The Amazing Race 1

The Amazing Race 1
Season 1
Region 1 DVD cover
Presented by	Phil Keoghan
No. of teams	11
Winner	Rob Frisbee & Brennan Swain
No. of legs	13
Distance traveled	35,000 mi (56,000 km)
No. of episodes	13
Release
Original network	CBS
Original release	September 5 (2001-09-05) – December 13, 2001 (2001-12-13)
Additional information
Filming dates	March 8 (2001-03-08) – April 8, 2001 (2001-04-08)
Season chronology
Next → Season 2
List of episodes

The Amazing Race 1 (originally broadcast under the name The Amazing Race) is the first season of the American reality competition series, The Amazing Race. Hosted by Phil Keoghan, it featured eleven teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, competing in a race around the world to win US$1,000,000. This season visited four continents and nine countries and traveled over 35,000 miles (56,000 km) during thirteen legs. Starting in New York City, racers traveled through South Africa, Zambia, France, Tunisia, Italy, India, Thailand, and China before returning to the United States, traveling through Alaska, and finishing in New York City. It debuted on September 5, 2001, on CBS and ended its run on December 13, 2001.

Lawyers and best friends Rob Frisbee and Brennan Swain were the winners, while separated parents Frank and Margarita Mesa finished in second place, and life partners Joe Baldassare and Bill Bartek finished in third place.

On September 13, 2000, CBS announced that it was set to produce a new reality show, which would feature eight teams of two traveling to eleven international locations to win US$1 million.^[1] By December 2000, the show was under the working title of CBS Summer Global Adventure Series.^[2] Location scouting for the racecourse took place in January 2001.^[3] Filming for the first season began in March 2001 by which time the show had been renamed to The Amazing Race.^[3][4] The first season of The Amazing Race traveled 35,000 miles (56,000 km) in 39 days, spanning four continents and nine 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 sixth leg in Gabès rather than the original Saharan desert Pit Stop. Filming concluded on April 8, 2001, at Flushing Meadows Park.^[5] The top of the World Trade Center was considered as the finish location for the season but was changed to Flushing Meadows Park after production was unable to secure needed permits.^[3]

Multiple aspects of filming were unique to the first season of the series.^[6] 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.^[3] This would be changed with Keoghan informing all of the teams of their placements while accompanied by the local greeter in subsequent seasons in order to increase his in involvement in the show and prevent him from appearing like a grim reaper.^[6] Each leg's Pit Stop mat featured a localized design, while subsequent seasons have used a single design.^[6] The teams were also not required to read their clues out loud on camera; this was made compulsory for all teams in subsequent seasons.

The Amazing Race was designed so that the final three teams would all reach the finish line.^[3] However, Joe & Bill were so far behind that they could not catch up and did not finish the competition. They were still completing leg 12 in Alaska while Rob & Brennan and Frank & Margarita were crossing the finish line in New York City.^[7]

Eleven teams participated in the first season of The Amazing Race.^[8]

Contestants	Age	Relationship	Hometown	Status
Matt Robar	28	Married	Simsbury, Connecticut	Eliminated 1st (in Songwe Village, Zambia)
Ana Robar	28
Kim Smith	28	Teachers & Roommates	Baytown, Texas	Eliminated 2nd (in Paris, France)
Leslie Kellner	27
Pat Pierce	43	Working Moms	Landenberg, Pennsylvania	Eliminated 3rd (in Les Baux-de-Provence, France)
Brenda Mehta	42		Elkton, Maryland
Dave Groark	65	Grandparents	Rockwall, Texas	Eliminated 4th (in El Djem, Tunisia)
Margaretta Groark	60
Paul Alessi	32	Engaged	Los Angeles, California	Eliminated 5th (in Jebil National Park, Tunisia)
Amie Barsky	27
Lenny Hudson	33	Dating	New York City, New York	Eliminated 6th (in Agra, India)
Karyn Jefferson	30
Nancy Hoyt	46	Mother & Daughter	Waco, Texas	Eliminated 7th (in Krabi, Thailand)
Emily Hoyt	21
Kevin O'Connor	34	Fraternity Brothers	Bayonne, New Jersey	Eliminated 8th (in Beijing, China)
Drew Feinberg	35		Staten Island, New York
Joe Baldassare	50	Life Partners	Laguna Niguel, California	Third place
Bill Bartek	47
Frank Mesa	30	Separated Parents	Queens, New York	Runners-up
Margarita Mesa	28
Rob Frisbee	27	Lawyers & Best Friends	Minneapolis, Minnesota	Winners
Brennan Swain	29		Rochester, New York

Future appearances

Kevin & Drew made an appearance in The Amazing Race: Family Edition, handing out clues at a hot dog stand in New York City.^[9] Kevin & Drew and Joe & Bill returned for the first All-Stars season.^[10] Frank Mesa made an appearance at the starting line of season 25.^[11] Rob & Brennan made an appearance at the starting line of season 27.^[12]

The following teams are listed with their placements in each episode. Placements are listed in finishing order.

• A red placement with a dagger (†) indicates that the team was eliminated.
• An underlined blue placement with a double-dagger (‡) indicates that the team was the last to arrive at a Pit Stop in a non-elimination leg.
• A green ƒ indicates that the team won the Fast Forward.

Team placement (by episode)

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13
Rob & Brennan	1stƒ[a]	3rd	3rd	6th	4th	3rd	3rd	3rd	1st	1st	2nd	1st	1st
Frank & Margarita	3rd	4th	2nd	5th	5th	1st	1stƒ[a]	2nd	2nd	2nd	1st	2nd	2nd
Joe & Bill	2nd	2nd	4th	1st	2nd	2nd	2nd	4th	4thƒ[a]	4th‡	3rd	3rd‡	3rd
Kevin & Drew	9th	5th	1stƒ[a]	2nd	1st	4th	4th	1st	3rd	3rd	4th†
Nancy & Emily	10th	7th	8th	3rd	3rd	5th	5th	5th‡	5th†[b]
Lenny & Karyn	4th	9th	7th	7th	6th	6th‡	6th†
Paul & Amie	7th	6th	6th	4th[c]	7th†
Dave & Margaretta	8th[d]	8th[e]	5th	8th†
Pat & Brenda	5th	1stƒ[a]	9th†
Kim & Leslie	6th	10th†
Matt & Ana	11th†

Notes

Destinations	Air travel    Rail travel    Water travel    Bus travel Helicopter travel    Bicycle travel    Gondola travel
Route Markers	Detour    Roadblock    Fast Forward    Pit Stop

• Episode 1: "The Race Begins" (September 5, 2001)
• Eliminated: Matt & Ana

Locations

• New York City, New York (Central Park – Bethesda Fountain) (Starting Line)
• New York City → Johannesburg, South Africa (Johannesburg International Airport)
• Johannesburg → Livingstone, Zambia (Livingstone Airport)
• Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park (Victoria Falls – Knife's Edge Bridge)
• Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park (Victoria Falls – Boiling Pot)
• Livingstone District (Batoka Gorge – Abseil Zambia)
• Livingstone District (Songwe Village)

Episode summary

• Teams set off from Central Park in New York City with instructions to fly on one of three flights to Johannesburg, South Africa. Once there, teams were directed to the Lanseria Airport, where they had to book one of four charter flights to an unknown destination (Livingstone, Zambia). Once there, teams had to locate a vehicle outside of the airport with instructions to find "the smoke that thunders," the local name for Victoria Falls. Teams could either drive themselves or hire a driver (who could not provide directions) to the falls, where they found their next clue.
• For the series' very first Fast Forward, one team had to hike down a canyon to the Boiling Pot on the Zambezi River. Rob & Brennan won the Fast Forward.
• Teams who did not attempt the Fast Forward had to travel to Abseil Zambia at Batoka Gorge, where they found their next clue.
• The series' very first Detour was a choice between Air or Land. In Air, teams had to ride a zipline across Batoka Gorge and then free-fall down on a gorge swing to their next clue. In Land, teams would have hiked down the rim of the gorge to their next clue. All teams chose Air.
• Teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: Songwe Village.

Additional notes

• Near Songwe Village, there was a Roadblock that required one team member to cook an ostrich egg, which both team members had to eat, before they could check in at the Pit Stop. This task was unaired, but was shown as a bonus feature on the DVD.^[13]
• The gorge swing Detour at Batoka Gorge was revisited in season 27 as a Switchback in Zimbabwe.^[14]

• Episode 2: "Divide and Conquer" (September 19, 2001)
• Eliminated: Kim & Leslie

Locations

• Livingstone District (Songwe Village)
• Livingstone District (Songwe Museum)
• Livingstone (Bundu Adventures)
• Southern Province (Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park)
• Livingstone District (Mukuni Village)
• Livingstone → Johannesburg, South Africa
• Johannesburg → Paris, France
• Paris (Eiffel Tower)
• Paris (Arc de Triomphe)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams had to find the Songwe Museum located near the village, where they found instant cameras along with their next clue.
• For this leg's Fast Forward, one team had to whitewater raft down the Zambezi River. Pat & Brenda won the Fast Forward.
• This leg's Detour was a choice between Near or Far. In Near, teams had to go to Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park 20 kilometres (12 mi) away and photograph three hard-to-find animals from a list of five. In Far, teams would have had to go to Chobe National Park in Botswana 110 kilometres (68 mi) away and photograph a single elephant. All teams chose Near.
• After the Detour, teams had to travel to Mukuni Village, where they took part in a traditional welcome ceremony for honored guests. Teams then gave the village chief the photographs they took during the Detour in exchange for their next clue: a miniature model of the Eiffel Tower. Teams returned by charter flight to Johannesburg, South Africa, where they had to book flights to Paris, France. Once there, teams had to find their next clue beneath the Eiffel Tower.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to go by stairs to the second level of the Eiffel Tower and use a telescope to search the city's skyline for a monument with a Route Marker on top: the Arc de Triomphe, which was the Pit Stop for this leg.

Additional note

• This episode was originally scheduled to air on September 12, 2001, but was postponed due to the September 11 attacks.^[15]

• Episode 3: "Home for Some" (September 26, 2001)
• Eliminated: Pat & Brenda

Locations

• Paris (Arc de Triomphe)
• Paris (Mariage Frères)
• Paris (Roue de Paris)
• Paris (Notre-Dame de Paris or Panthéon)
• Paris (Hôtel de Ville)
• Paris (Place du Châtelet)
• Paris → Avignon or Marseille
• Les Baux-de-Provence (Château des Baux)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams had to find "La Grande Roue" ("The Big Wheel") and figure out that it was the nearby Roue de Paris, where they found their next clue.
• This leg's Fast Forward required one team to find the Mariage Frères tea shop in the Rive Gauche and ask for a specific tea. Kevin & Drew won the Fast Forward.
• This leg's Detour was a choice between Tough Climb or Easy Walk. In Tough Climb, teams had to travel to Notre-Dame de Paris and climb the cathedral's north tower to ring Quasimodo's bell and receive their next clue. In Easy Walk, teams had to locate the statue of a cat sitting next to the Foucault pendulum in order to find their next clue. However, there were two Foucault pendulums in Paris, but only the one at the Panthéon had the statue of a cat, while the one at the Museum of Arts and Crafts did not.
• After the Detour, teams had to find a man in a blue suit across from the Hôtel de Ville, who had their next clue.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to walk through the Paris sewers to the Place du Châtelet, where they found their next clue.
• After the Roadblock, teams had to travel by train and taxi to Les Baux-de-Provence, and then by foot to the Pit Stop at the Château des Baux.

• Episode 4: "Colossal Showdown" (October 3, 2001)
• Eliminated: Dave & Margaretta

Locations

• Les Baux-de-Provence (Château des Baux)
• Marseille → Tunis, Tunisia
• Tunis (Bab el Bhar)
• Tunis (Medina of Tunis – Café Mnouchi or Hammam)
• El Djem (Amphitheatre of El Jem)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to find a smaller version of the Arc de Triomphe in the country represented by a small flag: . Teams had to figure out that they had a Tunisian flag and that they needed to travel by ferry from Marseille to Tunis, Tunisia. Once there, they had to find the man depicted in a provided photograph near the Bab el Bhar and say a traditional greeting – As-salām (السلام) – in order to receive their next clue.
• This leg's Detour was a choice between Full Body Brew or Full Body Massage. In Full Body Brew, teams had to find the Café Mnouchi inside the Medina of Tunis and order two coffees in order to receive their next clue. In Full Body Massage, teams had to search for a massage parlor marked on a provided map and receive a 20-minute massage before they could receive their next clue.
• After the Detour, teams received a lighter marked with a picture of the Amphitheatre of El Jem with the words "Go Here" on the back.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to light a torch and navigate the amphitheatre in order to find the pit of death. They then had to retrieve a sword above a pit, find their way out of the maze of tunnels, and bring it to the Pit Stop.

• Episode 5: "Desert Storm" (October 10, 2001)
• Eliminated: Paul & Amie

Locations

• El Djem (Amphitheatre of El Jem)
• Tataouine (Monument to the Memory of the Earth)
• Tataouine Governorate (Ksar Hadada)
• Jebil National Park (Ksar Ghilane – Camel Outpost)
• Jebil National Park (Ksar Ghilane – Oasis)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams received a photograph of a globe monument (the Monument to the Memory of the Earth) and instructions to travel to Tataouine in order to find their next clue. Teams also found cars that served as their transportation for the rest of the leg. They could hire a driver for US$50, but drivers could not provide directions, so all teams had to navigate using a simple provided map.
• This leg's Detour was a choice between Listening or Puzzling. In Listening, teams had to find the Star Wars movie set Ksar Hadada and use a supplied walkie-talkie in order to locate the radio's counterpart hidden somewhere in the labyrinth of caves along with their next clue. In Puzzling, teams would have had to find Ksar Ouled Soltane and solve a simple dice game in order to receive their next clue. All teams chose Listening.
• After the Detour, teams had to use a map, a compass, and a series of painted stones in order to find an arrow located approximately one mile (1.6 km) north of Guermessa that directed them along a path across the Sahara to their next clue at Ksar Ghilane.
• 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. The non-participating member had to trek alongside on foot. Once they reached the route marker, teams found a new set of compass directions to the Pit Stop: the Ksar Ghilane oasis.

Additional note

• Paul & Amie missed the Roadblock entirely and became hopelessly lost in the Sahara Desert. Hours after all of the other teams checked in, Paul happened to see the oasis in the distance and drove there, unaware that it was the Pit Stop.^[16] Production crew had also been driving through the desert looking for Paul & Amie's vehicle.^[17]

• Episode 6: "Whatever It Takes to Win" (October 17, 2001)

Locations

• Gabès (Streets of Gabès)
• La Marsa (Hôtel Le Palace)
• Tunis → Rome, Italy
• Rome (Colosseum)
• Rome (Palazzo dei Conservatori or Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II)
• Rome → Castelfranco Emilia
• San Cesario sul Panaro (Pagani Auto Factory)
• Sant'Agata Bolognese (Town Square)

Episode summary

• During the Pit Stop, a sandstorm forced the teams to move as a safety precaution to Gabès. At the start of this leg, teams had to travel to the Hôtel Le Palace near Tunis in order to find their next clue, which instructed them to fly to Rome, Italy, and find their next clue outside of the location on a provided photograph: the Colosseum.
• This leg's Detour was a choice between Foot or Hoof. In Foot, teams had to find a statue of a foot at the Palazzo dei Conservatori using a provided picture in order to find their next clue. In Hoof, teams were given a partial picture of a more obscure statue depicting the hoof of the equestrian statue of Vittorio Emanuele II. If teams completed this task, they found a line of taxis waiting for them.
• After the Detour, teams had to travel by train to Castelfranco Emilia and then by taxi to the Pagani Auto Factory, where they found their next clue.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to drive a Smart car to the town square of Sant'Agata Bolognese using a map written entirely in Italian. Their partner was driven to the square in a Pagani Zonda traveling at 180 miles per hour (290 km/h). Once team members were reunited, they could check in at the Pit Stop.

Additional notes

• Due to an airport strike in Rome, all flights to Rome were either fully booked or cancelled. As a result, teams had the option of either flying to elsewhere in Europe and taking a connecting flight or train to Rome or risk waiting in Tunis until direct evening flights to Rome might become available.
• This was a non-elimination leg.

• Episode 7: "Triumph and Loss" (October 24, 2001)
• Eliminated: Lenny & Karyn

Locations

• Sant'Agata Bolognese (Town Square)
• Ferrara (Castello Estense)
• Ferrara (Aeroclub Volovelistico Ferrarese or Bicycle Shop)
• Ferrara (Ferrara Railway Station) → Rome or Milan
• Rome or Milan → Delhi, India
• Delhi (Red Fort)
• Delhi (Chandni Chowk)
• Agra (Taj Khema Hotel)

Episode summary

• This leg's Detour was a choice between Glide or Ride. In Glide, teams traveled to the town of Ferrara, where one team member rode in a glider with a professional glider pilot while their partner rode in the towing plane. Once completed, the team received a free taxi ride to the Ferrara railway station, where they found their next clue. In Ride, teams had to travel to a bicycle shop in Ferrara and then ride eight kilometres (5 mi) to the railway station following a street map in order to retrieve their next clue.
• This leg's Fast Forward required one team to find Castello Estense in Ferrara and row a boat around the castle's moat to find the Fast Forward award hidden in the wall. Frank & Margarita won the Fast Forward.
• After the Detour, teams were instructed to fly to Delhi, India, by catching a train to either Rome or Milan, from which they could fly to Delhi. Once there, teams found their next clue outside the Red Fort.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to hire a cycle rickshaw and find a specific shopkeeper in the Chandni Chowk market, who showed them a replica of the Taj Mahal along with their next clue, which directed them to the Pit Stop: the Taj Khema Hotel in Agra.

• Episode 8: "Competition to the Fullest" (October 31, 2001)

Locations

• Agra (Taj Khema Hotel)
• Agra (Taj Mahal)
• Jaipur (Palace of the Winds)
• Amber (Amber Fort) or Jaipur (Jal Mahal)
• Jaipur → Bikaner
• Deshnoke (Karni Mata Temple)
• Bikaner (Laxmi Niwas Palace)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams had to search the grounds of the Taj Mahal for their next clue, which instructed them to travel to the Palace of the Winds in Jaipur.
• This leg's Detour was a choice between Elephant or Rowboat. In Elephant, teams had to ride an elephant up to the Amber Fort and then find a holy man who had their next clue. In Rowboat, teams had to reach the Jal Mahal water palace using a rowboat and then find a holy man who had their next clue.
• After the Detour, teams were instructed to travel by train to Bikaner and then travel to Karni Mata Temple, where they found their next clue.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to search Karni Mata Temple for a canister that contained their next clue, which directed them to the Pit Stop: the Laxmi Niwas Palace in Bikaner.

Additional note

• This was a non-elimination leg.

• Episode 9: "The Unexpected Twist" (November 14, 2001)
• Eliminated: Nancy & Emily

Locations

• Bikaner (Laxmi Niwas Palace)
• or Bikaner → Delhi
• Delhi → Bangkok, Thailand
• Bangkok (Temple of the Reclining Buddha)
• Bangkok (Temple of Dawn)
• Bangkok (Southern Bus Terminal or Bangkok Yai)
• Kanchanaburi (Buddhist Monastery)
• Krabi (Tiger Cave Temple)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to travel by bus or train back to Delhi and then fly to Bangkok, Thailand.
• This season's final Fast Forward required teams to travel to the Temple of the Reclining Buddha and play a traditional Buddhist game using the 108 urns alongside the giant reclining Buddha. They had to choose a bowl of coins and drop exactly one coin in every urn. The first team to find the bowl with exactly 108 coins would win the Fast Forward. Joe & Bill defeated Nancy & Emily and won the Fast Forward.
• Teams who did not attempt the Fast Forward had to travel to the Temple of Dawn, where they found their next clue.
• This leg's Detour was a choice between Public or Private. Both tasks required teams to find transportation to Kanchanaburi. In Public, teams had to ride a public bus which left 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, which would provide them a free ride to Kanchanaburi.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to dress like a Buddhist monk and walk through a pit of tigers in order to retrieve their next clue, which directed them to the Pit Stop: the Tiger Cave Temple in Krabi.

Additional note

• Nancy & Emily became frustrated after spending hours searching fruitlessly for the private vehicle, so they took a taxi to Kanchanaburi instead of completing the Detour, for which they incurred a 24-hour penalty and were thus eliminated from the race.

• Episode 10: "To the Physical and Mental Limit" (November 21, 2001)

Locations

• Krabi (Tiger Cave Temple)
• Ao Phang Nga National Park (Railay Beach – King Climbers)
• Ao Phang Nga National Park (Thaiwand Wall)
• Ao Phang Nga National Park (Thaiwand Wall → Railay Beach)
• Ao Phang Nga National Park (Railay Beach) → Ao Nang (Ao Nang Beach)
• Ao Nang (Sea, Land & Trek)
• Ao Nang (Ao Nang Beach) → Ao Phang Nga National Park (Chicken Island)
• Ao Nang (Pai Plong Beach)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to find "The King" at Railay Beach – the King Climbers rock climbing school – where they received rock-climbing equipment and then hiked through the jungle to reach Thaiwand Wall and their next clue.
• This leg's Detour was a choice between Hike or Climb. In Hike, teams would have had to travel on a winding path up Thaiwand Wall to their next clue. In Climb, teams had to make a rock climb straight up Thaiwand Wall in order to find their next clue. All teams chose Climb.
• After the Detour, teams had to rappel down to the boat that brought them back to Railay Beach, where they then proceeded to Sea, Land & Trek rafting company, where they found their next clue.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to paddle a kayak with their partner down the river in search of a route marker flag. Once spotted, they had to climb into a nearby cave, Tham Hua Kalok, where they found their next clue along with snorkeling gear.
• After the Roadblock, teams had to paddle back to Sea, Land & Trek. Teams then had to hire a boat at Ao Nang Beach and find a route marker bobbing in the water near Chicken Island, where they had to dive in the water and retrieve their next clue, which directed them to the Pit Stop: Pai Plong Beach.

Additional note

• This was a non-elimination leg.

• Episode 11: "Fight to the Last Minute" (November 28, 2001)
• Eliminated: Kevin & Drew

Locations

• Ao Nang (Pai Plong Beach)
• Phuket → Beijing, China
• Beijing (Jingshan Park – Top Pavilion)
• Beijing (Community Center or Quan Xin Yuan Restaurant)
• Beijing (Hongqiao Market)
• Beijing (Donghuamen Night Market)
• Beijing (Tiantan Park)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Beijing, China. Once there, teams found their next clue at Jingshan Park.
• This leg's Detour was a choice between Volley or Rally. In Volley, teams had to score five points in a game of ping-pong against a local champion in order to receive their next clue. In Rally, teams had to travel by three forms of local transportation – bus, motorcycle taxi, and pedicab – to Quan Xin Yuan Restaurant, where they found their next clue.
• After the Detour, teams had to retrieve a shopping list, written almost entirely in Mandarin Chinese, at the Hongqiao Market and use it to purchase five beetle larvae, one squid, and two chicken feet. Teams then traveled to the Donghuamen Night Market, where they found their next clue.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to give the items they'd just bought to a chef at the market for him to prepare and then eat all three dishes in order to receive their next clue, which directed them to the Pit Stop: the South Gate of Tiantan Park.

Additional note

• Frank & Margarita and Rob & Brennan caught a much earlier flight to Beijing than Joe & Bill and Kevin & Drew. As a result, Joe & Bill and Kevin & Drew were almost a full day behind the other teams when they arrived in Beijing. Joe & Bill would remain almost a full day behind the remaining two teams for the rest of the race.

• Episode 12: "Race to the Finish — Part 1" (December 5, 2001)

Locations

• Beijing (Tiantan Park)
• Beijing (Great Wall of China – Juyong Pass)
• Beijing → Anchorage, Alaska
• Scotty Lake (North Country Bed and Breakfast)
• Glacier View (Matanuska Glacier)
• Trapper Creek (Highway Mile Marker 131)
• Trapper Creek (Wilderness Cabin)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams had to use a map to find three kite flyers in Tiantan Park with their next clue attached to the kites. Teams were then instructed to travel to the Great Wall of China in order to find their next clue.
• This leg's Detour at the Great Wall of China was a choice between Flat or Steep. In Flat, teams would have had to walk along a long, flat path to a faraway pavilion. In Steep, teams had to hike up a much shorter, but extremely steep, path to a closer pavilion, where they found their next clue. All teams chose Steep.
• Teams were instructed to fly to Anchorage, Alaska. Once there, teams were driven to North Country Bed and Breakfast in Scotty Lake, where they spent the night. The next morning, one team member had to participate in an Alaskan blanket toss known as Nalukataq and spot a nearby route marker on the ice, where they found their next clue, which directed them to the Matanuska Glacier.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to climb an ice wall and retrieve their next clue from the top of the glacier.
• After the Roadblock, teams had to drive to highway mile marker 131 near Denali State Park, where they rode snowmobiles to the Pit Stop at a wilderness cabin.

Additional note

• This was a non-elimination leg.

• Episode 13: "Race to the Finish — Part 2" (December 13, 2001)
• Prize: US$1,000,000
• Winners: Rob & Brennan
• Runners-up: Frank & Margarita
• Third place: Joe & Bill

Locations

• Trapper Creek (Wilderness Cabin)
• Trapper Creek (Takosha Lodge)
• Talkeetna (Fish Lake)
• Anchorage → Newark, New Jersey
• New York City, New York (Vincent Daniels Square)
• New York City (52nd Street–Lincoln Avenue Station → Willets Point–Shea Stadium Station)
• New York City (Flushing Meadows Park – Unisphere)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams had to don snowshoes and follow flags 1⁄2 mile (800 m) to Takosha Lodge in order to find their next clue.
• This season's final Detour was a choice between Dog Power or Horsepower. In Dog Power, teams had to ride dog sleds 11 miles (18 km) to their next clue. In Horsepower, teams would have had to ride snowmobiles 30 miles (48 km) to their next clue. Both teams chose Dog Power.
• After the Detour, teams had to drive to Fish Lake, where they found their next clue.
• In this season's final Roadblock, one team member had to strip down and plunge into Fish Lake in order to retrieve their next clue.
• After the Roadblock, teams were instructed to fly to New York City. Once there, teams had to travel by taxi to Vincent Daniels Square in Queens in order to find their final clue. Teams were instructed to take the 7 train to the Willets Point–Shea Stadium Station and then follow the flags to the finish line at Flushing Meadows Park.

Additional note

• Joe & Bill had fallen so far behind the other teams that by the time they began the leg in Alaska, Rob & Brennan and Frank & Margarita were already crossing the finish line in New York. Instead of receiving their next clue, Joe & Bill received notice that the race had ended when they opened their clue envelope at the Takosha Lodge.^[7]

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.^[18] The show was further hindered by the lack of media coverage and promotion as networks focused on news stories and more patriotic programming.^[18] Additionally, the show premiered and competed in the same time slot as with NBC's short-lived Lost, another travel reality game show with a similar premise.^[19] The show premiered with 11,800,000 viewers.^[20][21] By midseason, ratings had dropped with the sixth and seventh episodes pulling 8,370,000 and 9,170,000 viewers respectively.^[22] By the time of the finale, the show rebounded with 13,650,000 viewers.^[23] The show did just well enough to earn a second season, which aired the following spring.^[24]

The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 92%, based on 13 reviews as of August 2023. The website's critical consensus reads, "The Amazing Race elevates reality television conventions with its globetrotting scale, making for a suspenseful competition and fascinating travelogue."^[25] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 72 out of 100 based on 24 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".^[26]

Following the season's premiere, Tom Shales of The Washington Post wrote "[The Amazing Race] brings new energy and respectability to the 'reality' genre popularized by the same network's Survivor -- and surpasses it in spectacle and human drama. Great TV lives."^[27] Michael Speier of Variety wrote "Television gets back to real reality via The Amazing Race. With this thrilling trip around the world, CBS blows away the Summer of Rats — thank you Fear Factor — while creating a terrific companion piece to the net's comparatively tranquil Survivor.^[28] Linda Stasi of the New York Post wrote "I never thought I'd love a reality show, because mostly I hated all those shows with their wannabe models, fat yutzes and half-wits who try to be as smart as the fat yutz from Survivor but are dumber than a family tree of Bushes. But this one actually is so good I am already addicted."^[29] Hal Boedeker of the Orlando Sentinel wrote "Classier than Fear Factor, clearer than The Mole and swifter than Survivor, CBS' The Amazing Race jolts the reality format with tantalizing thrills.^[30] Rob Owen of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote "An exhilarating, fast-paced competition filled with colorful characters, The Amazing Race is a pulse-pounding good time."^[31] Ed Bark of The Dallas Morning News wrote "It all makes for a watchable feast of accidental tourists navigating various twists, turns and blind alleys. Amazing Race seems to be well-cast with vivid characters."^[32]

Conversely, following the show's premiere, Terry Kelleher of People called it a "half-decent start".^[33] Anita Gates of The New York Times wrote that while the show may be less mean-spirited than previous reality show, it "may not be what viewers who love reality shows want to see."^[34] Howard Rosenberg of the Los Angeles Times wrote that it had "all the interest and awareness of an air-conditioned tour bus roaring by Nantucket."^[35]

Following the season's conclusion, Linda Holmes of Television Without Pity wrote that she "was flat-out hooked for thirteen weeks, and the ending managed not to disappoint, which almost never happens."^[36] Matt Roush of TV Guide called this season "TV's best reality show".^[37] Allan Johnson of the Chicago Tribune called the first season "a satisfying race around the world".^[38] Dalton Ross of Entertainment Weekly called it "[2001's] most exciting reality adventure. The fast-paced editing, breathtaking scenery, and almost perfect casting made for truly pulse-racing programming."^[39] In 2015, Joe Reid of Decider wrote, "It really is a remarkably well-structured, well-edited, well-conceived, and well-cast season of reality television. This show made its reputation for a reason."^[40] In 2016, this season was ranked 5th out of the first 27 seasons by the Rob Has a Podcast Amazing Race correspondents.^[41] Kareem Gantt of Screen Rant wrote that this season "had a great cast, truly awesome locations, and challenges that kept the viewer on the edge".^[42] In 2021, Jane Andrews of Gossip Cop ranked this season as the fourth best.^[43] In 2022, Jason Shomer of Collider ranked this season among the show's top seven seasons.^[44] In 2022, Rhenn Taguiam of Game Rant ranked this season as the overall best season.^[45] In 2024, Taguiam's ranking was updated with this season remaining as the overall best season.^[46]

The DVD boxed set for season 1 was released on September 27, 2005. Kevin & Drew, Lenny & Karyn, Joe & Bill, and Rob & Brennan did commentary on four episodes.^[47]

• The Amazing Race: The First Season. CBS. DVD. Paramount, 2005.

• Archived copy of Official CBS season 1 website