The first three episodes of “The Amazing Race” Season 37 have already delivered on the season’s promise to shake things up with a new or returning twist in every episode. That included Episode 1’s “Fork in the Road” challenge, where the competing teams had to choose between two directions — creating two different races that eliminated both Mark & Larry and Jackye & Lauren. In another episode, players encountered an “Intersection,” forcing teams to pair together and complete the various challenges.
Of course, unexpected surprises have been a hallmark of “The Amazing Race” from world-traveling show’s beginning in 2001. From major challenges like the “Yield” and the “U-Turn” to a handful of themed seasons that sent the show on a different path, here is a list of some of the biggest twists in “The Amazing Race” history:
Carrying Over ‘Big Brother’ and ‘Survivor’ Contestants
While “The Amazing Race” usually casts teammates who have never been featured on reality TV before, Season 5 brought over Alison from “Big Brother” Season 4, becoming the first contestant to cross shows. In the years since, “Big Brother” contestants have gone on to even win the show, like Cody & Jessica in Season 30 and Derek & Claire in Season 34. “Survivor” contestants started competing as early as Season 7, where Rob & Amber placed second overall. But to date, no “Survivor” contestants have won “The Amazing Race.”
Non-Elimination Legs
Because there are frequently more episodes in a season of “The Amazing Race” than there are teams, the show will sometimes include a handful of non-elimination legs — where no teams get sent home despite the final results. Contestants (and viewers!) never know which leg is a non-elimination leg, adding extra suspense. That means there is always being the chance of a fan-favorite team getting a ‘Hail Mary’ moment when all hope is lost, and they can survive to compete in at least one more leg. But that save usually comes with a disadvantage in the next leg: An extra task, or some other penalty. Notably, Seasons 34 and 36 featured no non-elimination legs.
Speed Bump
From Seasons 12 to 33, the “Speed Bump” was a key part of the non-elimination legs as teams that had been saved at the last minute (usually by a non-elimination round) were required to perform an extra challenge during the following leg. While many teams in “The Amazing Race” history have survived the extra challenge, the first time that the Speed Bump was introduced in Season 12’s eighth leg led to Kynt & Vyxsin’s elimination.
Double Elimination
While some contestants get lucky with the non-elimination legs, others get the shorter end of the stick with surprise double eliminations. Those unfortunate surprises will unexpectedly cut the journey of two entire teams short. The first double elimination appeared in Season 19, leading to both Ethan & Jenna and Ron & Bill’s exits. Season 37’s first leg marked the first time a double elimination has been featured in the U.S. format since Season 19.
The Yield
The “Yield,” which made its debut in Season 5, gives teams a chance to slow down the pace of rival players behind them. And it can have consequences: In Season 9, Danielle & Dani were eliminated after being yielded by competitors Lake & Michelle. After the all-star season in 2007, the Yield was eventually replaced with the U-Turn, but it made a surprise return in Season 32 with 10-minute and 20-minute delays that set back multiple teams.
Season 8’s ‘Family Edition’ Premise
While many of the entries on this list are specific challenges, no list of twists is complete without mentioning the entire concept of Season 8 – the somewhat controversial “Family Edition.” While “The Amazing Race” typically features adults of varying ages, Season 8 featured ten families of four contestants. Kids as young as 8 years old were allowed to apply, and the entire race stuck to just North America. The season is widely considered one of the least pipylar in “The Amazing Race” history, and it’s notable that the show never brought young families back for another try.
U-Turn Vote
The “U-Turn” has been a key part of the show ever since Season 12, allowing teams to place distance between them and a team behind them by forcing them to complete the second “Detour” challenge that they originally opted out of. A twist on it, the “U-Turn vote,” first implemented on Israeli, Chinese, Australian and Filipino versions of the show, then made its way to the U.S. edition on Season 31 – forcing teams to cast their vote in front of all the other teams. On this particular occasion, ultimate season victors Colin & Christie managed to still place in the top 3 while Rachel & Elissa, both originally on “Big Brother,” were eliminated after failing to complete both challenges in time.
No-Rest Leg
Usually, teams can expect a little break in-between legs. But sometimes, like in Season 14, teams get no break at all. Instead, in what they think is a pit stop, host Phil Keoghan is instead there to give the teams the next clue to keep on racing. (It also means the last team to arrive is typically not penalized.) Most recently, this twist appeared in the first episode of Season 36.
Start Line Elimination
If teams get off to a rocky start on a leg, they usually have time to catch up with the other teams depending on how fast they can finish roadblocks. But in the case of Season 15, Eric & Lisa were eliminated right away after being the last team to finish the opening task, never getting the chance to even leave the country. It remains perhaps the most brutal elimination in “The Amazing Race” history.
Fast Forward
The “Fast Forward” has long been a staple of “The Amazing Race,” providing an extra task that (if completed before anyone else) allows a team to go directly to the pit stop of that leg of the race. The catch is that if multiple teams complete the challenge, only one can use the Fast Forward, meaning the other team must go back and complete all the previous challenges. The Fast Forward was originally offered to teams in every single leg, but the offering started being reduced in Season 5 (with no more than two in a single season). In recent years, the show has continued to cut back on the Fast Forward, with it not even being an option in Seasons 30 or 36.
Express Pass
First introduced in Season 17, the “Express Pass” is occasionally given out to the winning team of a leg or an optional additional task, providing them the bonus advantage of bypassing a future challenge. (That’s different from the “Fast Forward,” which will send a team immediately to the mat.) In Season 25, Adam & Bethany got the Express Pass after completing an additional task during the second leg, and ended up placing 3rd overall in the season.
The Hazard
The “Hazard” was implemented just once, in Season 19, placing a penalty on the team that finished a starting line task in last place. In this particular season, Kaylani & Lisa were the team that got penalized in the first episode — but placed 9th overall, remaining in the race for another leg despite the setback.
COVID-Adapted Season
Eighteen months after Season 33 got unexpectedly shut down due to COVID, production managed to get seven teams back and racing. The season started off by catching up with the contestants, providing the opportunity for fans to get to know the racers more than usual. With constant testing and a chartered 757 private jet, the show managed to go on — despite looking a little different.
The Scramble
One of the most recent twists introduced in “The Amazing Race” history was the “Scramble” in Season 34, making teams complete several challenges in order to put together the pieces for the next clue. The catch is that teams who fail at completing the Scramble get an 8-hour penalty. In Season 35, the Scramble was used during the finale in a Seattle art-themed challenge.
