Clues

Throughout the race, clues indicate tasks that teams must complete, directions where teams must go or other pertinent information that guide teams along the race.

Route Information
Route Info instructs the teams where to go next. The clue usually only provides the name of the team's next destination; it is often up to the teams to figure out how to get there. However, the clue may make specifications about how the teams have to travel. For example, the very first clue of the race specifies which flights teams may take. In addition, teams may be required to take public transportation, drive a marked car or other vehicle, or walk, according to the clue's instructions.

The Route Info clues can instruct teams to go to several types of locations, including a specific location in another city or country, another location within the team's present city, the Pit Stop of the leg, or the Finish Line of the race.

In the first season, the clue box contained exactly the number of clues as teams racing, thus a team was able to surmise what place they were presently in. In subsequent seasons, the clue box has included a variable number of clues (placed by spotters near each clue box just prior to racers arriving at the box) so that a team can usually not determine its present standing by counting the remaining clues.

Detour
A Detour presents the team with a decision between two tasks, "each with its own pros and cons", as described by host Keoghan. Teams are given several details about both tasks, but may need to travel a short distance by foot or car to the different task locations. One task is typically less physically demanding but is tedious or requires some amount of time or thinking to complete, while the other is usually a more physically demanding or frightening option that, depending on the team's ability, may take less time to complete. The decision on which task to attempt lies solely with the team. A team may choose to switch tasks as many times as they wish with no penalty other than the time lost in attempting the tasks and traveling between task locations. Because of this freedom to choose between tasks, the penalty for not completing either task is significant (see Penalties and time credits).

In the first three seasons, a Detour preceded a Roadblock in every leg. In more recent seasons, however, the order in which these tasks have occurred has varied with each leg. Although there has been little change to the Detour format over eleven seasons, the only unique Detour arrangement thus far has been the first Detour in Season 5, where failure to complete one option (based solely on luck at gambling) required the team to complete the second, more physical task.

Roadblock
A Roadblock is a task that only one team member may perform. Before heading into a Roadblock, teams read a vague clue about the task to come, e.g., "Who's really hungry?" (for an ostrich-egg eating challenge), or "Who wants to get down and dirty?" (for a task involving making mud bricks). Often, a team may figure out the specific task by observing their surroundings, using common sense, or even seeing other teams already performing the Roadblock task. They then must decide which team member would be best suited to complete it. Once a choice has been made, the teammates cannot switch roles. For the first three seasons of the race, Roadblocks came after a Detour in every leg.

Unless the clue indicates otherwise, the other teammate(s) cannot assist in the task though they may verbally offer advice and encouragement, usually standing in a designated area off to the side. In a select few Roadblocks, the team member that did not opt to do it may be required to participate; for example, in Season 1, one Roadblock required the selected team member to ride a camel, while the other team member was forced to walk along aside it to the next clue box. A similar arrangement occurred in the final Roadblock in Season 10, where while the selected member sky dived out of a plane, the other member was treated to a "surprise" nosedive of the plane itself after the start of the sky dive. The participating team members from other teams are able to help each other, however, unless otherwise indicated by the clue.

A Roadblock is featured (although, in some episodes, not aired) in every leg except the first one. In Season 1, even the first leg had a Roadblock, but it was not originally aired; it was, however, included as an extra in the DVD release. Season 10 became the first season to have and air a Roadblock on Leg 1.

Beginning in Season 6, each team member may complete a maximum of only six Roadblocks throughout the entire race. Since there are normally twelve Roadblocks in the Race, this rule forces each team to split the Roadblocks equally between the two members (unless a team uses a Fast Forward to skip one Roadblock, in which case the split can be 6-5). In contrast, Season 5's final three teams featured three male-female teams that split the Roadblocks 11-1 or 10-1, with the male member of the team taking the load; many speculate that it was for this reason that the six-Roadblock rule was introduced in Season 6. The six-Roadblock limit was dropped for only Season 8; additionally, that season's four-member-team format required some Roadblocks to be completed by two people. Season 10 had 13 Roadblocks; therefore, the maximum for each team member was increased to seven. While this Roadblock rule has not been specifically mentioned in some later seasons, team behavior and statements (such as Eric in All-Stars) imply that it still applies.

Fast Forward
The Fast Forward allows the team that receives it to skip all remaining tasks on that leg of the race and proceed directly to the Pit Stop. To receive the Fast Forward, the team must be the first team to perform and complete the task described on the Fast Forward clue. The clue is found along with a regular clue at one of the Route Markers.

Only one team may use each Fast Forward. Any team that is beaten to the Fast Forward will have wasted their time and must go back and pick up where they left off. Also, prior to Season 10, each team was allowed to use only one Fast Forward during the whole race, requiring teams to decide when it was most advantageous to use it. With the introduction of the Intersection route marker (see below) in Season 10, a team can claim two Fast Forwards in a single race, one while part of a grouped team during an Intersection, and another as a single team. Originally, Fast Forwards were offered in every leg of the race (provided that there was as least one team left that had not used one), except for the final two legs. Starting in Season 5, the number of Fast Forwards was reduced to two on the entire race. In the event a Fast Forward was not attempted by any team on a leg, the task involved was not shown, though clue envelopes with the green Fast Forward marker can usually be spotted by the viewers.

A Fast Forward usually results in the team arriving at the Pit Stop first, but does not guarantee it. In the history of the show, two teams who earned a Fast Forward still arrived last at the Pit Stop. In Season 1, Joe & Bill won the Fast Forward but still arrived last (but were not eliminated due to a penalty received by Nancy & Emily). After winning the Fast Forward on Leg 3 (Mexico-United Kingdom) of Season 3, Dennis & Andrew were still eliminated due to their late arrival into England. Similarly, NFL wives Monica & Sheree of Season 4 earned the Fast Forward but only placed 4th in the first leg (behind a three-way tie for first). On Leg 8 of Season 10, Tyler & James and Rob & Kimberly both won the Fast Forward as a result of the Intersection, the first time two teams have ever won the Fast Forward on the same leg. They, however, arrived second and third respectively behind Dustin & Kandice, becoming only the second and third teams ever to place neither first nor last after winning a Fast Forward. Chip & Kim of Season 5, Freddy & Kendra of Season 6, Eric & Danielle of Season 11, and the Linz Family of Season 8 are the only teams to have ever won without the use of the Fast Forward.