The Amazing Race 13 is the thirteenth season of the American reality competition show 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 for US$1,000,000. This season visited five continents and eight countries, traveling approximately over eleven legs. Starting in Los Angeles, California, racers traveled through Brazil, Bolivia, New Zealand, Cambodia, India, Kazakhstan, and Russia, before returning to the United States and finishing in Portland, Oregon. The season premiered on CBS on September 28, 2008, and concluded on December 7, 2008.
Siblings Nick and Starr Spangler were the winners of this season, while former NFL safety Ken Greene and his wife Tina finished in second place, and fraternity brothers Andrew Lappitt and Dan Honig 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. Speed Bump: Teams who were spared elimination by finishing in last place on a non-elimination leg are required to complete a Speed Bump: an additional task in the following leg that the other teams did not have to complete. 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
CBS had originally planned to only air one installment of The Amazing Race (season 12) in the 2007–08 season, but due to the Writers Guild of America strike, CBS ordered a thirteenth installment as a replacement for programs affected by the strike. CBS greenlit the thirteenth installment on December 9, 2007. Season locations were scouted in January 2008 and filming took place between April and May 2008. The Amazing Race 13 spanned in 23 days and visited eight different countries. New locales visited this season were Bolivia, Cambodia, and Kazakhstan.
Toni and Dallas Imbimbo were absent from the finish line because Dallas had misplaced his passport and the team's money in Moscow during the penultimate leg. This was hinted at in promotional materials aired before the season began, where CBS revealed that one team made "an unprecedented mistake that ultimately prohibit[ed] them from joining their fellow Racers at the Finish Line." The passport was eventually turned in at the U.S. Embassy in Russia, but it was still too late for Toni and Dallas to travel to the finish line. Starr Spangler revealed in a post-show interview that they did join the other racers in Portland at a party following the end of the competition.
CBS heavily promoted the new season, including placing advertisements on the top of three hangar buildings at Los Angeles International Airport prior to the premiere. Unlike other seasons, CBS revealed the route map prior to the start of the season.
Contestants
Ken Greene was a safety for the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Chargers before retiring in 1984.
Starr Spangler and Dallas Imbimbo, who had competed on opposing teams, revealed in interviews that they had been dating long-distance for six months since the show finished taping. The two eventually ended their relationship due to the distance. ContestantsAgeRelationshipHometownStatus 63Married BeekeepersEugene, OregonEliminated 1st(in Salvador, Brazil) 61 32DatingLos Angeles, CaliforniaEliminated 2nd(in Fortaleza, Brazil) 32 41Best FriendsSan Diego, CaliforniaEliminated 3rd(in La Paz, Bolivia) 42 22Southern Belles Spartanburg, South CarolinaEliminated 4th(in Tauranga, New Zealand) 24 Columbia, South Carolina 25Dating Long Distance Los Angeles, CaliforniaEliminated 5th(in Siem Reap, Cambodia) 25 West Bloomfield, Michigan 26Divorcées Houston, TexasEliminated 6th(in Delhi, India) 26 Austin, Texas 35Newly DatingNew York City, New YorkEliminated 7th(in Almaty, Kazakhstan) 31 51Mother & SonWoodside, CaliforniaEliminated 8th(in Moscow, Russia) 22 22Frat Boys Tucson, ArizonaThird place 23 Wilmington, Delaware 51Separated Tampa, FloridaRunners-up 48 San Diego, California 22Siblings New York City, New YorkWinners 21 Fort Worth, Texas
Future appearances Terence Gerchberg and Andrew Lappitt later attended the public start of season 25.
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 had to perform a Speed Bump task 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 Nick & Starr 1st 6th 6th 5th 1st 1st 1st 1st 3rd 1st 1st Ken & Tina 2nd 1st 1st 1st 3rd 4th 3rd 2nd 3rd 2nd Andrew & Dan 7th 8th 7th 6th 6th 5th 5th 4th 2nd 3rd Toni & Dallas 6th 5th 2nd 4th 2nd 3rd 2nd 2nd 1st Terence & Sarah 3rd 3rd 3rd 2nd 5th 4th 3rd Kelly & Christy 5th 7th 8th 3rd 4th 2nd Aja & Ty 8th 4th 5th 7th Marisa & Brooke 10th 9th 4th Mark & Bill 4th 2nd Anthony & Stephanie 9th Anita & Arthur Notes
Race summary
Leg 1 (United States → Brazil)
Episode 1: "Bees Are Much Calmer Than All This!" (September 28, 2008) Prize: A trip for two to Belize (awarded to Nick and Starr) Eliminated: Anita and Arthur Locations Los Angeles, California (Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum) (Starting Line) Los Angeles → Salvador, Brazil Salvador (O Rei do Pernil) Salvador (Praça da Sé) Salvador (19th Batalhão de Caçadores Military Base) Salvador (Igreja da Ordem Terceira de São Francisco) Salvador (Escadaria do Passo Elevador Lacerda) Salvador (Forte de São Marcelo) Episode summary Teams set off from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and drove to Los Angeles International Airport, where they had to book one of two flights to Salvador, Brazil. The first six teams departed on the first flight via American Airlines, while the remaining five teams departed three hours later on the second flight via United Airlines. However, the first flight was delayed an hour and a half during its connection in Rio de Janeiro. Once there, teams had to go to a sandwich shop, choose a traditional vending cart, take it to the Praça da Sé, and deliver it to a man named Indio in order to receive their next clue. Teams had to travel to the 19th Batalhão de Caçadores Military Base, where they had to sign up for one of three departure times the next morning, and then spent the night under a mosquito net. The next morning, teams had to travel to the Igreja da Ordem Terceira de São Francisco to find their next clue. This season's first Detour was a choice between Hard Way Up or Soft Way Down. In Hard Way Up, teams climbed the Escadaria do Passo on their hands and knees. At the top, teams were asked how many stairs they'd climbed. If they gave the correct answer, they received their next clue; if they were wrong, they had to go down the staircase and try again. In Soft Way Down, teams had to go to the top of the Elevador Lacerda, an outdoor elevator, and climb down a cargo net to receive their next clue. After the Detour, teams had to travel by ferry to the Pit Stop: the Forte de São Marcelo.
Leg 2 (Brazil)
Episode 2: "Do You Like American Candy?" (October 5, 2008) Prize: An off-road vehicle for each team member (awarded to Ken and Tina) Eliminated: Anthony and Stephanie Locations Salvador (Port of Salvador) Salvador → Fortaleza Caucaia (Cumbuco – Praia de Cumbuco) Caucaia (Cauípe – Barraca do Manoel) São Gonçalo do Amarante (Pecém Beach Port of Pecem) Caucaia (Parque de Vaquejada) Fortaleza (Cidade da Criança) Episode summary At the start of the leg, teams were instructed to fly to Fortaleza. Once there, teams had to travel to Praia de Cumbuco, where they had to ride a dune buggy along the beach to Barraca do Manoel to receive their next clue. This leg's Detour was a choice between Beach It or Docket. In Beach It, teams had to travel to Pecém Beach and move a traditional Brazilian sailboat known as a jangada to an inlet to receive their next clue. In Docket, teams had to travel to the nearby Port of Pecem and search a computer database for the specific ID number of the shipping container that held their next clue. After the Detour, teams had to travel to the Parque de Vaquejada to find their next clue. In this season's first Roadblock, one team member had to locate the name of their next Pit Stop – Cidade da Criança – hidden among several advertisements painted along a wall to receive their next clue.
Leg 3 (Brazil → Bolivia)
Episode 3: "Did You Push My Sports Bra Off the Ledge?" (October 12, 2008) Prize: A trip for two to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (awarded to Ken and Tina) Eliminated: Mark and Bill Locations Fortaleza (Praia de Iracema – Estátua de Iracema e Martim) Fortaleza → La Paz, Bolivia La Paz (Plaza Venezuela – Simón Bolívar Statue) La Paz (Plaza Murillo – Narvaez Hat and Shoe Store) La Paz (Plaza del Estudiante, Plaza Bolivia & Plaza Isabel La Católica Mercado de las Brujas) La Paz (Plaza Abaroa) El Alto (El Multifuncional) La Paz (Sopocachi – Mirador el Monticulo) Episode summary At the start of the leg, teams were instructed to fly to La Paz, Bolivia. Once there, teams had to go to the statue of Simón Bolívar, where they spent the night. The next morning, teams had to search the classified ads of a newspaper for their next clue, which directed teams to the Narvaez Hat Shop in Plaza Murillo. There, teams had to buy a traditional bowler hat called a bombin to receive their next clue. Teams were instricted to keep their hats for the remainder of the leg, This leg's Detour was a choice between Musical March or Bumpy Ride. In Musical March, teams had to travel on foot to three plazas several blocks apart and gather the members of a marching band. After leading the band to Plaza Abaroa, teams received their next clue. In Bumpy Ride, teams had to travel on foot to Mercado de las Brujas, where they had to ride a traditional wooden bicycle down the steep cobblestone streets to Plaza Abaroa to receive their next clue. After the Detour, teams had to travel to El Multifuncional in El Alto to find their next clue. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to learn six wrestling moves from luchadoras called the Fighting Cholitas and successfully perform the moves in the ring to receive their next clue, which directed them to the Pit Stop: Mirador el Monticulo.
Leg 4 (Bolivia → New Zealand)
Episode 4: "I Wonder If They Like Blondes in New Zealand?" (October 19, 2008) Prize: A trip for two to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (awarded to Ken and Tina) Eliminated: Marisa and Brooke Locations La Paz (Sopocachi – Mirador el Monticulo) La Paz → Auckland, New Zealand