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. This season visited four continents and nine countries, traveling approximately over thirteen legs. Filming took place from March 8 to April 8, 2001. 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. The season debuted on CBS on September 5, 2001, and concluded 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.
Format
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. 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. At each stop during the leg, teams receive clues inside sealed envelopes, which fall into one of these categories: 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. Fast Forward: A Fast Forward is a task that only one team may complete, which allows that team to skip all remaining tasks on the leg and go directly to the next Pit Stop. Teams may only claim one Fast Forward during the entire race. 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.
Production Development and filming
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. By December 2000, the show was under the working title of CBS Summer Global Adventure Series. Location scouting for the racecourse took place in January 2001. Filming for the first season began in March 2001 by which time the show had been renamed to The Amazing Race. The first season of The Amazing Race traveled 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 the sixth leg in Gabès rather than the original Saharan desert Pit Stop. Filming concluded on April 8, 2001, at Flushing Meadows Park. 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.
Multiple aspects of filming were unique to the first season of the series. 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. This would change in subsequent seasons; Keoghan informs all of the teams of their placements while accompanied by a local greeter in order to increase his in involvement in the show and prevent him from appearing like a grim reaper. Each leg's Pit Stop mat featured a localized design, while subsequent seasons have used a single design. 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. However, Joe and 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 and Brennan, and Frank and Margarita, were crossing the finish line in New York City.
Contestants
Eleven teams participated in the first season of The Amazing Race.
Contestants Age Relationship Hometown Status 28 Married Simsbury, Connecticut Eliminated 1st(in Songwe Village, Zambia) 28 28 Teachers & Roommates Baytown, Texas Eliminated 2nd(in Paris, France) 27 43 Working Moms Landenberg, Pennsylvania Eliminated 3rd(in Les Baux-de-Provence, France) 42 Elkton, Maryland 65 Grandparents Rockwall, Texas Eliminated 4th(in El Djem, Tunisia) 60 32 Engaged Los Angeles, California Eliminated 5th(in Jebil National Park, Tunisia) 27 33 Dating New York City, New York Eliminated 6th(in Agra, India) 30 46 Mother & Daughter Waco, Texas Eliminated 7th(in Krabi, Thailand) 21 34 Fraternity Brothers Bayonne, New Jersey Eliminated 8th(in Beijing, China) 35 Staten Island, New York 50 Life Partners Laguna Niguel, California Third place 47 30 Separated Parents Queens, New York Runners-up 28 27 Lawyers & Best Friends Minneapolis, Minnesota Winners 29 Rochester, New York Future appearances Kevin and Drew made an appearance in The Amazing Race: Family Edition, handing out clues at a hot dog stand in New York City. Kevin and Drew and Joe and Bill, returned for the first All-Stars season. Frank Mesa made an appearance at the starting line of season 25. Rob and Brennan made an appearance at the starting line of season 27.
Results The following teams are listed with their placements at the end of each episode. A placement with a dagger () indicates that the team was eliminated. An placement with a double-dagger () indicates that the team was the last to arrive at a Pit Stop in a non-elimination leg. A 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 1st 3rd 3rd 6th 4th 3rd 3rd 3rd 1st 1st 2nd 1st 1st Frank & Margarita 3rd 4th 2nd 5th 5th 1st 1st 2nd 2nd 2nd 1st 2nd 2nd Joe & Bill 2nd 2nd 4th 1st 2nd 2nd 2nd 4th 4th 3rd 3rd Kevin & Drew 9th 5th 1st 2nd 1st 4th 4th 1st 3rd 3rd Nancy & Emily 10th 7th 8th 3rd 3rd 5th 5th Lenny & Karyn 4th 9th 7th 7th 6th Paul & Amie 7th 6th 6th 4th 8th 8th 5th Pat & Brenda 5th 1st Kim & Leslie 6th Matt & Ana Notes
Race summary
Leg 1 (United States → South Africa → Zambia)
Episode 1: "The Race Begins" (September 5, 2001) Eliminated: Matt and 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 began the race 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 and Brennan won the Fast Forward. Teams who did not attempt the Fast Forward had to travel to Abseil Zambia at Batoka Gorge and find 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 it was shown as a bonus feature on the DVD. The gorge swing Detour at Batoka Gorge was revisited in season 27 as a Switchback in Zimbabwe.
Leg 2 (Zambia → South Africa → France)
Episode 2: "Divide and Conquer" (September 19, 2001) Eliminated: Kim and Leslie Locations Livingstone District (Songwe Village) Livingstone District (Songwe Museum) Livingstone (Bundu Adventures) Livingstone (Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park) Kazungula 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 and 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 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 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.
Leg 3 (France)
Episode 3: "Home for Some" (September 26, 2001) Eliminated: Pat and Brenda Locations Paris (Arc de Triomphe) Paris (Roue de Paris) Paris (Mariage Frères) Paris (Notre-Dame de Paris Panthéon) Paris (Hôtel de Ville) Paris (Place du Châtelet) Paris → Avignon 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 and 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 Foucault's pendulum to find their next clue. However, there were two Foucault pendulums in Paris, but only the one at the Panthéon had a statue of a cat, while the one at the Museum of Arts and Crafts () did not.