The Amazing Race: A Corrida Milionária () was a Brazilian reality competition based on the American series The Amazing Race. Following the premise of other versions in the Amazing Race franchise, the show follows eleven teams of two with a grand prize of R$500,000. The show was split into legs, with teams tasked to deduce clues, navigate themselves in foreign areas, interact with locals, perform physical and mental challenges, and travel by air, boat, car, taxi, and other modes of transport. Teams are progressively eliminated at the end of most legs for being the last to arrive at designated Pit Stops. Starting in São Paulo, racers travelled through nine states of Brazil and one Federal District, and Chile before finishing in Dalcahue near Puerto Montt, resulting in the fewest countries visited in an Amazing Race franchise until The Amazing Race: China Rush.
The show was hosted by Rony Curvelo and independently produced and aired in a purchased time slot in the Brazilian television network RedeTV!. It premiered on 13 October 2007 and ended on 5 January 2008.
Friends Patricia & Sane were the winners, and friends Jonatas & Rafael placed second.
Production Development and filming
The Amazing Race: A Corrida Milionária covered in 33 days.
The series adopted the rules from the American version's tenth and eleventh seasons. With the exception of the Intersection, all clue types were retained in the Brazilian version, as well as the non-elimination penalty. This show also differed from the original format in that while teams leave the Pit Stops in the same order they arrived, the time differences were not always respected. The penalty for not completing a Roadblock was also shorter at three hours compared to four. Route markers are colored yellow and green, reflecting the Brazilian national colours, as opposed to yellow and red in most other versions. Also, contrary to other Amazing Race versions, the eliminated teams did not make an appearance at the Finish Line. Additionally, this is the first Amazing Race franchise whereby they did not end in the same country as it started as the season started in Brazil and ended in Chile. In most versions, the seasons start and end in same country.
Notably, in Leg 6, while driving to the Pit Stop, Andréa & Luciana were held up at gunpoint by three men at a stoplight in Fortaleza. The team did not lose anything, but the criminals took the camera and all personal documents from the crew, and ran off as gunshots were fired by the police. Two of the men were later caught and identified, and the camera was recovered. This incident dropped the team from 4th to last place, and no time credit was given for the situation. Part of the robbery was filmed and shown in the sixth episode. In Leg 13, Perri & Maristela became the first team to quit the show in a final leg, after refusing to perform the first task.
Contestants Applications for the first season were open from January until July 2007, and filming occurred in South America during August and September. Narciso & Marcelo are the first openly gay couple to participate in a Brazilian reality show. While Eduardo previously participated in the Brazilian reality game show Sem Saída, in which he won R$50,000.
ContestantsAgeRelationshipHometownStatus 28CousinsRio de Janeiro, Rio de JaneiroEliminated 1st(in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro) 23 31Life PartnersBelém, ParáEliminated 2nd(in Santa Bárbara, Minas Gerais) 41 46Father & SonSão Paulo, São PauloEliminated 3rd(in Jequiá da Praia, Alagoas) 24 40Mother & DaughterNovo Hamburgo, Rio Grande do SulEliminated 4th(in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte) 23 30FriendsSão Paulo, São PauloEliminated 5th(in Iranduba, Amazonas) 31 33SistersSão Paulo, São PauloEliminated 6th(in Planaltina, Distrito Federal) 31 28SistersBrasília, Distrito FederalEliminated 7th(in Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná) 30 56MarriedBrotas, São PauloEliminated 8th(in Vitacura, Chile) 39 44MarriedAracaju, SergipeQuit(in Puerto Montt, Chile) 35 23FriendsSão Paulo, São PauloSecond Place 23 29FriendsSão Paulo, São PauloWinners 33
Results The following teams are listed with their placements in each leg. Placements are listed in finishing order. 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 and was "marked for elimination" in the following leg. A indicates that the team won the Fast Forward.
+Team placement (by leg) Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13Patrícia & Sane3rd4th2nd5th4th3rd5th3rd4th3rd1st2nd1stJonatas & Rafael2nd1st1st2nd2nd4th2nd3rd4th3rd3rd2ndPerri & Maristela1st3rd4th4th3rd1st1st4th1st2nd2nd1st Jorge & Silvia5th7th5th7th5th5th3rd5th2nd1st Débora & Daniela8th5th7th3rd7th4th2nd1st Andréa & Luciana9th8th6th6th1st6th 4th2nd8th8th6th6th 6th6th3rd2nd Carlos & Eduardo7th9th1st Narciso & Marcelo10th Sandro & Daniel Notes
Race summary
Leg 1 (São Paulo → Rio de Janeiro)
Episode 1 (13 October 2007) Prize: A trip for two to Buenos Aires, Argentina (awarded to Perri & Maristela) Eliminated: Sandro & Daniel
Locations São Paulo, São Paulo (Ibirapuera Park) (Starting Line) São Paulo (São Paulo–Congonhas Airport) → Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro (Santos Dumont Airport) Rio de Janeiro (Morro da Urca) Rio de Janeiro (Morro da Urca Santa Teresa Neighborhood) Rio de Janeiro (Corcovado) Rio de Janeiro (Praça XV – Mestre Valentim Fountain) Guanabara Bay (Rio de Janeiro–Niterói Ferry) Rio de Janeiro (Terminal Rodoviário Novo Rio) → Petrópolis Petrópolis (Palácio Quitandinha) Petrópolis (Palácio de Cristal ) Petrópolis (Pousada da Alcobaça)
Episode summary Teams set off from Ibirapuera Park in São Paulo, where they had to get their next clue and instructed them to fly to Rio de Janeiro. Once there, teams had to travel to Morro da Urca and take a cable car to get their next clue from the top of the mountain. This series' first Detour was a choice between Adventure (Aventurar) or Search (Procurar). In Adventure, teams had to rappel down from the top of Morro Da Urca and descend below to the ground in order to receive their next clue. In Search, teams had to take a Santa Teresa Tram ride and then disembark at Laurinda Santos Lobo Cultural Center to locate a man with a group of musicians who would hand them their next clue. After the Detour, teams had to travel to Corcovado and ride a train atop on the base of the mountain for their next clue right across Christ the Redeemer, which directed them to Praça XV and searched their next clue along Mestre Valentim Fountain, that would lead them to Guanabara Bay, where they had to board a ferry and search among hundreds of passengers inside for someone named Shimiko, without knowing to identify his gender, ethnicity or age. Once they found him, he would hand them their next clue. Teams had to take a bus to Petrópolis with 30-minute schedule intervals. Once there, teams had to travel to Palácio Quitandinha and grab a number for one of three departure times the next morning, where they would grab their next clue, they had to take a horse carriage ride to Palácio de Cristal in order from their departure times. Once there, they would grab their next clue, where directing them to Pousada da Alcobaça. In this series' first Roadblock, one team member had to correctly identify five specific vegetables patches with names of vegetables and place at the specific order in order to receive their next clue, and directing them to run to the Pit Stop nearby.
Leg 2 (Rio de Janeiro → Minas Gerais)
Episode 2 (20 October 2007) Prize: A trip for two to Salvador (awarded to Jonatas & Rafael) Eliminated: Marcelo & Narciso
Locations Petrópolis (Pousada da Alcobaça) Petrópolis (Shopping Plaza) → Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais (Praça Tiradentes ) Ouro Preto (Museu da Inconfidência) Ouro Preto (Mina de Santa Rita) Mariana (Train Station) Mariana (Mina da Passagem ) Santa Bárbara (Santuário do Caraça – Igreja Nossa Senhora Mãe dos Homens)
Episode summary At the start of the leg, teams had to take one of three buses to Ouro Preto leaving within thirty minutes at each other. Once there, teams travelled to Praça Tiradentes and search the Tiradentes Statue for their next clue, directed them to Museu da Inconfidência where they had to pick up 14 flowers from the florist shop and commemorate each martyr of the Inconfidência Mineira buried in the museum, and placed the flowers onto the grave. The guard would give them a map, that had to figure out locating their next destination, which is at Mina de Santa Rita, and get their next clue. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to enter the deepest part of mine. There, they must use the provided tools to excavate the area for dirt and materials, and place it into the sack. They had returned to the entrance and use a pan through their materials from the nearby pond, searching for a gold nugget and present it to the miner, who would exchange for their next clue. After the Roadblock, teams had to either take a train or bus to Mariana. Once there, they had to arrive in the historic train station and they would get their next clue. This leg's Detour was a choice between Tie (Atar) or Dodge (Desviar). In Tie, teams had to observe a demonstration of six knots being tied. Using a reference from the tied knots, they would have to do on their own before they would receive their next clue. In Dodge, teams had to run through a paintball field while being hit by paintball snipers. If the team member is hit, they would have to start over. Once they proceed without being hit and retrieve a flag at the other end to exchange for their next clue. After the Detour, teams were instructed to travel to the Pit Stop at Igreja Nossa Senhora Mãe dos Homens in Santuário do Caraça in Santa Barbara.
Leg 3 (Minas Gerais → Bahia)
Episode 3 (27 October 2007) Prize: A trip for two to Natal (awarded to Carlos & Eduardo)
Locations Santa Bárbara (Santuário do Caraça – Igreja Nossa Senhora Mãe dos Homens) Belo Horizonte (Tancredo Neves International Airport) → Salvador, Bahia (Deputado Luís Eduardo Magalhães International Airport) Salvador (Largo do Pelourinho ) Salvador (Terreiro de Candomblé Tira-Teima) Salvador (Elevador Lacerda and Mercado Modelo) Salvador (Mercado Modelo and Praça da Sé ) Salvador (Farol da Barra) Salvador (Praça 15 de Novembro) Salvador (Filhos de Ghandy Cultural Center Largo de Santo Antônio) Salvador (Convento do Carmo )
Episode summary At the start of the leg, teams were instructed to fly to Salvador. Once there, teams had to make their way to Largo do Pelourinho, where they would get their next clue. In this series’ first Fast Forward, one team had to take part in a Candomblé ritual by having each member shave their heads and make a hair offering to the orishas to win the Fast Forward award. Carlos & Eduardo won the Fast Forward. Teams who did not choose the Fast Forward where they had to travel by foot to Elevador Lacerda and locate Mercado Modelo to find their next clue. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member search inside the market that were the four food items from the lyrics of Ary Barroso's song "No Tabuleiro da Baiana": vatapá, carurú, munguzá, and umbú. Once they have picked up those, they must pass through Elevador Lacerda and purchase these items, then present them to the baiana food stand at the Praça da Sé in order to receive their next clue. After the Roadblock, teams were instructed to travel to Farol da Barra, directing them to Praça 15 de Novembro, where they would get their next clue.