The Amazing Race Wiki

The Amazing Race 15 is the fifteenth season of the reality television show, The Amazing Race. It premiered on September 27, 2009 and ended on December 6, 2009 on CBS. The entire season was released on DVD on May 21, 2014.

Production[]

Applications were originally due by February 24, 2009, but the deadline was later extended. Semi-finalist interviews were held between March 20 and March 29, 2009. Following this, finalists were invited to Los Angeles between April 23 and April 30, 2009, for final interviews.

Filming began on July 18, 2009 and concluded on August 7, 2009. This season traveled a total of 25,000 miles (40,000 km), across nine countries on three continents.[1][2] Production was impacted by the 2009 swine flu pandemic, affecting which locations the Race could visit and what challenges could be featured.[3][4]

Beginning with this season, teams may encounter a task which had a significant impact on a previous season. Although teams have encountered tasks from previous seasons in the past, this season began the practice of billing these tasks as "Switchbacks", which may have an increased difficulty from its previous iteration.[5]

Travelocity was the only official sponsor of the season and would provide the prizes awarded to first place teams on certain legs.

Twists/Changes[]

  • Expanded Cast: For the first time since The Amazing Race 10, the Race featured 12 teams.
  • Roadblock Limits: This season featured 12 Roadblocks, leaving for a maximum Roadblock split of 6-6.
  • Midpoint Elimination: Teams faced a Starting Line Task to earn tickets to their first destination. However, only 11 sets of tickets were available. The team left without tickets would immediately be eliminated.
  • Speed Bump: A team that came in last place on a Non-Elimination Leg would encounter an additional task in the following leg that only they would have to perform.
  • U-Turn: U-Turns are available on certain legs of the Race. The one in the third leg was a Blind U-Turn, in which the team that used it did not have to publicly reveal themselves by using their "Courtesy Of" photo. Ultimately, neither this nor a U-Turn in the tenth leg were aired.
  • Rules and Penalties: The following rules and penalty were revealed on this season:
    • If a team quits a Roadblock and takes the standard 4-hour penalty but is not forced to leave the Roadblock location due to hours of operation and all teams have arrived at the location, that team would serve their penalty on-site immediately.
    • A team that quits a Route Info task would incur a 2-hour penalty.

Teams[]

Meghan & Cheyne
Meghan & Cheyne
 1st place 
Meghan & Cheyne
Dating
Sam & Dan
Sam & Dan
 2nd place 
Sam & Dan
Brothers
Brian & Ericka
Brian & Ericka
 3rd place 
Brian & Ericka
Married
Flight Time & Big Easy
Flight Time & Big Easy
 4th place 
Flight Time & Big Easy
Harlem Globetrotters
Gary & Matt
Gary & Matt
 5th place 
Gary & Matt
Father/Son
Maria & Tiffany
Maria & Tiffany
 6th place 
Maria & Tiffany
Professional Poker Players
Mika & Canaan
Mika & Canaan
 7th place 
Mika & Canaan
Newly Dating
Lance & Keri
Lance & Keri
 8th place 
Lance & Keri
Engaged
Zev & Justin
Zev & Justin
 9th place 
Zev & Justin
Friends
Marcy & Ron
Marcy & Ron
 10th place 
Marcy & Ron
Dating
Garrett & Jessica
Garrett & Jessica
 11th place 
Garrett & Jessica
Dating On and Off
Eric & Lisa
Eric & Lisa
 12th place 
Eric & Lisa
Married Yoga Teachers

Episodes[]

Episode Air Date Leg Destination First Place Last Place Finish Viewership
(millions)
Ratings/Share
(18-49)
1 "They Thought Godzilla Was Walking Down the Street" September 27, 2009 1 United States → Japan Meghan & Cheyne Eric & Lisa 1st Eliminated
12th Place
10.40[6] 3.4/8[6]
Maria & Tiffany Non-Elimination
Leg
2 Japan → Vietnam Gary & Matt Garrett & Jessica 2nd Eliminated
11th Place
2 "It's Like Being Dropped on Planet Mars" October 4, 2009 3 Vietnam Flight Time & Big Easy Marcy & Ron 3rd Eliminated
10th Place
9.95[7] 2.8/7[7]
3 "Sean Penn Cambodia Here We Come" October 11, 2009 4 Vietnam → Cambodia Sam & Dan Zev & Justin 4th Eliminated
9th Place
10.52[8] 3.2/8[8]
4 "I'm Like Ricky Bobby" October 18, 2009 5 Cambodia → United Arab Emirates Meghan & Cheyne Lance & Keri 5th Eliminated
8th Place
10.92[9] 3.1/7[10]
5 "Do It for the Hood! Do It for the Suburbs!" October 25, 2009 6 United Arab Emirates Meghan & Cheyne Mika & Canaan 6th Eliminated
7th Place
11.22[11] 3.4/9[11]
6 "This Is Not My Finest Hour" November 1, 2009 7 United Arab Emirates → Netherlands Sam & Dan Maria & Tiffany 7th Eliminated
6th Place
11.22[12] 3.3/8[12]
7 "This Is the Worst Thing I've Ever Done in My Life" November 8, 2009 8 Netherlands → Sweden Flight Time & Big Easy Gary & Matt Non-Elimination
Leg
11.62[13] 3.5/8[13]
8 "We're Not Meant for the Swamp" November 15, 2009 9 Sweden → Estonia Meghan & Cheyne Gary & Matt 8th Eliminated
5th Place
11.39[14] 3.2/8[15]
9 "We're Not Working with Anybody, Ever, Anymore!" November 22, 2009 10 Estonia → Czech Republic Meghan & Cheyne Brian & Ericka Non-Elimination
Leg
12.19[16] 3.7/9[16]
10 "It Starts with an "F", That's All I'm Saying" November 29, 2009 11 Czech Republic Meghan & Cheyne Flight Time & Big Easy 8th Eliminated
4th Place
11.61[17] 2.4/8[17]
11 "Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound" December 6, 2009 12 Czech Republic → United States Meghan & Cheyne Brian & Ericka 3rd Place 12.32[18] 3.7/9[18]
Sam & Dan 2nd Place

Leaderboard[]

This chart shows each teams ranking per leg according to their official check in at the Pit Stop. However, time penalties issued before the start of the next leg due to improperly performed tasks are not reflected here.

Place Team Leg 1 Leg 2 Leg 3 Leg 4 Leg 5 Leg 6 Leg 7 Leg 8 Leg 9 Leg 10 Leg 11 Leg 12 Average Roadblock
1 Meghan & Cheyne 1 6 2 5 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 2.00 5-6
2 Sam & Dan 9 2 5 1 5 3 1 4 2 2 2 2 3.17 6-6
3 Brian & Ericka 6 10 4 3 2 4 5 3 4 4 3 3 4.25 6-6
4 Flight Time & Big Easy 5 3 1 2 3 6 3 1 3 3 4 3.09 5-6
5 Gary & Matt 7 1 3 4 4 5 4 5 5 4.22 4-5
6 Maria & Tiffany 11 7 6 8 6 2 6 6.57 2-5
7 Mika & Canaan 10 8 7 7 7 7 7.67 1-5
8 Lance & Keri 3 4 9 6 8 6.00 3-2
9 Zev & Justin 2 5 8 9 6.00 2-2
10 Marcy & Ron 4 9 10 7.67 1-2
11 Garrett & Jessica 8 11 9.50 1-1
12 Eric & Lisa 12 12.00 0-0
Notes [1][2][3] [4] [5] [6] [7][8] [9][10]
Legend:
     The team finished in first place
     The team finished in last place and was eliminated from the race
     The team finished in last place in a non-elimination leg or continue racing in a no-rest leg
     The team that won The Amazing Race
     The team that crossed the Finish Line second
     The team that crossed the Finish Line third
The team used the Fast Forward pass
The team used the U-Turn
Recipient of the U-Turn

Notes:
1: Eric & Lisa were eliminated at the Starting Line as per the provisions of the starting line task.
2: Mika & Canaan arrived at the Pit Stop in 10th place, but had lost one of the tourists that they were required bring with them. They were required to backtrack to find their missing tourist before being allowed to check in. This did not affect their placement.
3: Maria & Tiffany arrived at the Pit Stop in 11th place, but had lost two of the tourists that they were required bring with them. Rather than backtrack to find them, Maria & Tiffany elected to take a 2-hour penalty. Because they were in last place and it was a Non-Elimination Leg, the 2-hour penalty would be applied to their starting time for the next leg.
4: In an unaired scene, Lance & Keri used a Blind U-Turn on Sam & Dan. However, Sam & Dan were already in front of them and the U-Turn had no effect.
5: Zev & Justin initially arrived 1st, but discovered after being checked in at the mat that they were missing Zev's passport. They were told that they could not be checked in unless they had their travel documents, and backtracked to find it. All other teams checked in to the Pit Stop before they could find Zev's passport, resulting in Zev & Justin being eliminated.
6: Mika & Canaan did not finish the task at the Atlantis, The Palm resort due to Mika's fear of heights and swimming/water and incurred a 2-hour penalty for quitting the slide task. Already in last place, they proceeded to the Pit Stop where they checked in and were eliminated without the penalty being applied.
7: Brian & Ericka initially arrived 5th, but were issued a 30-minute penalty because they did not travel by bicycle to the Detour as instructed in their clue. This did not affect their placement.
8: Maria & Tiffany failed to complete either of the Detour tasks and elected to take a 24-hour penalty for failing a Detour. Already in last place, host Phil Keoghan came out on the race course and eliminated them while waiting out the penalty .
9: Brian & Ericka initially arrived 3rd, but were issued a 30-minute penalty for writing down the letters during the Roadblock before entering the supervisor's office, which was explicitly prohibited in the clue. This did not affect their placement and was unaired.
10: Big Easy decided to forfeit the Roadblock and was issued a 4-hour penalty. By the time they arrived at the next Route Marker at the Kryocentrum, all the other teams had already checked in at the mat, and the clue instructed them to go directly to the Pit Stop, where they were eliminated.

Trivia[]

Franchise[]

US[]

  • First season to visit the Czech Republic.
  • First season to have the first leg end in a Non-Elimination Leg. Eric & Lisa were eliminated in the first leg but not at the Pit Stop. Instead they were eliminated at the Starting Line. No one was eliminated in the first Pit Stop.

External links[]

References[]

  1. Andy Dehnart (July 23, 2009). Amazing Race 15 cast includes Miss America 2004, Harlem Globetrotters, pro poker players Maria Ho and Tiffany Michelle. reality blurred.
  2. SHOOTING STARS: 'Dance' fever spreads to Planet Hollywood stage. Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  3. https://gamerant.com/the-amazing-race-best-seasons/
  4. Bloom, Mike (January 3, 2022). The Amazing Race Producers Talk Filming Before and During the Pandemic and Preview Changes for Season 33. Parade.
  5. https://www.realitytvworld.com/news/cbs-reveals-identities-of-the-amazing-race-fifteenth-season-cast-9509.php/
  6. 6.0 6.1 http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/network-press-releases/cbs-wins-premiere-week-in-viewers-and-adults-25-54/28842/
  7. 7.0 7.1 http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/sdsdskdh279882992z1/tv-ratings-sunday-night-football-wins-three-rivers-runs-dry/
  8. 8.0 8.1 http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/network-press-releases/cbs-dominates-the-week-in-viewers-and-key-demos/30355/
  9. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/sdsdskdh279882992z1/tv-ratings-yet-again-sunday-night-football-house-greys-win-week-with-adults-18-49-ncis-leads-with-total-viewers/30987/
  10. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/sdsdskdh279882992z1/tv-ratings-sunday-football-boosts-both-nbc-doesnt-help-three-rivers/
  11. 11.0 11.1 http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/network-press-releases/cbs-hour-of-comedy-power/31700/
  12. 12.0 12.1 http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/network-press-releases/ncis-rebroadcast-is-the-weeks-top-scripted-program/32468/
  13. 13.0 13.1 http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/network-press-releases/cbs-first-in-viewers-for-sixth-time-in-seven-weeks-the-big-bang-theory-is-no-1-comedy/33250/
  14. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/sdsdskdh279882992z1/tv-ratings-sunday-night-football-greys-anatomy-ncis-top-weekly-broadcast-charts/33957/
  15. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/sdsdskdh279882992z1/tv-ratings-sunday-football-wins-for-nbc-housewives-three-rivers-cold-case-all-up/
  16. 16.0 16.1 http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/sdsdskdh279882992z1/tv-ratings-sunday-night-football-american-music-awards-greys-anatomy-the-big-bang-theory-house-and-ncis-top-weekly-broadcast-charts/34542/
  17. 17.0 17.1 http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/network-press-releases/cbs-wins-thanksgiving-week-in-viewers-and-adults-25-54/34939/
  18. 18.0 18.1 http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/network-press-releases/season-finale-of-the-amazing-race-15-posts-largest-audience-of-the-season/35460/

The Amazing Race Season Index
United States 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13 · 14 · 15 · 16 · 17 · 18 · 19 · 20 · 21 · 22 · 23 · 24 · 25 · 26 · 27 · 28 · 29 · 30 · 31 · 32 · 33 · 34 · 35 · 36 · 37 · 38
Asia 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5
Australia 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 ·
Brazil 1
Canada 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10
Central Europe Cancelled
China 1 · 2 · 3 · 4
China Rush 1 · 2 · 3
Finland 1 · 2 · 3
France 1
Israel 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8
Latin America 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6
Norway 1 · 2
Philippines 1 · 2
Ukraine 1
Vietnam 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6