The Amazing Race 1


The Amazing Race 1 is the first season of the American reality television series The Amazing Race. It was broadcast for the first time on American television on September 5, 2001 and ended its run on December 13, 2001. It featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.
Lawyers and best friends, Rob Frisbee and Brennan Swain were the winners of the inaugural Race. The complete first season set, featuring commentary from four of the teams, was released on DVD in September 2005.

Production

Development and filming

The first season of The Amazing Race traveled in 39 days, spanning four continents and nine different countries. The season was hit with multiple filming delays, including an airport strike in Rome and a sandstorm in Tunisia, the latter of which forced teams to begin Leg 6 in Gabès, rather than the original Saharan desert Pit Stop.
Other aspects of filming were unique to the first season of the series. Host Phil Keoghan handed out clues at the beginning of some legs and only greeted the last-place team at each Pit Stop; all other teams were greeted and informed of their placements by local representatives. Each leg's Pit Stop mat featured a localized design; subsequent seasons have used a single mat design throughout the entire Race. This is also the first and only season which teams left the Starting Line immediately for Africa; all other inhabited continents have more than once served as the route markers directly after the Starting Line in subsequent seasons.
During Leg 5, Paul & Amie got lost in the Sahara Desert after trying numerous routes and found the desert oasis Pit Stop by luck, unknowingly skipping the Roadblock and final route marker.
The Amazing Race courses were planned so that the final three teams would all reach the Finish Line; however, Joe & Bill were so far behind that they could not catch up and did not finish the Race. When they were still completing Leg 12, Team Guido was required to have villagers bounce one teammate upwards using an Alaskan tapestry. According to the DVD commentary, the tapestry broke under the weight the day before, so a trampoline had to be used instead.

Cast

Eleven teams participated in the first season of The Amazing Race, ranging from best friends to couples, as well as a mother and daughter duo.
Margaretta Groark died on October 26, 2008, after a long battle with cancer, at the age of 67. Nancy Hoyt died on December 8, 2011, after a long battle with ALS, at the age of 56.

Future appearances

Kevin & Drew made an appearance in Season 8, handing out clues from a hot dog stand in New York City. They also returned, along with Joe & Bill, to participate in the first All-Stars edition among a cast of returning teams from seasons 1-10. Runner up Frank Mesa made an appearance at the Starting Line of Season 25. Winners Rob & Brennan made an appearance at the Starting Line of Season 27.

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 due to inclusion or exclusion of some data. Placements are listed in finishing order:
  1. Leg 1 featured an unaired Roadblock that was only partially shown in the DVD release. Pat & Brenda and Matt & Ana were not shown completing this Roadblock. Pat later confirmed in an interview that she did the Roadblock.
  2. Dave & Margaretta initially arrived 7th, but they were retroactively penalized for not completing the Detour correctly. They served their penalty at the start of the next leg, therefore departing at the Pit Start 8th.
  3. Dave & Margaretta initially arrived 6th, but they were retroactively penalized for not completing the Roadblock correctly. This Roadblock was not included in their Roadblock count because neither Dave nor Margaretta completed it properly. They served their penalty at the start of the next leg, therefore departing at the Pit Start 8th.
  4. Paul & Amie checked in 5th at the end of the leg, but were 4th to depart on the next leg after being awarded a time credit due to production difficulties.
  5. Paul & Amie arrived at the Pit Stop by chance after getting lost and unknowingly skipping the Roadblock. However, since they were already in last place, they were eliminated without the 4-hour penalty being applied.
  6. ^ Frank & Margarita and Joe & Bill initially arrived 1st and 2nd, respectively, but were each issued 30-minute penalties for failing to follow a clue correctly. This did not affect either teams' placements.
  7. Lenny & Karyn were granted a time credit for production difficulties. This did not affect their placement.
  8. Nancy & Emily initially arrived 4th, but were issued a 24-hour penalty for failing to complete either Detour option after getting lost and taking a cab to the Roadblock. Joe & Bill checked in during the penalty time, causing Nancy & Emily to fall to last place and resulting in their elimination.
  9. Joe & Bill had fallen so far behind that they were unable to complete the final leg. When Joe & Bill departed from Takosha Lodge in Alaska and reached the last Detour, they were informed that the race was over and accepted a 3rd-place finish.

    Episode titles

The episode titles are:
  1. The Race Begins
  2. Divide And Conquer
  3. Home For Some
  4. Colossal Showdown
  5. Desert Storm
  6. Whatever It Takes To Win
  7. Triumph And Loss
  8. Competition To The Fullest
  9. The Unexpected Twist
  10. To The Physical And Mental Limit
  11. Fight To The Last Minute
  12. Race To The Finish — Part 1
  13. Race To The Finish — Part 2

    Race summary

Leg 1 (United States → South Africa → Zambia)

Airdate: September 5, 2001
For the very first Fast Forward of the Race, one team had to hike down a steep canyon to the Boiling Pot on the Zambezi River to retrieve the Fast Forward award.
For the series' very first Detour at Batoka Gorge, teams had a choice between Air or Land. In Air, teams had to take a quick trip along a zip line across the gorge and then experience a gorge swing to reach the bottom to receive their next clue. This side of the Detour was later referenced on Season 27 during a Switchback on the Zimbabwean side of the gorge. In Land, teams had to take a long hike down the rim of the gorge to receive the next clue.
Near the Pit Stop at Songwe Village, there was a Roadblock that required one team member to cook an ostrich egg, which both team members had to eat before checking into the Pit Stop. This task went unaired in the episode but was shown as a bonus feature on the DVD.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: September 19, 2001
The Fast Forward instructed teams to find the Bundu Adventures rafting company near the Zambezi River, where one team had to whitewater raft down the treacherous rapids of the Zambezi River to retrieve the Fast Forward award.
This leg's Detour was a choice between Near or Far. In Near, teams had to go to Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park only away and had to use an instant camera to photograph three hard-to-find animals from a provided list of five. In Far, teams had to go to Chobe National Park in the nation of Botswana away and photograph a single elephant.
In the very first aired Roadblock of the Race, one team member had to take the stairway up to the second level of the Eiffel Tower and use a ₣10 coin to operate a telescope to search the city skyline for a famous monument with a Race'' flag on top to find the Pit Stop: the Arc de Triomphe.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: September 26, 2001
The Fast Forward required one team to find an obscure tea shop called Mariage Frères in Rive Gauche and ask for a specific tea called "L'aventurier" to retrieve the Fast Forward award.
The leg's Detour was a choice of Tough Climb or Easy Walk. In Tough Climb, teams traveled to Notre-Dame de Paris and had to climb up the 297 steps of the cathedral to ring Quasimodo's bell and receive their next clue. In Easy Walk, teams had to locate a statue of a cat sitting beside Foucault pendulum. However, there are two Foucault pendulums in Paris, but only the one at the Panthéon has the statue and the pendulum at the Museum of Arts and Crafts does not.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to walk underground through the sewers of Paris to the Place du Châtelet, two blocks away to find their next clue.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: October 3, 2001
This leg's Detour was a choice between Full Body Brew or Full Body Massage. In Full Body Brew, teams had to find Café Mnouchi inside the Medina of Tunis using only a picture for reference. Once there, they had to order two coffees to get their next clue. In Full Body Massage, teams had to search for a massage parlor marked on a provided map. Once there, they had to sit through a 20-minute massage before they received the next clue.
In an unused Fast Forward, teams were told to go fishing on board the Kinsa in the port of Sidi Bou Said.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to light a torch and, with some basic instructions, navigate the ancient arena to find the pit of death. Then, they had to retrieve a sword dangling above the pit, find a way out of the maze of tunnels, and bring it to the Pit Stop, where they sheathed the sword to finish the leg.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: October 10, 2001
This leg's Detour was a choice between Listening or Puzzling. In Listening, teams had to find the well-known movie set Ksar Hadada and use a supplied walkie talkie and their sense of hearing to locate the radio's counterpart, hidden somewhere in the labyrinth of caves with their next clue. In Puzzling, teams had to find Ksar Ouled Soltane, a hard-to-find location, and solve a simple Tunisian dice game to receive their next clue.
In an unused Fast Forward, teams had to use a map that had an arrow pointing to a location to find a cave and take a picture of something inside.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to ride a camel and use a set of compass directions to reach the flag visible in the distance in the middle of the desert. Teams could hire a camel handler for US$50. The non-participating member had to trek alongside on foot. Once they reached the route marker, teams would find a new set of compass directions to the next Pit Stop, the Ksar Ghilane oasis.
;Additional tasks
;Additional note
Airdate: October 17, 2001
This leg's Detour was a choice between Foot or Hoof. In Foot, teams had to find a large, well-known statue of a foot at Palazzo dei Conservatori, using a provided picture that contained the entire statue, to find their next clue. In Hoof, teams were given a partial picture of another, more obscure statue depicting the hoof at the equestrian statue of Vittorio Emanuele II to find their next clue. However, if teams completed this task, they would find a line of taxis waiting for them.
There was a Fast Forward, which went unused and was unaired, saying that "This is a key that you can see the arms of St. Peter", as said by Team Guido in the DVD commentary. It refers to a keyhole on a door in Magistral Villa that, when looked through, provided a view of the entire Vatican City.
In this Roadblock, one team member had to drive a Smart car to the town square of Sant'Agata Bolognese, the leg's Pit Stop, using a map written entirely in Italian. The other team member received a free ride to the Pit Stop in a Pagani Zonda traveling at.
;Additional tasks
;Additional notes
Airdate: October 24, 2001
For the Fast Forward, one team had to find Castello Estense in the town of Ferrara and row a boat through the moat around the castle to find the Fast Forward pass hidden in the wall.
The Detour was a choice between Glide or Ride. In Glide, teams traveled to the town of Ferrara, where one team member would ride in a glider, during which they would receive a surprise nose-dive, with a professional glider pilot while their partner would ride in the towing plane. Once completed, the team would receive a free taxi ride to Ferrara railway station and to their next clue. However, the seats on the glider are first-come, first-served. In Ride, teams had to travel to a marked bike shop in Ferrara and ride bikes to Ferrara railway station following a street map to receive the next clue.
In this Roadblock, one team member had to hire a cycle rickshaw and find a shopkeeper named Ashef Sadev on Maliwara street in the congested Chandni Chowk market who would show the team member a blue box containing a replica of the Taj Mahal with their next clue.
;Additional task
Airdate: October 31, 2001
In an unused Fast Forward, teams had to travel to Jantar Mantar to climb 22 or 33 steps.
For the leg's Detour, teams had a choice of Elephant or Rowboat. In Elephant, teams had to ride on the back of an elephant up a steep path to Amber Fort and then find a holy man with their next clue. In Rowboat, teams had to reach the Jal Mahal water palace using a rowboat and then find a holy man with their next clue.
In this Roadblock, one team member had to find a canister with their next clue somewhere in the Karni Mata Temple, a temple devoted to the worship of rats, which are sacred to locals and number in the range of thousands. In the temple, the chosen racer could only wear socks since shoes are prohibited inside.
;Additional task
Airdate: November 14, 2001
The Fast Forward required teams to travel to the Temple of the Reclining Buddha and play a traditional Buddhist game that used the 108 urns alongside the giant reclining Buddha. They had to choose a bowl of coins and drop exactly one coin in every urn. If the bowl teams chose had too little or too many coins, they had to choose another bowl to play again. The first team to find the bowl with exactly 108 coins would win the Fast Forward.
For the leg's Detour, teams had a choice between Public or Private. For both tasks, teams needed to find transportation to the town of Kanchanaburi, their next destination. In Public, teams had to go to a local bus station and ride a public bus to Kanchanaburi leaving every 20 minutes, paying with their own money. In Private, teams had to find a specified private vehicle, using only a license plate number and a crude map of the nearby area, that would give them a free ride to Kanchanaburi.
For this Roadblock, one team member had to dress like a Buddhist monk and walk through a pit of tigers to retrieve the clue, remaining calm the entire time.
;Additional task
Airdate: November 21, 2001
The leg's Detour was a choice between Hike or Climb. In Hike, teams had to travel on a long, winding path up around Thaiwand Wall to find their next clue. In Climb, teams had to take an arduous rock climb straight up Thaiwand Wall to find their next clue.
In an unaired Fast Forward, teams had to climb 1,200 steps at Tiger Cave Temple to get the pass.
In this Roadblock, one team member had to paddle a kayak with their team member and all their luggage down the river in search of a route marker flag. Once the flag was spotted, they had to climb into a nearby cave, Tham Hua Kalok, to get the next clue along with snorkeling gear.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: November 28, 2001
This leg's Detour was a choice of Volley or Rally. In Volley, teams had to score five points in a game of ping pong against a local champion at a nearby community center to receive their next clue. In Rally, teams had to take three common forms of local transportation to follow a series of clues. First, teams had to travel by Bus 101 to Hu Jia Lou. Next, teams had to ride a motorcycle taxi to Liu Jia Yao. Finally, teams had to a ride a pedicab to Quan Xin Yuan Restaurant, where they would get their next clue.
There was a Fast Forward, in an unaired segment, wherein the team had to travel to the Forbidden City.
In this Roadblock, one team member had to give all the items previously bought to a chef at Donghuamen Night Market and eat all three delicacies to receive their next clue.
;Additional task
Airdate: December 5, 2001
The Detour was a choice of Flat or Steep. Both Detours took place at the famous Great Wall of China. In Flat, teams had to walk to a long, flat path to a far away marked pavilion for the next clue. In Steep, teams had to take a much shorter, but extremely steep path to the closer marked pavilion for the next clue.
The leg's Roadblock required one team member to climb an ice wall and retrieve their next clue from the top of the glacier.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: December 13, 2001
The leg's final Detour was a choice of Dog Power or Horsepower. In Dog Power, teams rode a dog sled to their next clue. In Horsepower, teams used a snowmobile to ride to the next clue.
In this Roadblock, one team member had to strip down to their underwear or a bathing suit and plunge into the freezing waters of Fish Lake with temperatures as low as, completely submerge their heads, and then swim to their next clue.
;Additional tasks
Season 1 was not particularly a ratings success as the series premiered six days prior to the September 11 attacks, after which interest in foreign travel waned and viewership fell correspondingly. The show was further hindered by the lack of media coverage and promotion as networks focused on news stories and more patriotic programming. Additionally, the show premiered and competed in the same time slot as with NBC's short-lived Lost, another reality show with a similar premise. The show did just well enough to earn a second season, which aired the following spring.

Ratings

U.S. Nielsen ratings