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, China, and Alaska before finishing in New York City. It debuted on September 5, 2001, on CBS and ended its run on December 13, 2001.
| 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 → | |
| List of episodes | |
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 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 |
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.
| 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† | ||||||||||||
| Destinations |  Air travel  Rail travel  Water travel  Bus travel  Helicopter travel  Bicycle travel  Gondola travel
|
|---|---|
| Route Markers |  Detour  Roadblock  Fast Forward  Pit Stop
|
New York City → Johannesburg, South Africa (Johannesburg International Airport) Johannesburg → Livingstone, Zambia (Livingstone Airport) 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. The series' very first Detour was a choice between AirorLand. 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. 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]
Livingstone → Johannesburg, South Africa Johannesburg → Paris, France 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 NearorFar. 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 ParkinBotswana 110 kilometres (68 mi) away and photograph a single elephant. All teams chose Near. 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.
Paris → Avignon or Marseille 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 ClimborEasy 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. 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.
Marseille → Tunis, Tunisia 
. Teams had to figure out that they had a Tunisian flag and that they needed to travel by ferry from MarseilletoTunis, 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 BreworFull 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. 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.
This leg's Detour was a choice between ListeningorPuzzling. 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. 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.
Tunis → Rome, Italy Rome → Castelfranco Emilia This leg's Detour was a choice between FootorHoof. 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. 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.
Ferrara (Ferrara Railway Station) → Rome or Milan Rome or Milan → Delhi, India Delhi (Chandni Chowk) This leg's Detour was a choice between GlideorRide. 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. 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.
Jaipur → Bikaner This leg's Detour was a choice between ElephantorRowboat. 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. 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.
or Bikaner → Delhi Delhi → 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. This leg's Detour was a choice between PublicorPrivate. 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 TempleinKrabi.
Ao Phang Nga National Park (Thaiwand Wall → Railay Beach) Ao Phang Nga National Park (Railay Beach) → Ao Nang (Ao Nang Beach) Ao Nang (Ao Nang Beach) → Ao Phang Nga National Park (Chicken Island) Ao Nang (Pai Plong Beach) This leg's Detour was a choice between HikeorClimb. 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. 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.
Phuket → Beijing, China This leg's Detour was a choice between VolleyorRally. 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. 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 GateofTiantan Park.
Beijing (Great Wall of China – Juyong Pass) Beijing → Anchorage, Alaska This leg's Detour at the Great Wall of China was a choice between FlatorSteep. 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. 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.
Anchorage → Newark, New Jersey New York City (52nd Street–Lincoln Avenue Station → Willets Point–Shea Stadium Station) This season's final Detour was a choice between Dog PowerorHorsepower. 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. 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.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 ShalesofThe 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 HolmesofTelevision 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 2016, this season was ranked 5th out of the first 27 seasons by the Rob Has a Podcast Amazing Race correspondents.[40] 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".[41] In 2021, Jane Andrews of Gossip Cop ranked this season as the fourth best.[42] In 2022, Jason Shomer of Collider ranked this season among the show's top seven seasons.[43] In 2022, Rhenn Taguiam of Game Rant ranked this season as the overall best season.[44]
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.[45]