HaMerotz LaMillion 1 is the first season of HaMerotz LaMillion (, lit. The Race to the Million), an Israeli reality competition show based on the American series The Amazing Race. Hosted by Raz Meirman, it featured ten teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the Eastern Hemisphere to win ₪1,000,000. This season visited three continents and seven countries and traveled over during ten legs. Starting in Kfar Truman, racers traveled through Israel, South Africa, Vietnam, Japan, Macau, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand before finishing in Otago. This season premiered on 5 February 2009 on Channel 2 with the finale airing on 11 June 2009.
Business partners Shay Kahana and Guy Osadon were the winners of this season, while dating couple Maya Kramer and Amichay Gat finished in second place, and stepdaughter and stepfather Tom Kilman and Gil Kislev finished in third place.
Production Development and filming
On 8 April 2008, Disney-ABC International Television announced that it granted the license for Reshet to produce an Israeli version of The Amazing Race.
Much like the American and Asian franchises, route markers were colored yellow and white in Vietnam to avoid confusion with the former flag of South Vietnam. Differing from most of the other franchises of the series, the last leg was not filmed back-to-back with the previous legs. On 30 May 2009, months after the penultimate leg had been filmed and during the broadcast of the actual show, teams were flown to the final destination to film the final leg. The theme song was also different than the original American version's theme song with Israeli-style music. The song was mostly used throughout the series ever since the first season.
Graham Keating, Sydney, Australia's town crier, served as the Pit Stop greeter during Leg 8. He previously appeared as a greeter during The Amazing Race 2.
Cast
The cast for this season included retired beauty queens Liran Kohner and Elena Ralph as well as the son of singer Ilanit, Amichay Gat.
Maya & Amichay separated not long after the season aired, and Maya married Israeli actor Ron Shahar, who would become the show's new host in 2011, on 28 August 2010. The couple had one daughter and separated April 2019.
ContestantsAgeRelationshipHometownStatus (לירן) 20Beauty Queens Rishon LeZionEliminated 1st(in Cape Town, South Africa) (ילנה) 24 Ramat Gan (אשר) 24Childhood FriendsAshdodEliminated 2nd(in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) (מאור) 24 (אלן) 32ExesTel AvivEliminated 3rd(in Vũng Tàu, Vietnam) (ענבל) 26 (חנה) 55Kibbutz Members Ashdot Ya'akovMedically Removed(in Tokyo, Japan) (מרגלית) 62 Dganya Bet (אליאנה) 33Importer & Fashion Designer Tel AvivEliminated 4th(in Macau) (יעל) 32 Ramat Hasharon (הדס) 24FriendsHerzliyaEliminated 5th(in Sydney, Australia) (ענבל) 24 (מיכל) 35Married with 3 ChildrenOr YehudaEliminated 6th(in Auckland, New Zealand) (רן) 39 (תום) 54Stepfather & Stepdaughter HerzliyaThird Place (גיל) 25 (מיה) 30DatingTel AvivSecond Place (עמיחי) 33 (שי) 32Business Partners Tel AvivWinners (גיא) 30
Future appearances In 2014, Maya Kramer competed with future HaMerotz LaMillion host Ron Shahar on the game show Raid the Cage.
Results The following teams participated in this season, with their relationships at the time of filming. Note that this table is not necessarily reflective of all content broadcast on television due to inclusion or exclusion of some data. Placements are listed in finishing order:
TeamPosition (by leg)Roadblocksperformed123456789107th2nd2nd5th4th1st1st2nd2nd1st1st1st3rd1st1st3rd4th3rd3rd2nd5th4th4th4th6th2nd2nd4th1st3rd3rd3rd5th2nd2nd5th3rd1st4th8th7th3rd3rd4th2nd6th6th6th5th9th9th1st7th8th5th8th7thLiran & Elena6th
Key A team placement indicates that the team was eliminated. A indicates that the team won a Fast Forward. A team placement indicates that the team was the last to arrive at a Pit Stop in a non-elimination leg. An placement indicates that the team was forced to relinquish all of their money and belongings (except for passports and the clothes on their back) for the remainder of the season. In addition, they were not allotted money for the next leg and were not allowed to collect money until the next leg started for them. An placement indicates that the team was "marked for elimination"; if the team did not place 1st in the next leg, they would receive a 30-minute penalty. A indicates that the team chose to use the Yield; indicates the team who received it. A indicates that the team chose to use a U-Turn; indicates the team who received it.
Notes
Hadas & Inbal left the Pit Stop in Vũng Tàu in last place at the start of Leg 5 because they accidentally slept in. Hannah & Margalit were unable to complete the leg because Margalit was hospitalized due to a severe abdominal infection that she began suffering during the flight to Tokyo. Raz Meirman met them at the hospital, where they were eliminated. Tom & Gil initially arrived 4th, but took a taxi instead of walking to the Pit Stop. They were forced to go back to the Orient Hotel and then walk back to the Pit Stop. This did not affect their placement. Hadas & Inbal had been "marked for elimination"; however, since they arrived last, they were eliminated without being issued the 30-minute penalty.
Prizes Leg 2 – A stay at a luxurious suite during the Pit Stop, where delicacies and wine would be served. Leg 3 – A massage for each team member during the Pit Stop. Leg 4 – A Vietnamese meal served during the Pit Stop, which the winners could invite another team to join them. Leg 5 – A traditional Japanese massage for each team member at local hot springs during the Pit Stop. Leg 6 – A stay at a luxurious suite in The Venetian Macao during the Pit Stop, while all other teams slept at a simple hotel. Leg 7 – A Harel Relax credit card loaded with $6000, which the winners could use during the Pit Stop to purchase souvenirs and gifts to send back home. Leg 8 – A stay at a luxurious suite at the Hilton hotel during the Pit Stop, plus a limo ride to a restaurant to enjoy a high-quality dinner for two. Leg 9 – A phone call home, which could optionally be donated to another team. Leg 10: 1st Place – ₪1,000,000 and two Honda Civic Hybrids 2nd Place – A European spa vacation. 3rd Place – A summer vacation in Israel.
Race summary
Leg 1 (Israel → South Africa)
Episode 1 (5 February 2009) & Episode 2 (12 February 2009) Prize: A stay at a hunting lodge during the Pit Stop, while all other teams slept in tents. Locations Kfar Truman, Israel (Avenue Hall) (Starting Line) Lod (Ben Gurion Airport – Terminal 3 Issta Stand) Lod (Ben Gurion Airport) → Port Elizabeth, South Africa (Port Elizabeth International Airport) Port Elizabeth (Kragga Kamma Game Park) Nomathamsanqa (Fruit Stand) Tsitsikamma National Park (Tsitsikamma Falls Adventures) (Overnight Rest) Garden Route National Park (Khoisan Village) Garden Route National Park (Bloukrans Bridge) Stormsrivier (Storms River Mouth) Episode summary (Episode 1) Teams set off from Avenue Hall in Kfar Truman and were instructed to travel on foot to Ben Gurion Airport. There, teams had to find an Issta stand and randomly pick one of ten envelopes containing tickets for one of two flights to Port Elizabeth, South Africa, each with seats for five teams and arriving two hours apart. Once there, teams had to find a marked car with their next clue, which instructed them to drive to Kragga Kamma Game Park, follow a marked course over swamps, attach a log to their car using a rope, then drag the log with their car to the end of the course in order to receive their next clue. Teams drove to Nomathamsanqa and had to find their next clue at a fruit stand. Both team members had to carry a basket of fruit on their head to the Sangoma without dropping anything in order to receive their next clue. Teams then drove to Tsitsikamma Falls Adventures, where they spent the night. Episode summary (Episode 2) This series' first Detour was a choice between Water ( – Meym) or Sky ( – Shemeym). In Water, teams had to rappel down a waterfall and add up the three numbers posted on the side in order to receive their next clue. In Sky, teams had to ride a zipline in order to receive their next clue. After the Detour, teams had to drive to the Khoisan Village and throw a tribal weapon known as an "Intonga" to break a pot held up by rope in order to receive their next clue. In this series' first Roadblock, one team member had to perform the world's highest bridge bungee jump off of the Bloukrans Bridge in order to receive their next clue. After the Roadblock, teams had to drive to the Storms River Mouth and correctly build a tent to sleep in for the night before they could run to the nearby Pit Stop. Additional note This was a non-elimination leg.
Leg 2 (South Africa)
Airdates: 19 & 26 February 2009 Port Elizabeth (Port Elizabeth International Airport) to Cape Town (Cape Town International Airport) Cape Town (Table Mountain) Paarl (Nelson Wine Estate or Valley Gun Club) Atlantis (Atlantis Dunes) Cape Town (Killarney Motor Racing Complex) Cape Town (Langa – Rubber Cash Store) Cape Town (Langa – Tabani Street) Cape Town (Victoria & Alfred Waterfront – Nobel Square) Cape Town (Rhodes Memorial)
This leg's Detour was a choice between (Derkh HaYayn – Wine Road) or (Derkh Hekhvenet – Through the Sight). In Wine Road, teams had to drive themselves to Nelson Wine Estate and bring an empty barrel uphill to a wine vat. Then, they had to use buckets to fill their barrel with of wine to receive their next clue. In Through the Sight, teams had to drive themselves to Valley Gun Club. There, one team member had to launch clay targets while their partner had to use a shotgun to shoot down six targets to receive their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to drive a Formula One car on the Killarney race track and complete four laps with an average lap-time of two minutes or less to receive their next clue. If team members could not complete the task within the allotted time, then they had to serve a five-minute penalty before making another attempt.
Additional tasks At Atlantis Dunes, both team members had to slide down the dune on a sandboard through a set of flags at the bottom of the dune to receive their next clue. At Rubber Cash Store, the shopkeeper would give teams a bag of Epsom salt and their next clue, which instructed teams to pick up two "Smileys" (sheep heads) outside the store and bring them to Tabani Street. There, teams had to eat a roasted head to receive their next clue. At Nobel Square, teams had to perform a local gumboot dance with a troupe of dancers and earn R30 to receive their next clue.
Leg 3 (South Africa → Vietnam)
Airdates: 5 & 7 March 2009 Cape Town (Cape Town International Airport) to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (Tan Son Nhat International Airport) Ho Chi Minh City (Bến Thành Market) Cai Lậy (Mr. Tư Hải's Rice Field) Cái Bè (Tân Vinh Restaurant) Cái Bè (Bằng Chicken Farm) Cái Bè (Cái Bè Land Market) Mỹ Tho (Trại Rắn Đồng Tâm) Ho Chi Minh City (Nha Tian Theatre) Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens) (Unaired) Ho Chi Minh City (Temple of Hùng King)
This leg's Detour was a choice between (Botz – Swamp) or (Qefots – Jump). In Swamp, teams had to complete a swamp obstacle course to retrieve their next clue. In Jump, teams had to cross a river by jumping across five large lily pad-shaped floating platforms without falling into the water to receive their next clue.
For this series' first Fast Forward, one team had to travel to Tân Vinh Restaurant, where they would discover that each team member had to eat a serving of roasted vole to win the Fast Forward award.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to collect five snakes from an enclosure and transport them into a nearby bucket to receive their next clue.
Additional tasks