The Amazing Race Norge 1 is the first season of The Amazing Race Norge, a Norwegian reality competition show based on the American series The Amazing Race. Hosted by football player Freddy dos Santos, it featured eleven teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, competing in a race around Eurasia and Oceania to win and a Subaru XV for each team member for a total worth of . This season visited three continents and eight countries and travelled over during thirteen legs. Starting in Oslo, racers travelled through the United Arab Emirates, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, Hong Kong, Macau and Kazakhstan before returning to Norway and finishing in Oslo. The season premiered on 11 April 2012 at 20:00 (CEST) and aired twice a week, every Monday and Wednesday, on TV 2. The finale aired on 30 May 2012 at 21:40 (CEST), with a special highlights episode on 3 June.
Brothers Morten and Truls Bjerke were the winners of this season, while mates Karim Sabeur and Khabat Sarzali finished in second place and best friends Cathrine Andersen and Michelle Holm finished in third place.
Production Development and filming
TV 2 greenlit the first season of the series in October 2011. Filming for this season started on 9 January 2012.
This season used various colours for route markers; yellow and red, yellow and white, and yellow and green, whereas in the original version, a single colour scheme is used.
The non-elimination penalty was called a Handicap (Handikap). It affects teams by making a certain task in the next leg harder for the team or by giving a penalty. For example, in the second leg, Martha & Elise had to make 75 dung cakes instead of 50 and make a higher stack of dried dung cakes than the other teams in order to receive their next clue. In Leg 10, the team was required to do both Detours.
This season was the first international spin-off (and second edition to date) in which the location of the Starting Line was also the location of the Finish Line: Holmenkollbakken. The other edition to do so was the ninth season of the original version.
Casting Applications were accepted from 11 October 2011 and ended on 31 October 2011.
Broadcasting Episodes 11–13 switched from the show's regular scheduled air dates and times slots for a football championship.
Marketing The season's sponsors include Hotels.com, Nordea, Proffice, and Subaru.
The Team's Video Blogs Each team were given a video camera before the competition. Teams could record a video diary during their free time, travels between destinations, or record reflections about the leg, or even events after checking into the Pit Stop.
Cast ContestantsAgeRelationshipHometownStatus 32Co-workersOsloEliminated 1st(in Oslo, Norway) 32 32Third CousinsHamarEliminated 2nd(in Agra, India) 39 22SistersKristiansandEliminated 3rd(in Jaipur, India) 25 20Friends OsloEliminated 4th(in Hanoi, Vietnam) 31 Kragerø 28Dating OsloEliminated 5th(in Huế, Vietnam) 30 Gothenburg, Sweden 42Father & Daughter MalmeEliminated 6th(in Blue Mountains National Park, Australia) 22 44MarriedHøvringenEliminated 7th(in Macau) 64 26TwinsFlatdalEliminated 8th(in Almaty, Kazakhstan) 26 29Best Friends HolmestrandThird Place 29 Oslo 26MatesOsloSecond Place 27 34BrothersBodøWinners 30
Results The following teams participated in the 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)Roadblocksperformed12345678910111213Morten & Truls4th1st2nd2nd1st6th2nd1st1st4th1st2nd1stMorten 5, Truls 6Karim & Khabat1st9th4th1st2nd1st1st3rd3rd1st3rd1st2ndKarim 6, Khabat 5Cathrine & Michelle7th2nd1st3rd,7th5th4th5th4th2nd2nd3rd3rdCathrine 4, Michelle 7Frank & Ivar8th4th3rd7th3rd2nd3rd4th2nd3rd4thFrank 6, Ivar 5Kari & Bjørn9th5th5th6th4th4th5th2ndKari 5, Bjørn 6Tor Einar & Cathrine6th7th7th5th5th3rdTor Einar 3, Cathrine 5Julie & Vichy2nd3rd8th4th6thJulie 3, Vichy 3Bjarne & Vilde3rd6th6thBjarne 3, Vilde 2Martha & Elise8thMartha 2, Elise 1Pål Christian & Ivar5thPål Christian 2, Ivar 0Kenneth & HakanKenneth 0, Hakan 0
Key A team placement indicates that the team was eliminated. An team placement indicates that the team came in last on a non-elimination leg and were penalised with a Handicap (Handikap) in the next leg. A indicates that the team decided to use the Express Pass on that leg. Notes
Kenneth & Hakan were the last team to complete the task at the Oslo Airport and were eliminated as per the provisions of Leg 1's rules (see below). Kari & Bjørn initially arrived 4th, but were issued a 1-hour penalty for not travelling in an Abra boat from Dubai's Creek to the Gold Souk as the clue has specified. Five teams checked in during the penalty time dropping them to 9th place. Pål Christian & Ivar were issued a 4-hour penalty for quitting the Roadblock. Already in last place, they were allowed to check in at the Pit Stop and were eliminated without the 4-hour penalty being issued. Cathrine & Michelle elected to use the Express Pass to bypass the additional task at the theatre in Leg 4. Cathrine & Michelle initially arrived 1st, but were issued a 1-hour penalty for knocking over and picking through the thinner side of the ice block instead of it being left upright at the Roadblock. Karim & Khabat and Morten & Truls checked-in during the penalty time, dropping Cathrine & Michelle to 3rd place. Kari & Bjørn were issued a 4-hour penalty for quitting the Handicap. Already in last place, they were allowed to check in at the Pit Stop and were eliminated without the 4-hour penalty being issued. Frank & Ivar arrived last at the Green Bazaar after it closed and were unable to buy the ingredients for their final task. Instead, they were instructed to wait for Cathrine & Michelle to finish the task then go directly to the Pit Stop to be eliminated.
Race summary
Leg 1 (Norway → United Arab Emirates)
Episode 1 (11 April 2012) Eliminated: Kenneth & Hakan Locations Oslo, Norway (Holmenkollbakken) (Starting Line) Oslo (Oslo Airport, Gardermoen) (Elimination Point) Oslo (Oslo Airport, Gardermoen) → Dubai, United Arab Emirates (Dubai International Airport) Lahbab (Camel Reproduction Centre) Palm Jumeirah (Atlantis, The Palm – Aquarium) Palm Jumeirah (Atlantis, The Palm – Leap of Faith) Palm Jumeirah (Atlantis, The Palm – Aquaventure) → Dubai (Gateway Station) Dubai (Dubai Creek) Dubai (Dubai Gold Souk) Dubai (Al Nafis Jewellers, Mandavi Jewellery & Sona Jewellery Dubai Harbour) Dubai (Burj Khalifa – Top Entrance) Dubai (Burj Park) Episode summary Teams began at Holmenkollbakken in Oslo and had to match three phrases written in different languages (Russian, Arabic and Chinese) with the flags of the countries where they are spoken (Russia, United Arab Emirates and China) in order to receive their next clue. Teams then drove to the airport and had to search for one of only ten clues located in four different areas of the airport (Information Desk, Lost Property, the Café and the Passengers Assistance). Each area had a limited number of clues, and the last team without a clue was eliminated. Once in Dubai, teams had to search the airport for a camel owner named "Hassan". Once the team found Hassan, they were driven to their next destination: the Camel Reproduction Centre. There, one team member had to ride a camel, while their partner guided it through a course, in order to receive their next clue. Teams were then driven to Atlantis, The Palm and found their next clue at the aquarium. In this series' first Roadblock, one team member had to don a wetsuit and retrieve their next clue in a shark tank at the Atlantis, The Palm. After the Roadblock, teams had to slide down the Leap of Faith water slide in order to receive their next clue. Teams then had to travel via monorail back to Dubai, via taxi to the Dubai Creek and via abra to the Dubai Gold Souk, where they had to search for their next clue. This series' first Detour was a choice between Carat () or Smart Carry (). In Carat, teams had to travel to Al Nafis Jewellers, where they received a bag with an address written on it in Arabic. After arriving at the Mandavi Jewellery, teams received another bag with their next address. After delivering this bag to Sona Jewellery, teams received their next clue. In Smart Carry, teams had to find a boat going from Dubai to Iran in the Dubai harbour and load ten large bags onto the boat in order to receive their next clue. After the Detour, teams had to search the top entrance of the Burj Khalifa for their next clue, which directed them to the Pit Stop: the Burj Park. Additional note This was a non-elimination leg.
Leg 2 (United Arab Emirates → India)
Episode 2 (16 April 2012) Eliminated: Pål Christian & Ivar Locations Dubai (Burj Park) Dubai (Dubai International Airport) → Delhi, India (Indira Gandhi International Airport) Delhi (Sarai Kale Khan Inter-State Bus Terminus) → Agra (Idgah Bus Stand) Agra (Agra Fort) Agra (Katara Medical Store) Agra (Jain Carpet Industries & Diamond Carpets J.K Cottage Industries) Agra (Kachpura Village) Agra (Mehtab Bagh) Episode summary At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Delhi, India, and then travel by bus to Agra. Once there, teams found their next clue at Agra Fort. There, teams had to search for three kings, who gave them a puzzle piece, located in different areas of the fort. When teams had the three puzzle pieces, they had to decipher the message – Shah Jehan's wife is next to the black throne. – and search for her in order to receive their next clue. Teams then had to travel in a horse-drawn carriage called a tanga to their next clue at the Katara Medical Store. This leg's Detour was a choice between Wool () or Stone (). In Wool, teams had to travel to Jain Carpet Industries and deliver of coloured wool to Diamond Carpets in order to receive their next clue. In Stone, teams had to travel to J.K Cottage Industries and use a special wetgrinder to grind a small mosaic tile small enough to fit in the middle of a stone circle in order to receive their next clue. After the Detour, teams had to travel to Kachpura Village, where they had to make 50 dung cakes and stack 200 dried dung cakes into a pile in order to receive their next clue. For their Handicap, Martha & Elise had to make 75 dung cakes and stack 300 of them. In this leg's Roadblock, teams had to travel to Mehtab Bagh, where one team member had to assemble a 120-piece jigsaw puzzle of the Taj Mahal. Once complete, teams could check in at the Pit Stop.
Leg 3 (India)
Episode 3 (18 April 2012) Prize: The Express Pass (awarded to Cathrine & Michelle) Eliminated: Martha & Elise Locations Agra (Wyndham Grand Agra Hotel) Rajasthan (Popliya Ky Dhany) Amber (Panna Meena ka Kund) Jaipur (Ramdulari Pandey ki Printing Factory) Jaipur (Red Elephant Temple) Jaipur (House No. 7) Jaipur (Nahargarh Fort) Episode summary At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to travel by taxi to the village of Popliya Ky Dhany in order to find their next clue. There, teams had to make two pieces of an Indian flatbread called chapati in order to receive their next clue, which directed them to Panna Meena ka Kund in Amber. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to search through the boxes among the stepwell for a gem which they could exchange for their next clue. After the Roadblock, teams had to travel to the Ramdulari Pandey ki Printing Factory in Jaipur, where they had to silkscreen two patterns onto a bolt of fabric, the second of which was disguised in a Devanagari-like script that instructed them to find the dyeing man and exchange the bolt for another one with their next destination printed on it: the Red Elephant Temple.