The Amazing Race 39 is the thirty-ninth season of the American reality competition show The Amazing Race. Hosted by Phil Keoghan, it features thirteen teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, competing in a race around the world to win US$1,000,000. Filming took place from September 22 to October 17, 2025. This season visited five continents and nine countries, traveling approximately 25,000 miles (40,000km) during twelve legs. Starting in Vancouver, racers traveled through Canada, Spain, Morocco, Albania, Sri Lanka, Laos, Australia, and New Zealand, before returning to the United States and finishing in Honolulu. New elements introduced this season include every team receiving an Express Pass at the start of the race and Roadside Assistance. The season premiered on CBS on September 30, 2026.
The clues which contestants receive during the course of the race generally fall into four categories: Route Info, Detour, Roadblock, and U-Turn.
The Amazing Race is a reality television show created by Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri, and hosted by Phil Keoghan. The series follows teams of two competing in a race around the world.[1] Each leg of the race requires teams to deduce clues, navigate foreign environments, interact with locals, perform physical and mental challenges, and travel on a limited budget provided by the show.[1] At each stop during the leg, teams receive clues inside sealed envelopes, which fall into one of these categories:[2]
Route Info: These are simple instructions that teams must follow before they can receive their next clue.
Detour: A Detour is a choice between two tasks. Teams may choose either task and switch tasks if they find one option too difficult. There is usually one Detour present on each leg.
Roadblock: A Roadblock is a task that only one team member can complete. Teams must choose which member will complete the task based on a brief clue they receive before fully learning the details of the task. There is usually one Roadblock present on each leg.
U-Turn: The U-Turn allows teams to force another team to complete both options of the Detour before they can continue the race.
Scramble: A Scramble allows teams to complete a set of three tasks in any order that they choose. At the end of each task, teams receive one of three clue puzzle pieces that reveal their next destination after they are combined.
Most teams who arrive last at the Pit Stop of each leg are progressively eliminated, while the first team to arrive at the finish line in the final episode wins the grand prize of US$1,000,000.[2]
Teams began the race at Jack Poole Plaza, where each team received an Express Pass that they could use through the sixth leg. No more than one team could redeem an Express Pass on any given task.
From the starting line, teams had to find their next clue outside BC Place.
In this season's first Roadblock, one team member had to don grizzly bear claws and climb up into BC Place's catwalk. Racers then had to jump from a height of 200 feet on a bungee swing and grab a Pacific salmon to receive their next clue. Erin & Javi used their Express Pass to bypass this task.
After the Roadblock, teams had to travel by Aquabuswater taxi to the Vancouver Maritime Museum and find their next clue outside of the museum.
This season's first Detour was a choice between Run It Up or Paddle It Out. In Run It Up, teams had to memorize the single-flag signals of 25 maritime flags and find a boat on a nearby dock, where the captain would randomly shout five signals and teams had to raise the correct flags within two minutes to receive their next clue. Dafina & Saran used their Express Pass to bypass this task. In Paddle It Out, teams had to paddle a va'aoutrigger canoe along False Creek to one of six buoys with their next clue. Dylan & Doug used their Express Pass to bypass this task.
After the Detour, teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: the VanDusen Botanical Garden.
At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Madrid, Spain, with teams required to book their plane tickets at Silkway Travel. Once there, teams had to travel by Madrid Metro to Plaza de Toros El Batán to find their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock, which was a Switchback from season 10, one team member had to participate in a La Tomatina festival and search through a pile of tomatoes for one with a miniature clue – a capsule containing an image of Puerta del Sol – inside it while locals pelted them with tomatoes. Daisha & Dalton used their Express Pass to bypass this task.
After the Roadblock, teams had to find their next clue at Puerta del Sol.
This leg's Detour was a choice between Slice of Ham or Slice of History. In Slice of Ham, teams had to deliver a jamón ibérico to a restaurant, where they had to properly slice 50 grams of ham and prepare a charcuterie board to receive their next clue. Cody & Jaime used their Express Pass to bypass this task. In Slice of History, teams had to find 12 Spanish historical impersonators, who would each say a fact about themselves but not their names, and then match portraits to their names to receive their next clue. Jody & Jenn used their Express Pass to bypass this task.
After the Detour, teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: Plaza de España.
Leg 3 (Spain → Morocco)
After arriving in Marrakesh, teams ventured into the Agafay Desert.
Episode 3: "This is Sick and Twisted" (October 7, 2026)
Prize: Cashback rewards for a trip for two to Singapore (awarded to Ann-Marie & Riley)
At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Marrakesh, Morocco. Once there, teams had to travel by taxi to Razani Pottery, which had their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to smash reject clay jugs until they found their next clue. One of the clues contained a new advantage called Roadside Assistance, which allowed racers to ask their partner for help during a Roadblock up until the fifth leg, and was found by Dafina & Saran.
After the Roadblock, teams had to travel by taxi into the Agafay Desert to their next clue.
This leg's Detour was a choice between Walk or Talk. In Walk, teams had to roll two large tires to a hitching post, fill the tires with alfalfa, and then retrieve two camels to receive their next clue. Anuar & Andrea used their Express Pass to bypass this task. In Talk, teams had to drive a dune buggy through the desert, memorize three sign posts that each contained part of a name for an Amazigh tea, and drive to a camp, where they had to correctly recite the tea before sampling some and receiving their next clue.
After the Detour, teams had to travel by taxi to the Arset El Bilk Garden and find their next clue at Jemaa el-Fnaa. There, teams had to properly stack fruit on a stand to receive their next clue, which directed them to travel on foot to the Pit Stop: the Koutoubia Gardens. Ann-Marie & Riley used their Express Pass to bypass this task.
Leg 4 (Morocco)
Following a Scramble through Marrakesh's medina, teams found the fourth Pit Stop in the courtyard of Ben Youssef Madrasa.
Episode 4: "Deception and Sleight of Hand" (October 14, 2026)
Prize: Cashback rewards for a trip for two to Okinawa, Japan (awarded to Michelle & Matt)
At the start of this leg, teams were released in two-minute intervals signaled by two garrabs ringing bells based on the order of their arrival at the previous Pit Stop and were instructed to travel by taxi to Bab Debbagh and find their next clue at the Association Sidi Yacoub Tannerie.
Teams encountered a Scramble and had to complete, in any order, three tasks in Marrakesh's medina quarter related to Moroccan handicrafts to receive three pieces of a clue revealing their next destination.
For the task at Rahba Kedima Square entitled Rug Run, teams had to deliver a nine-foot Moroccan rug to the Palais Dar Si Aissa and lay it out on the rooftop to receive a clue piece.
For this leg's Roadblock at Souk Smata entitled Slipper Search, one team member had to choose a pair of babouche slippers and search the market for an exact match to receive a clue piece. Dafina & Saran used their Roadside Assistance on this Roadblock.
For the task at Souk des Teinturiers entitled Dye 'n Dry, teams had to dye one bundle of yarn dark blue and two yellow to receive a clue piece.
The three clue pieces were three tiles with Arabic engravings (مدرسة ابن يوسف) of the name of the Pit Stop: the Ben Youssef Madrasa.
Leg 5 (Morocco → Albania)
Episode 5: "That's Honestly on Them" (October 21, 2026)
The teams went into sequester in Los Angeles on September 17, 2025.[12] Filming for this season began on September 22 in Vancouver, Canada.[13][14] In a new twist during this leg, each team was given an Express Pass that they could use through the sixth leg of the race, provided no two passes are used on the same challenge.[15] The third leg debuted a new advantage called Roadside Assistance that allowed both team members to complete a Roadblock.[16] A leg was filmed in Vang Vieng, Laos, on October 11.[7] Phil Keoghan and production crews were sighted filming in Melbourne, Australia, on October 13.[17] The teams then arrived in Melbourne on the following day.[8][9] The teams left Melbourne on October 15 with the following leg taking place in Christchurch, New Zealand, on October 16.[10][11][18] This marks the show's first visit to Oceania since season 22 as well as the first visit to Africa since season 31.[10] The final leg was filmed on October 17 in Honolulu.[6] This season also marks the first time that the show filmed in Albania and the first time that the show did not film within the contiguous United States.[6]
When asked about this season in an interview with Parade following the season 38 finale, Keoghan stated "They say 'luck is the residue of design', and Season 39 is a perfect example of that. Captivating cast, some new twists which gave us the desired results of changing things up, great weather in destinations where it really made a difference, some unpredictable challenge moments and a special episode I took particular interest in ended with a special personal moment in my life."[19] With regards to the personal moment, the penultimate leg featured a visit to Christchurch during which Keoghan's dad John visited the shoot while he was hospitalized, with this moment being the last time Phil saw his dad prior to his death in November 2025.[20]
Casting
Casting for this season began on January 13, 2025, and closed on May 2, 2025.[21][22] This season was the first since season 33 to not feature the mandatory 50% BIPOC casting diversity initiative that began in late 2020 following the decision by CBS to rollback its diversity, equity, and inclusion policies in April 2025.[23] Despite the change, casting director Jesse Tannenbaum stated, "Well, from my perspective, nothing's changed. I've always, in the back of my mind, felt we needed more diversity on these shows...I'm still shooting for having a really diverse cast because I think everybody needs to be represented."[24]
Broadcast
On January 22, 2026, CBS announced that the season would air in the 2026–27 television season.[25] On April 11, CBS announced that the season would air in the fall of 2026 in the Wednesday 9:30pm time slot following Survivor 51.[26] On July 15, Entertainment Tonight revealed that the season's premiere date would be September 30, 2026.[27] This premiere date was reiterated when CBS revealed its fall premieres on July 27 with the second episode airing on October 1 following the finale of Big Brother 28 before returning to its usual Wednesday slot.[28] On September 29, the day before the season's premiere, Entertainment Tonight aired a special titled The Amazing Race: 25 Years Around the World.[29]
Marketing
As part of the promotion for this season, CBS invited influencers to perform the tasks from the first leg.[30] The influencers included Addison Briann, Asante Madrigal, Hannah Kosh,[31] and Markell Washington.[32]Nischelle Turner also participated in the Roadblock from the first leg in a segment for Entertainment Tonight.[33] Keoghan made an appearance at the Minnesota State Fair in September 2026.[34]Air New Zealand served as marketing partner during the season's visit to Christchurch and created a competition for American and Canadian viewers to win a trip for two to Christchurch.[35][36]
Reception
Critical response
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Ratings
Viewership and ratings per episode of The Amazing Race 39
↑The third episode ended on a cliffhanger with Doug & Dylan and Jody & Jenn running to the Pit Stop. The subsequent episode began with Doug & Dylan beating out Jody & Jenn.
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