The Amazing Race 14 is the fourteenth 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 to win US$1,000,000. This season visited three continents and nine countries and traveled over during eleven legs. Starting in Los Alamitos, California, racers traveled through Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Romania, Russia, India, Thailand, and China before returning to the United States and finishing in Maui. A new twist introduced in this season includes the Blind U-Turn, which a team could use anonymously. The season premiered on CBS on February 15, 2009, and concluded on May 10, 2009.
Siblings Tammy and Victor Jih were the winners of this season, while former cheerleaders Jaime Edmondson and Cara Rosenthal finished in second place, and mother and son Margie and Luke Adams finished in third place.
Production Development and filming
The Amazing Race 14 lasted for 22 days and traveled over . The teams raced in nine countries, including Romania and the Russian region of Siberia for the first time. In an interview, executive producer Bertram van Munster revealed that the teams took a 13-hour train ride on the Trans-Siberian Railway and got into a Siberian snowstorm with below-zero temperatures. He also revealed that the teams suffered extreme climates, intense Roadblocks, and less time in airports, which added up to an exhausting course for the racers. In addition, CBS revealed the season included the world's second tallest bungee jump, suffocating heat in India, and an Olympic-themed challenge that left the teams "gasping for air."
The show's route map was updated via Google Earth, and according to van Munster prior to the show's debut, the season included new graphics, a new opening sequence, and a tuneup in the musical score, as well as the use of a split screen to show several scenes at the same time.
Season 14 introduced a new twist to the U-Turn: the Blind U-Turn, in which a team could use it anonymously. Other U-Turns required teams to acknowledge their use to subsequent teams.
Leg 10 was a double-length leg: a surprise feature of every season from season 6 to season 10. However, this double-length leg was the first where it was revealed to the teams at a location that was explicitly called a Pit Stop, but teams were not warned of an elimination in the clue. After checking in, teams were told "this leg of the race is not over" and were given a clue by Phil Keoghan to continue racing. This was the last season to feature a double-length leg until season 32, where it was renamed the mega leg.
Contestants
Luke Adams, was the first deaf contestant in the American series and relied on his mother to communicate in the competition. Margie & Luke had originally applied to be on The Amazing Race: Family Edition (along with two other family members), but ended up being one of the last families cut. Mike White had originally been chosen to participate on The Amazing Race 13 with director Jon Kasdan, but he later dropped out before filming. The show's casting director wanted White for season 14 and he was ultimately paired with his father.
After this season, Jodi Wincheski began working as a casting producer for both The Amazing Race and Survivor. ContestantsAgeRelationshipHometownStatus 28DatingColumbia, South CarolinaEliminated 1st(in Stechelberg, Switzerland) 26 43MarriedMartinsville, VirginiaEliminated 2nd(in Salzburg, Austria) 52 52MarriedColumbus, OhioEliminated 3rd(in Bran, Romania) 47 23DatingSan Diego, CaliforniaEliminated 4th(in Krasnoyarsk, Russia) 24 37Flight Attendants Choctaw, OklahomaEliminated 5th(in Jaipur, India) 40 Houston, Texas 68Father & Son Lynchburg, VirginiaEliminated 6th(in Phuket, Thailand) 38 Santa Monica, California 48Brothers & Stuntmen Los Angeles, CaliforniaEliminated 7th(in Guilin, China) 51 Maui, Hawaii 28Sisters The Bronx, New YorkEliminated 8th(in Beijing, China) 24 Louisville, Kentucky 50Mother & SonDenver, ColoradoThird place 22 29Former NFL Cheerleaders Fort Lauderdale, FloridaRunners-up 26 Boca Raton, Florida 26Siblings & Lawyers San Francisco, CaliforniaWinners 35 Los Angeles, California Future appearances Amanda & Kris, Mel & Mike, Kisha & Jen, Margie & Luke, and Jaime & Cara raced again in The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business. Margie & Luke also competed in the second All-Star edition.
Outside of The Amazing Race, Jaime Edmondson appeared on The Girls Next Door and The Girls Next Door: The Bunny House. Victoria Hunt appeared on the TLC reality show Extreme Cheapskates in 2012. Mike White later competed on Survivor: David vs. Goliath. In 2026, Mike White competed on Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans. In 2026, Victor Jih competed on the sixth season of The Floor.
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. An italicized placement indicates a team's placement at the midpoint of a double leg. A indicates that the team used the U-Turn; a indicates the team on the receiving end of the U-Turn. +Team placement (by leg) Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10a 10b 11 Tammy & Victor 2nd 1st 8th 3rd 2nd 1st 1st 3rd 2nd 3rd 1st 1st Jaime & Cara 7th 6th 7th 5th 3rd 5th 2nd 2nd 4th 1st 3rd 2nd Margie & Luke 1st 4th 4th 4th 1st 4th 4th 1st 3rd 2nd 2nd 3rd Kisha & Jen 8th 7th 3rd 2nd 6th 3rd 5th 4th 1st 4th Mark & Michael 3rd 8th 5th 7th 5th 6th 3rd Mel & Mike 4th 2nd 1st 6th 4th 2nd Christie & Jodi 10th 9th 6th 1st Amanda & Kris 5th 3rd 2nd Brad & Victoria 6th 5th Steve & Linda 9th Preston & Jennifer Notes
Race summary
Leg 1 (United States → Switzerland)
Episode 1: "Don't Let a Cheese Hit Me" (February 15, 2009) Prize: A trip for two to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (awarded to Margie & Luke) Eliminated: Preston & Jennifer Locations Los Alamitos, California (Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base) (Starting Line) Los Angeles → Zürich, Switzerland Milan, Italy Zürich Milan → Locarno, Switzerland Locarno (Church of Sant'Antonio) Tenero-Contra (Verzasca Dam) Locarno → Interlaken Interlaken (Kleine Rugen Wiese) Stechelberg (Hotel Stechelberg) Stechelberg (Alpenhof Stechelberg) Episode summary Teams set off from the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base and drove themselves to Los Angeles International Airport, where they had to book one of two flights: the first flight carried six teams and flew to Zürich, Switzerland, while the second flight departed 25 minutes later and flew to Milan, Italy. After arriving in either Zürich or Milan, teams had to travel by train to Locarno, Switzerland. Once there, teams had to find the Church of Sant'Antonio, where they signed up for one of three departure times the next morning. In the morning, teams were given a picture and had to figure out that their next clue was located at the Verzasca Dam. In this season's first Roadblock, one team member had to bungee jump off the Verzasca Dam in order to receive their next clue. After the Roadblock, teams had to travel by train to Interlaken and then travel to the Kleine Rugen Wiese. There, teams had to transport four wheels of cheese from a shed to the bottom of a hill using traditional cheese carriers and then properly stack the wheels in order to receive their next clue. Teams then had to travel to the Hotel Stechelberg and listen for a group of yodelers, who led them to the nearby Pit Stop. Additional notes The cheese-moving task was later revisited in season 22 as a Switchback. The bungee jump off the Verzasca Dam was also revisited in season 33 as a Switchback.
Leg 2 (Switzerland → Germany → Austria)
Episode 2: "Your Target is Your Partner's Face" (February 22, 2009) Prize: A hybrid go-kart for each team member (awarded to Tammy & Victor) Eliminated: Steve & Linda Locations Stechelberg (Alpenhof Stechelberg) Zürich → Munich, Germany Ruhpolding (Rauschberg) Schönau am Königssee (Bobsled Track) Schönau am Königssee (Holzsäger) Salzburg, Austria (Schloss Hellbrunn) Episode summary At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Munich, Germany. Once there, they had to drive to the village of Ruhpolding and ride a cable car to the Rauschberg, where they found their next clue. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to tandem paraglide with an instructor off a mountain to a landing area below, where their partner waited with their next clue. In the event of unfavorable winds, they had to choose between waiting an indeterminate amount of time for better conditions or taking a 60-minute hike down the mountain. After the Roadblock, teams had to drive to Schönau am Königssee and find the bobsled track. This season's first Detour was a choice between Balancing Dolly or Austrian Folly. In Balancing Dolly, both team members had to navigate Segways over a road obstacle course in order to receive their next clue. In Austrian Folly, teams had to enter a party tent and throw Bavarian pies at their partner's face. They had to take turns smacking each other in the face until they found a pie with cherry filling in order to receive their next clue. After the Detour, teams had to find the Holzsäger, a woodcutting workshop, and wait for the mechanical Tyrolean woodcutters to cut a piece of wood, which was stamped with the location of the Pit Stop: Schloss Hellbrunn in Salzburg, Austria.
Leg 3 (Austria → Germany → Romania)
Episode 3: "I'm Not Wearing That Girl's Leotard!" (March 1, 2009) Prize: A trip for two to Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica (awarded to Mel & Mike) Eliminated: Brad & Victoria Locations Salzburg (Sound of Music Pavilion) Salzburg → Munich, Germany Munich → Bucharest, Romania Bucharest (Lia Manoliu National Sports Complex) Bucharest → Brașov Brașov (Biserica Neagră) Bran (Vila Panoramic) Episode summary At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to travel by train back to Munich, Germany, and then fly to Bucharest, Romania. Once there, teams had to travel to the Lia Manoliu National Sports Complex in order to find their next clue. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to complete a series of moves in three gymnastics disciplines – the balance beam, the parallel bars, and floor exercises – in order to receive their next clue. After the Roadblock, teams had to travel by train to Brașov and then find their next clue at the Biserica Neagră. This leg's Detour was a choice between Gypsy Moves or Vampire Remains. In Gypsy Moves, teams traveled to a gypsy encampment and helped a family move from one camp to another by loading their belongings onto a traditional horse-drawn cart and unloading them at their new camp in order to receive their next clue. In Vampire Remains, teams had to drag a chained coffin to a field of stakes in the shadow of Bran Castle. There, they had to undo the coffin's chains and found several antique frames which they then had to impale by smashing the stakes until they found one containing an Amazing Race flag, which they could trade for their next clue. After the Detour, teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: the Vila Panoramic, overlooking Bran Castle.
Leg 4 (Romania → Russia)
Episode 4: "It Was Like a Caravan of Idiots" (March 8, 2009) Prize: A motorcycle for each team member (awarded to Christie & Jodi) Eliminated: Amanda & Kris Locations Bran (Vila Panoramic) Bucharest → Krasnoyarsk, Russia Divnogorsk (Krasnoyarsk Hydroelectric Dam) Ovsyanka Village (Church of Saint Innokenty) Ovsyanka Village (Museum of The Last Bow) Krasnoyarsk (Bobrovy Log Park) Krasnoyarsk (Krasnoyarsk Theater of Musical Comedy) Episode summary