that he wasn't rooting for anyone to win.^[21]

Ratings[]

U.S. Nielsen ratings[]

Canadian ratings[]

Canadian broadcaster CTV also aired The Amazing Race on Thursdays.

Canadian DVR ratings are included in Numeris's count.

References[]

External links[]

• Official website