The Amazing Race 25 is the twenty-fifth 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 four continents and ten countries and traveled over during twelve legs. Starting in New York City, racers traveled through the U.S. Virgin Islands, England, Scotland, Denmark, Sweden, Morocco, Italy, Malta, Singapore, and the Philippines before returning to the United States and finishing in Greater Los Angeles. Elements introduced in this season include a public start; the Save, which was awarded to the winners of the first leg and would save them from elimination once; an Express Pass hidden on the racecourse; the Blind Detour, where teams learned about the task that they chose after arriving at its location; and four teams racing in the final leg. Elements of the show that returned for this season include the mid-leg elimination. The season premiered on CBS on September 26, 2014, and concluded on December 19, 2014.
Food scientists Amy DeJong and Maya Warren were the winners of this season, while married dentists Jim and Misti Raman finished in second place, and married surfers Adam Dirks and Bethany Hamilton finished in third place.
Production Development and filming
Filming began in the early morning of May 31, 2014, at Times Square in New York City. CBS invited fans to appear at the starting line to see the teams off. According to host Phil Keoghan, the show's production crew had sought to keep filming secret but included a public start this season due to the ubiquity of social media and fans' excitement. The publicity of the Times Square start led CBS to announce the identities of the competing teams the same day. It was revealed at the public start that instead of the Express Pass, teams would be awarded a new immunity from elimination pass called the Save for finishing first in the first leg. It could be used by that team if they were to finish last on any elimination leg before the ninth leg. The Save was presented once in a non-elimination leg so it was never used. Filming for this season ended in Los Angeles on June 22, 2014.
This season spanned and included first-time visits to the U.S. Virgin Islands, Malta, and the Shetland Islands of Scotland.
At various points throughout the filming of the season, teams encountered Phil Keoghan on the course where he explained a task to the home audience while the competition continued behind him.
For the first time in The Amazing Race history, four teams competed in the season's final leg. However, Phil eliminated one team in the middle of the final leg, leaving only three teams racing to the finish line.
Contestants
The cast included married professional surfers Bethany Hamilton, a shark attack survivor whose story was told in her memoirs and the film Soul Surfer, and Adam Dirks; former Survivor: South Pacific contestants and engaged couple Whitney Duncan and Keith Tollefson; and TNA Wrestling stars Brooke Adams and Robbie Strauss.
ContestantsAgeRelationshipHometownStatus 28Realtor SistersMiami, FloridaEliminated 1st(in Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands) 22 30Newly DatingTustin, CaliforniaEliminated 2nd(in Woodstock, England) 28 40FirefightersBoston, Massachusetts Eliminated 3rd(on St Ninian's Isle, Scotland) 39 29EngagedNashville, TennesseeEliminated 4th(in Marrakesh, Morocco) 29 42Mother & DaughterDetroit, MichiganEliminated 5th(in Hajar, Morocco) 24 23College SweetheartsPasadena, CaliforniaEliminated 6th(in Gżira, Malta) 24 34Urban Bike RacersBrooklyn, New YorkEliminated 7th(in Singapore) 26 29Dating Pro Wrestlers Houston, TexasEliminated 8th(in Los Angeles, California) 30 Woodbridge, New Jersey 26Married SurfersPrinceville, HawaiiThird place 24 36Married DentistsColumbia, South CarolinaRunners-up 37 24Food ScientistsMadison, WisconsinWinners 29 Future appearances In 2017, Brooke Adams appeared on the second season of the TLC reality show Rattled. In 2019, Robbie Strauss competed on the second episode of The Titan Games. In 2024, Bethany Hamilton competed on the twelfth season of The Masked Singer as "Macaron".
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 and underlined placement indicates that the team was the last to arrive at a Pit Stop, but there was no rest period at the Pit Stop and all teams were instructed to continue racing. There was no required Speed Bump task in the next leg. A indicates that the team won the Fast Forward. A indicates that the team used an Express Pass on that leg to bypass one of their tasks. A indicates that the team used the U-Turn and 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 10 11 12 Amy & Maya6th8th5th4th7th6th3rd4th4th2nd4th1st Misti & Jim1st2nd1st6th1st1st2nd3rd1st3rd2nd Adam & Bethany5th1st2nd7th2nd2nd5th1st1st3rd2nd3rd Brooke & Robbie 4th7th6th2nd5th5th4th5th2nd1st Kym & Alli3rd3rd7th1st1st3rd2nd3rd Tim & Te Jay2nd5th8th5th3rd4th Shelley & Nici8th9th4th6th4th Keith & Whitney9th4th3rd3rd Michael & Scott10th6th Dennis & Isabelle7th Lisa & Michelle Notes
Race summary
Leg 1 (United States → U.S. Virgin Islands)
Episode 1: "Go Big or Go Home" (September 26, 2014) Prize: The Save (awarded to Misti & Jim) Eliminated: Lisa & Michelle Locations New York City, New York (Times Square – Duffy Square) (Starting Line) New York City (Flushing Meadows–Corona Park – Unisphere) New York City → Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands Charlotte Amalie (Vendor's Plaza) Charlotte Amalie (Charlotte Amalie Harbor Seaplane Base) → Saint John (Lovango Cay) Saint John (Lovango Cay → Carval Rock) Saint John (Carval Rock) → Hans Lollik Island (Blackbeard's Revenge) Hans Lollik Island (Beach) Hans Lollik Island (Beach) → Enighed (Magens Bay) Charlotte Amalie (Fort Christian) Episode summary At Duffy Square, teams were told to travel to the location of the finish line from the first season of The Amazing Race, which they had to figure out was the Unisphere at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. There, they found their next clue, which instructed them to book one of two flight to the island of Saint Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Once there, teams had to travel to Vendor's Plaza in Charlotte Amalie and sign up for one of six chartered seaplane flights to Lovango Cay. After landing on Lovango Cay, teams found their next clue, which instructed them to travel by boat to Carval Rock and climb up and along its length. At the end of the islet, teams jumped into the Caribbean Sea and then swam to a series of floating bottles that held their next clue. Teams then traveled by boat to Hans Lollik Island, where they boarded Blackbeard's Revenge. Teams were greeted by a Blackbeard impersonator, who gave them their next clue directing them to pull themselves to shore in a rowboat. In this season's first Roadblock, one team member had to start from one of four landmarks on the beach and use a traditional liquid compass and a unique set of directions to search the beach for a treasure chest buried in the sand that held their next clue. After the Roadblock, teams had to return by boat to Saint Thomas and then check in at the Pit Stop: Fort Christian in Charlotte Amalie. Additional notes Frank Mesa, who had competed in season 1, appeared at the starting line, where he directed teams to the Unisphere when they asked the audience for help in finding the location of their next clue. Keith, Scott, and Lisa chose to quit the Roadblock. Keith & Whitney and Michael & Scott were issued four-hour penalties that were applied at the start of the next leg, while Lisa & Michelle were the last team to arrive and were therefore eliminated.
Leg 2 (U.S. Virgin Islands → England)
Episode 2: "When You Gotta Go, You Gotta Go" (October 3, 2014) Prize: A trip for two to Jukkasjärvi, Sweden (awarded to Adam & Bethany) Eliminated: Dennis & Isabelle Locations Charlotte Amalie (Fort Christian) Charlotte Amalie → London, England London (Tower Bridge) London (Somerset House Victoria Tower Gardens) London → Oxford Oxford (Magdalen Bridge – Boathouse) Oxford (Christ Church College – Tom Quad) Oxford (Bear Inn) Woodstock (Blenheim Palace) Episode summary At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to London, England. Once there, teams had to travel to Tower Bridge and find the Pearly King and Queen, who gave them their next clue. This season's first Detour was a choice between About Face or Pancake Race. In About Face, teams traveled to Somerset House, where they dressed as members of the Queen's Guard and had to perform the Changing of the Guard ceremony to the satisfaction of the parade commander before receiving their next clue. In Pancake Race, teams traveled to the Victoria Tower Gardens to participate in a Parliamentary Pancake Race. Racers had to dress as a chef, cook a pancake, and then complete one lap around the course while constantly flipping their pancakes within 75 seconds before receiving their next clue. If racers dropped a pancake, ran out of time, or did not flip the pancakes enough, they had to start over. After the Detour, teams had to travel by train to Oxford and find their next clue at the boathouse beneath the Magdalen Bridge. There, teams had to punt themselves along the River Cherwell around Magdalen College Island before receiving their next clue. Teams then traveled to Christ Church College, where each racer received a bowler hat and an umbrella that they had to bring to the Pit Stop. Their previous clue had informed them to tip their bowlers, which revealed "Churchill's Birthplace" printed on the inside, which they had to figure out was Blenheim Palace. The clue also instructed teams to open their umbrellas for a chance at finding the Express Pass by searching for the oldest pub in Oxford – the Bear Inn – rather than heading directly to the Pit Stop. Adam & Bethany obtained the Express Pass.
Leg 3 (England → Scotland)
Episode 3: "Get Your Sheep Together" (October 10, 2014) Prize: A trip for two to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (awarded to Misti & Jim) Eliminated: Michael & Scott Locations Oxford (Walton Street – Oxford University Press) Oxford → Aberdeen, Scotland Aberdeen (Union Square Parking Area) Aberdeen → Lerwick Lerwick (Royal National Lifeboat Station) Scalloway (Scalloway Castle) Scalloway (Peats of Scalloway) Lerwick (DITT Store, Up Helly Aa Galley Shed & Hay's Dock) Scalloway (Berry Farm) St Ninian's Isle (Tombolo) Episode summary At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to travel by train to Aberdeen, Scotland, drive to the ferry terminal, and then travel by ferry to the Shetland Islands. After docking, teams had to drive to the Royal National Lifeboat Station and search for a puffin mascot, who gave them their next clue. Teams then drove to Scalloway Castle, where they had to search the castle grounds for a knight and a Scottish Deerhound guarding a room that held their next clue. This leg's Detour was a choice between Pony Up or Light My Fire. In Pony Up, teams drove to the Peats of Scalloway, where they had to cut fifty blocks of peat from a peat bank. They then had to load up a Shetland pony with two loads of peat and deliver them uphill to a farmer, who gave them their next clue. In Light My Fire, teams had to build a viking torch for Up Helly Aa. Once finished, teams drove to Hay's Dock, where they presented the torch to the guizer jarl, who lit their torch and gave them their next clue.