The WORST episodes of The Amazing Race

#1 - Cry and Rally

Season 38 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/8/2025

Racers travel to Kutná Hora, Czech Republic, where a new alliance takes control of the “Driver’s Seat” when the first team to arrive at the Roadblock must assign how many bottles of beer each team has to fill, and a self-drive causes stress and anxiety for teams.

#2 - Double the Stakes, Double the Eliminations

Season 37 - Episode 1 - Aired 3/5/2025

At the first destination, Hong Kong, teams encounter their first surprise twist of the season when they confront the inaugural Fork in the Road, forcing them to choose which direction and route they want to take to the Pit Stop, creating two parallel races where two teams will be eliminated.

#3 - The Longest Minute of Your Life

Season 36 - Episode 10 - Aired 5/15/2024

In the penultimate leg, the final 4 teams compete for the chance to make the final 3, with one racer receiving the surprise of a lifetime after their elimination. Then, in the final leg, the remaining 3 teams get schooled in American history, and after 8 countries, 14 cities, and 11,711 miles, one team is crowned the winners.

#4 - A Sunset, Seattle Scramble

Season 35 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/13/2023

The final three teams travel to Seattle, where they must complete three challenges in the first ever scramble leg. The challenges are inspired by Seattle’s art scene and include swinging from a high trapeze, glassblowing, and being a roadie for a grunge band. The team that successfully completes these challenges and arrives first will win the $1 million prize.

#5 - 25 Days, 50 Cities, and More than 600 Consecutive Hours as a Family...

Season 8 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/13/2005

The teams set off from their Pit Stop in eastern Montana and receive a clue telling them to fly to Montreal, Canada and then find the basement of the C.D.P. Capital Building in Montreal’s underground city.

#6 - He's a Few Ticks Away from Having a Heart Attack!

Season 4 - Episode 12 - Aired 8/14/2003

At the Pit Stop in Australia, the teams receive a clue telling them to drive 80 miles to Australian woolshed. There, they'll receive further instructions on how to receive their next clue. They're given only $1 for this leg of the race. David and Jeff reflect at the beginning of the race reflect on how their being analytical gives them an edge, while Kelly and Jon note that they've been saving up money. When the teams arrive at the woolshed, they find that it does not open until 6 A.M and therefore, they're all going to be grouped together. Once the woolshed opens, they all race in and find that they each have to search through a giant pile of wool for the clue. Kelly and Jon are the first to find the clue, which directs them to the airport. They have to fly 1,000 miles to Cairnes. Chip and Reichen find the clue second and David and Jeff, despite having some difficulties at first, soon find the clue buried in some wool they had already looked through. The teams all catch a 7:45 flight

#7 - This Is Where It Ends (2)

Season 18 - Episode 12 - Aired 5/8/2011

#8 - Having a Baby's Gotta Be Easier Than This

Season 14 - Episode 10 - Aired 4/26/2009

In an Olympic-themed task in Beijing, Teams swim the same distance that Michael Phelps swam in the 400 meter individual medley, and two Teams continue to hold a grudge against each other.

#9 - Cheaters Never Win --- And They Cheated!

Season 4 - Episode 1 - Aired 5/29/2003

The fourth season premieres, again with twelve teams, this time beginning in LA's Dodger Stadium. The teams rush off and drive to the LAX airport, trying to land seats on one of three airlines. Swiss Air and Lufthansa both depart at the same time; however Swiss Air is scheduled to arrive in Milan a good forty minutes earlier. KLM leaves about an hour later, and will carry the remaining teams. Steve and Josh, apparently wanting to take advantage of a possible alliance with Steve and Dave (the air traffic controllers), buy tickets for them, costing Monica/Sheree and Chip/Reichen their seats on the Swiss Air flight, and their place in line. This leads to accusations of cheatings, as referenced in the episode title. Teams arrive in Milan and must search for their first clue, which was to find charter bus tickets hidden in various spots within the Galleria Victoria, a pedestrian mall. There are three available slot times for bus departures: 2 AM, 4 AM, and 6 AM. Teams are taken to the Dolom

#10 - Phil Is a Choo-Choo Charlie

Season 6 - Episode 7 - Aired 12/28/2004

A holiday clip show reviews the season so far and gives viewers a look at never before seen footage, including material that builds on previous scenes and completely new material.

#11 - This Game Is About Minutes

Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 3/27/2002

The teams travel to Namibia where they climb sand dunes and slide down them as a task. Shola and Doyin face problems of driving standard in the desert and eventually get stuck. Wil and Tara accuse Gary and Dave of speeding and even call them cheaters and Gary tells them that "[They're] going down!". A feud on the horizon? Oswald and Danny maintain their position in first place as they capture a rather easy fast forward which sends them directly to the pit stop. Shola and Doyin can not overcome their problems in the desert and end up skipping most of their tasks and just head directly to the pit stop where they are eliminated. Blake and Paige spark controversy with Mary and Peach as in a race to the finish, the brother and sister team cut across the trees to finish minutes before the two sisters.

#12 - Bees Are Much Calmer Than All This!

Season 13 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/28/2008

Eleven teams start at the Los Angeles Coliseum and travel to Salvador, Brazil.

#13 - Colossal Showdown

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/3/2001

The teams start off at the Chateau Les Baux in Paris, France. The first task is to find a man in a red hat, standing under a miniature Arc de Triomphe.

#14 - The World is Waiting: Go!

Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 3/11/2002

The second group of the Amazing Race contestants are off on the first leg of a journey across the world. The first place they must travel to is Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where the teams rappel down the face of a 590 foot mountain and others search for the woman that inspired the song "The Girl from Ipaneema". Problems arise between two of the teams when Tara & Wil claim to have been at the Hotel (where they were to get reservations) before the rest of the teams arrived. Blake and Wil have it out about this, even to the point of Wil bragging up his travelling skills. Peggy and Claire, the oldest contestants in the race are sure they will get eliminated but in a mad rush to the finish, they get to the pit stop minutes before mother and daughter pair, Deidre and Hillary, while separated couple Tara and Wil place first. After being eliminated, the team feels the race has definitely improved their relationship and has brought them closer together after Hillary had spent most of her life living

#15 - Now It's About Winning

Season 32 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/16/2020

With the $1 million prize on the line, the final 3 teams travel to New Orleans where, after visiting 11 countries, 17 cities, and travelling more than 33,000 miles, one team will be crowned the winners.

#16 - Divide and Conquer

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/19/2001

The teams start out in Songwe Village, Zambia. When the times depart from the pit stop they must find the Songwe Museum in the village without any signs to indicate where it is located.

#17 - You Always Just Forget About Me!

Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/16/2002

The teams travel from Cancun to Scotland by planes, buses, bikes and more. Derek and Drew, despite fierce competition to to catch up to them, remain in first place, while Dennis and Andrew are eliminated from the race, despite using the Fast Forward.

#18 - Help Me, I'm American

Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 3/13/2002

All of the ten remaining teams continue the race in South America. In this leg of the race, teams hang-glide, much to the chagrin of Peggy who has had problems with her knee for years, but does it reluctantly anyway. Shola & Doyin obtain the fast forward by playing volleyball with professionals in which a foot gets twisted. Other problems occur with the twins, when at one point, [one of the twins] gets their foot run over. Blake and Paige have problems when they lose their wallet and have to go around the bus station, begging for money. Several problems occur on the bus rides to the next pitstop, as one breaks down and the other gets a flat tire. Chris & Alex, tired of waiting, decide to fix the flat tire themselves and get back on the road. Again to their surprise, Peggy and Claire stay in the race, this time placing in 8th position. And it's a race by Hope/Norm and Blake/Paige to the finish, which results in the elimination of the married parents from Tennessee. They also feel this h

#19 - This Is Gonna Be a Fine Mess

Season 19 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/16/2011

Teams struggle with an underwater challenge which threatens their positions in the game, and one team's love for the outdoors comes in handy during a tough climbing challenge.

#20 - I Wasn't Even Going to Touch You Until You Slammed My Head Backwards!

Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 6/12/2003

The teams travel from Italy to Vienna, Austria. There, horse-riding creates confusion when teams fail to follow a clue that states that you must grab a tag before boarding the horses. A Detour - Mozart or Beethoven creates confusion and tension when teams realize that the Beethoven option was as simple as it sounded. And Steve and Dave, after claiming the Fast Forward the previous week, fall far behind, but a stroke of luck keeps them in the race and Cindy and Russell are eliminated.

#21 - One Million Cookies

Season 38 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/10/2025

The final three teams race through New York City where they rappel down the Empire State Building and one host Phil Keoghan crowns one team the winners.

#22 - Run on Your Tippy Toes

Season 32 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/9/2020

In the first-ever city sprint, the final 4 teams have no road blocks or detours, but complete team challenges as they race through Manila, the capital of the Philippines, on the penultimate leg.

#23 - Long Hair, Don't Care

Season 21 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/7/2012

The race continues in Surabaya, Indonesia. One Team makes a bold move, but it could cost them the game, while another Racer breaks down amid the frustration of a Roadblock.

#24 - Two Worlds Colliding

Season 38 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/25/2025

The 13 Big Brother based teams kick off the season in Amsterdam, where they face classic game pieces and unexpected twists right off the bat.

#25 - My Alarm Clock Didn't Go Off

Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 3/20/2002

The teams leave Brazil and South America all together to head to South Africa. There some teams dance for money, haul fish and are forced to drink blended sheep's head in the road block. Peach gets emotional when giving sunglasses to kids on the street. Shola and Doyin feel at home, as that's where their father was born. Tara and Wil's alliance with Chris and Alex comes to a halt, as they realize this game is every man for themselves. Peggy and Claire sleep through their departure time and Blake and Paige, in last place, decide not to wake them up. Problems at the airport, including missing their flight, case Peggy and Claire to fall a day behind and are the third team eliminated from the race.