The Amazing Race Best Seasons

Key Takeaways

• Season 34 of
  The Amazing Race
  had unique mechanics and traveled in Europe, but faced criticism for being lackluster.
• Season 26 featured blind date pairings and had top three teams from blind dates, including winners Laura and Tyler.
• Season 29 showcased strangers as partners, creating more memorable teams like Scott and Brooke with dynamic personalities.

With The Amazing Race still bringing groups of pairs all around the world in a race of a lifetime, it’s no surprise how the acclaimed reality show managed to bag 34 Seasons (and counting!) and continue its journey to entertain fans. Now in its 22nd Year, it makes sense for fans new to The Amazing Race fandom to be wondering exactly where they should start their viewing journey.

Interestingly enough, some Seasons in The Amazing Race stand out among the rest – be it through their introduction of unique mechanics, their charming cast of competitive contestants, or twists and turns that became the shocks of the year in reality television. In turn, just which Seasons of The Amazing Race are must-watches for being the best among the rest?

Updated on September 23, 2024, by Rhenn Taguiam: With The Amazing Race 37 having wrapped up filming in June 2024, fans of the reality show might be eager to finally see this latest installment of the franchise get aired on television. Teasing trips to Hong Kong, Japan, Portugal, and Miami, fans of the franchise might be wondering what setups and mix-ups are in store for this upcoming variant of a fresher, more modern The Amazing Race. However, fans of the franchise who want to relive the excitement of the franchise should consider checking out older seasons – such as a Europe-heavy trip during the pandemic, a couples-themed season, an entry that made their teams on the spot, and the first outing of the series to feature returning players.

23 Season 34

A Trip Around (Mostly) Europe

Made during the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic, it’s surprising how The Amazing Race Season 34 manages to hold onto traditional Amazing Race tropes despite limiting restrictions. With adjustments to the pandemic deemed necessary, this season also became a site of many firsts: this is the first time that a season began outside the United States, with Season 34 beginning in Munich, Germany. This is also the first season to start and finish in two different countries, and the first to visit Jordan.

However, the Race was criticized for its rather lackluster nature. The Munich start was an omen of things to come, as the season’s locations heavily explored Europe — complete with rather repetitive tasks. With self-driving being a major transportation method in the season, there aren’t a lot of opportunities to see the contestants truly “duke it out” in terms of navigating regions and overcoming cultural barriers. Winners Derek Xiao and Claire Rehfuss were a surprising revelation, especially when they originally came over from CBS’s Big Brother.

22 Season 26

Battle Of The Valentines

Aligning with its Feburary 25 air date is the theme of The Amazing Race 26, which essentially pits eleven couple pairings against each other in a thrilling and somewhat romantic rendition of The Amazing Race. The show immediately spices things up with the reveal that only six of the 11 teams are existing couples, with the other five being blind dates set up before the competition. In line with its theme are new additions to the racing formula, such as the Date Night ticket that awarded a romantic getaway to the couple who retrieved the leg’s special clue.

The franchise makes its first visit to Monaco in this season, which also ended up being one of the more interesting legs in this installment. Surprisingly enough, all of the top three teams were from the blind date group, with winners Laura Pierson and Tyler Adams completely dominating the rest of the teams. While this season is certainly not earning a repeat watch from fans due to its mostly dull nature compared to other entries in the franchise, The Amazing Race 26 is a worthwhile watch even for one time, if solely for its attempt at spicing up production with its focus on romance.

21 Season 29

No Prior Connections Made For More Memorable Teams

While certainly not the “best” among The Amazing Race seasons by a long shot, The Amazing Race Season 29 definitely showed how the gimmick of complete strangers teaming up can work for the reality show. Gone are the days of boring pairs, or just one interesting person having to drag along a dull companion. This time around, contenders had to pick a partner among each other, resulting in a varied mix of personalities on each team.

Take it from winners Scott Flanary and Brooke Camhi, whose banter may very well make them among the most memorable contenders in the entirety of The Amazing Race history. While Brooke has been infamous among fans for being quick to surrender or just obnoxious, Scott takes the crowd for a ride with his witty comebacks and general “never surrender” personality. Compared to other seasons of the show, where fans had to count on edits to form a cohesive narrative out of boring situations, Season 29 definitely had more than enough dynamism to go around with its cast.

20 All-Stars (Season 11)

The First To Feature Returnees

It’s not uncommon for a long-running reality show to invite their winners back for an All-Stars season, with The Amazing Race: All Stars being the first to invite previous Racers for another shot at victory. This alone meant fans got to see their favorite pairs duke it out against standouts from other seasons, perhaps this time with new knowledge, improved strategies, and overall better relationships among each other. Despite criticisms over poor challenge designs, the drama surrounding the pairs was more than enough to fuel interest in the season.

Winners Eric Sanchez and Danielle Turner might seem like a “generic” winning couple this season, their penchant for bad luck throughout Season 11 made their victory a surprising turn of events. Not to mention, their lack of overall time spent with each other meant fans also had to witness Eric and Danielle work on their relationship on the fly, which, on top of constant misfortunes in airports, made their victory all the more organic and natural. It’s their chemistry, alongside the rapport of their rivals, that made Season 11 a memorable season in the eyes of reality show fans.

19 Season 15

Highlights A Rivalry Worth The Suspense

The Amazing Race Season 15 has a reputation for being among the more conflicting The Amazing Race entries due to its polarizing production value. The Swine Flu Outbreak at the time seemed to have affected the overall route the challengers took, making them and some of their challenges seem predictable and lacking in terms of variety. Even a majority of the cast felt bland, with only a few being standouts for pulling off some memorable moments.

Surprisingly enough, winners Meghan Rickey and Cheyne Whitney seemed worth rooting for, but can sometimes appear too generic for fans. The banter and bickering of Sam and Dan McMillen made them worthy rivals, while the history of married couple Brian Kleinschmidt and Ericka Dunlap resonated with some audiences. Extra standouts include Flight Time and Big Easy from the Harlem Globetrotters, whose presence gave the show much-needed watch value.

18 Season 14

Considered A Shift In Tone For The Series

While Amazing Race 14 presented quite a lot of changes to the season, from the different visuals and the focus on challenges over navigation, it’s the different “feeling” of the show that still gives the impression of this iteration being the first “modern” Amazing Race that can contend with the likes of other CBS shows like Survivor. Fans might feel like the emphasis on the challenges may have put the “touring” aspect of the show to a jarring halt, which may affect the general appeal of the team’s connections.

While Tammy and Victor Jih secured a much-deserved win for this particular season, some fans may not immediately appreciate the sibling conflict they shared. Thankfully, much of this was compensated by a cast of delightful pairs, such as the more comedic Steve and Linda Cole, and the emotional bond between father and son duo Mel and Mike White.

17 Season 25

Highlights The Bond Between Teams

It’s one thing for reality show fans to see pairs of contenders outsmart their way past challenges in the series and prevail in Amazing Race’s around-the-world tour, but Season 25 also tried to introduce unique concepts to the mix. For instance, contestants now know the race’s starting point as public knowledge, and the “Save Pass” replaced the Express Pass which now helped teams avoid elimination in Pit Stops.

Moreover, Season 25 excels in how it showcases the bond between the teams. Some commend bikers Kym Perfetto and Alli Forsythe for their outgoing but upfront nature, with married dentists Misti and Jim Raman showcasing how powerful a couple could get when playing into their strengths. And while some don’t like the way Amy DeJong and Maya Warren claimed the victory, their friendship and determination in the race proved they were more than just food scientists.

16 Season 30

Partner Swaps Spice Things Up

It was when Season 30 introduced the idea of the Partner Swap in the reality show competition that things got heated in the series. At its core, this had teams change their partners for an entire leg until they got back to their partners in the Pit Stop, which added an entirely new layer of challenge to the game. Moreover, the Head-to-Head Challenge pit teams against each other with the loser getting a 15-minute delay, which almost always meant their elimination.

Perhaps notable for this season would be victors Cody Nickson and Jessica Graft, who are also still the only contestants of another CBS competition (Big Brother) to win Amazing Race. Other than them, despite the third-place win of professional skiers Kristi Leskinen and Jen Hudak, their hustle throughout the season proved they’re probably the strongest female team to ever grace Amazing Race history.

15 Season 23

A Victory For Different Couples

Love is in the air for Season 23, which was highlighted by the victory of three (3) kinds of couples in the reality drama competition. These came in the form of couple Jason Case and Amy Diaz who secured the finish, followed by exes Tim Sweeney and Marie Mazzocchi as runners-up, and with doctors Travis and Nicole Jasper finishing in third place.

Despite Amy and Jason securing the win, fans are quick to get attached to Tim and Maria – especially with the dynamics of their relationship. Compared to other exes who tried repairing their respective relationships throughout the history of the race, Tim and Maria didn’t seem to have their previous connection hinder their performance. This level of friendship between the two (2) of them, and how it compares to the rest of how the teams performed throughout the other legs, was a particular delight to see.

14 Season 2

Known For Its Conflicting Win

It’s often the second season of a reality show that sets “the bar” with regard to series traditions, and Season 2 of The Amazing Race reality show isn’t any different. Keeping up with the show’s major premise, Season 2 takes 11 pairs in a race around the world, this time taking them on a rather insane 84,000-kilometer journey.

This season was quite iconic for having a rather conflicting win, with winning team Chris Luca and Alex Boylan just passing runners-up estranged couple Tara Lynch and Wil Steiger prior to reaching the finish. This win remains a hot topic for fans today, especially when part of why Tara and Wil lost the win was due to Tara helping Chris and Alex to their advantage, on top of Tara flirting with Alex throughout the race.

13 Season 17 (2010)

A Historic Moment For Women

Just because a reality show reached the double digits for a seasonal count doesn’t mean there’s no more room for a bit of a switch-up, and this is exactly what Season 17 did for The Amazing Race. Fans of reality shows are treated with new rules that could very well change the dynamics of the reality drama show, with the Express Pass being awarded to the First Leg winners to skip a particular task prior to Leg 8, whereas Double U-Turn could help two (2) teams use U-Turns within a single Race Leg.

Also iconic to the season is the anesthesiologist pair Natalie Strand and Katherine Chang, who became the winners of the race. This marks the first time an all-female pair won the race, which spanned 51,000 kilometers. Fans may also recognize this season for the iconic watermelon-to-the-face GIF, courtesy of Claire Champlin.

12 Season 6

Iconic For Its Drama Between Contestants

It’s not uncommon for a long-spanning reality show to have controversies, and it’s Season 6 of The Amazing Race that takes the cake for perhaps having the most drama happening in the show. What’s perhaps iconic in this 2005 entry in the reality show is how a lot of its racers, although more than physically capable of handling the game’s toughest challenges, end up being riddled with their own personal drama.

Outside the controversy surrounding winners Freddy Holliday and Kendra Bentley, as well as married couple Jonathan Baker and Victoria Fuller, notable moments in Season 6 were of racers on the sidelines. These include dating couple Kris Perkins and Jon Buehler, who up until the show were in a long-distance relationship, having gotten married in this season. Likewise, fans just doted on the rekindling of the relationship between father-daughter Gus and Hera McLeod.

11 Season 12

Known For Its Diverse Cast

Perhaps among the strongest entries of The Amazing Race is Season 12, courtesy of structural arrangements and diverse casting that made challenges more thrilling to watch, and the bickering among contestants even more exciting to watch out for. The Amazing Race Season 12 explores ten countries in total, of which newcomers included Burkina Faso, Croatia, Lithuania, Ireland, and Taiwan. The season also introduces the dangerous U-Turn, which can become a huge setback to a team as it forces them to complete both Detours.

Winners TK Erwin and Rachel Rosales were again among the crowd of contestants to root for, making their runners-up and other racers more interesting by comparison. In fact, many fans praise Season 12 for having some of the more unique cast members: a father and daughter pair (Ronald and Christina Hsu), a grandfather-grandson tandem (Donald Jerousek and Nicolas Fulks), and even dating Goths (Kynt Cothron and Vyxsin Fiala).

10 Season 10 (2006)

Friendship Is The Star Of The Show

It’s a common adage in The Amazing Race that there aren’t any alliances among contestants, and yet The Amazing Race Season 10 highlights the wonders of friendship made through travel in one of the most intense yet wholesome seasons to grace the reality show. This is all courtesy of the Back-Pack and Six-Pack Alliance – both of which were jumpstarted by Kentucky-based married couple David and Mary Conley, whose close ties with their new friends serve as a breath of fresh air to the series.

Season 10 itself features trips to new countries such as Finland, Kuwait, Madagascar, Mongolia, Mauritius, and Ukraine, all of which feature their fair share of unique challenges and the usual visa-related setbacks for some contestants. Outside David and Mary, other standouts among contestants also include: the couple Rob and Diaz and Kimbery Chabolla and their memorable arguments, cunning beauty queens Dustin Konzelman and Kandice Pelletier, the first all-female final three contenders Lyn Turk and Karlyn Harris, and even winners Tyler Denk and James Branaman who are models and also recovering addicts.

9 Season 7 (2005)

Survivor Alums Force Contestants To Pick Up The Pace

It’s around The Amazing Race Season 7 that the franchise started picking up the pace, particularly with quite the entertaining cast who went no holds barred in trying to secure whatever advantage they could grab throughout the race. This compensated for criticism around this run’s leg design being one of the weaker aspects of this season, as personal dynamics between the contestants fueled much-needed drama in the series. T^he problems plaguing the relationship of Ron Young, Jr. and Kelly McCorkle, the comic relief from brothers Brian and Greg Smith, and even the journey worth rooting for in the form of Meredith and Gretchen Smith, who are among the oldest to embark on the race, all make for great TV.

The spotlight for the season easily goes to runners-up Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich, whose status as Survivor alums meant also carrying a certain degree of cunning, strategizing, and quick-thinking that not many racers exhibit. Lastly, Winners Uchenna and Joyce Agu reveal the moving strength of their love for each other as they overcome challenge after challenge.

8 Season 18: Unfinished Business

Previous Contestants Get A Chance To Win it All

With The Amazing Race having had its fair share of winners, it makes sense for fans to believe some of the racers who lost deserve to at least have yet another moment to prove themselves worthy of the title. Such was the case for Season 18: Unfinished Business, as all of its 11 teams come from returning pairs from previous seasons as they engage in a 64,000-kilometer-spanning globe-trotting journey.

Season winners Kisha and Jen were eliminated back in Season 14 due to conflicts in communication typical to a sibling pair. However, their accumulated experience and understanding helped them overcome these barriers in the pressure-filled competition, dominating other fan favorites due to their perseverance.

7 Season 20

Perseverance Against All Odds Is A Major Theme

Despite having reached its 20th season, The Amazing Race hasn’t, by all means, lost any steam. And while it kept much of the concepts it introduced from previous seasons, it’s their choice of pairs that led to a lot of firsts in the show. Perhaps most notable is the first time in the series where two pairs became subjected to a Double U-Turn but still ended up surviving past that particular Leg.

This theme of perseverance becomes a common sight, particularly for married couple Rachel and Dave Brown Jr., who would eventually win the race. Perhaps an iconic moment attached to them was being so close to the finish line, only to be told that they missed accomplishing the last Roadblock, a major task in the game. Had they not finished in time, runners-up Art Velez and J.J. Carrell of the U.S. Border Patrol would’ve secured the win.

6 Season 19

Easily A Must-Watch For Notable Pairs

Sometimes, it’s the contestants that make the competition and not the contest itself, and this is exactly what happened in Season 19 of The Amazing Race. Aside from introducing the rather conflicting Hazard penalty and the Double Elimination Leg, it’s perhaps some notable pairs in Season 19 that made this season a must-watch. Winners Ernie Halvorsen and Cindy Chian, who at the time were engaged, played their cards right to secure the coveted win in the 56,000-kilometer race.

However, what’s perhaps more interesting is the feature of Ethan Zohn and Jenna Morasca, a dating couple who have both become champions in two (2) different Survivor seasons! Unfortunately, their carelessness in seeing a clue led to their eventual elimination in the Second Leg.

5 Season 3

Filled With Show-Stopping And Jaw-Dropping Scenarios

Despite its nature as only the third season of the reality drama competition, Season 3 of Amazing Race was filled with quite a number of show-stopping revelations and strategic moves throughout the cast. Aside from alliances being formed right at the start of the race, both the literal and figurative twists and turns that the racers experienced remain memorable for fans.

For instance, Episode 5 had four (4) teams break down on the ride from Portugal to Spain by placing the wrong fuel in their tank, with couples showing various approaches (and meltdowns) to the solution at hand. Meanwhile, it’s quite a wild ride for cop and fireman duo Andre Plummer and Damon Wafer, whose misplaced trust in a taxi driver led them to be detained at the local border like wrongfully-detained characters in a crime show. The latter may also have been the only time that the security officials of Amazing Race actually had to intervene.

4 Season 5

Marked By A Surprising Finish Amid Many Twists

Sometimes, the best seasons in a reality show are all about the best drama, and The Amazing Race had quite a lot of it as early as Season 5. Premiering in 2004, the season had 11 pairs yet again race around the globe, this time on a whopping 116,000-kilometer journey, to not just see the sights of the world but also overcome various challenges along the way.

Alongside the surprising and glorious finish of Chip and Kim McAllister, second-placers Collin Guinn and Christie Woods would be stand-out personalities for their banter. One such memorable scene would be Guinn having a meltdown during a detour, with an uncooperative ox getting in the way of his clue.