This is the first season of Amazing Race Suomi (), a Finnish reality competition show based on the American series The Amazing Race. Hosted by Heikki Paasonen, it featured twelve teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship and including at least one celebrity contestant, competing in a race around Southeast Asia to win €30,000. This season visited two continents and seven countries and travelled over during twelve legs. Starting in Helsinki, racers travelled through Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore before returning to Finland and finishing in Helsinki. The season premiered on 30 September 2023 on Nelonen and concluded on 16 December.
Friends and biathletes Kaisa Mäkäräinen and Mari Eder won this season, while father-son duo Tuukka & Sami Ritokoski finished in second place, and friends and work partners Janne Lehtonen and Robin Hendry finished in third place.
Production Development and filming
Finnish television network Nelonen held talks with Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri for years on how they could make The Amazing Race format in Finland. After the rights were secured, Moskito Television obtained Jesse McDonald, a producer who had travelled internationally for almost 20 years with the original show, as an executive producer.
The casting for the celebrity teams of the first season finished in early 2023. On 12 April 2023, it was announced that filming would occur during the summer with contestants traveling around the world. On 25 May 2023, it was announced that Heikki Paasonen would host the show, filming of which would start in late July. On 24 July 2023, the teams were announced as the race began from Töölönlahti. Filming lasted for roughly four weeks and concluded on 16 August 2023 back in Helsinki, Finland.
Release Broadcast The first trailer of the first season was released on 29 August, which featured a sneak peek about the season, some tasks and locations.
Marketing Sponsors for this season include CamelBak, Fjällräven, Free bug repellent, HAI Group, Jack Wolfskin, Makia, Rela tablets and Superdry. The participants' backpacks advert OP Pohjola, a Finnish bank service.
Cast
Each team is composed of two individuals who have some type of relationship to each other. In the first season, there are 12 Finnish celebrity teams competing. Green League MP Fatim Diarra was asked to participate but declined.
ContestantsNotabilityAgeRelationshipStatus Anna PerhoAuthor 52 Mother & SonEliminated 1st(in Bangkok, Thailand) Atte Lehtiniittu 22 Aino-Kaisa PekonenMember of Parliament 44Work PartnersEliminated 2nd(in Phuket, Thailand) Silvia ModigMember of the European Parliament 46 Lotta HintsaMiss Finland 2013 34SistersMedically removed(in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) Noora Hintsa 32 Katariina KaitueActress 56Mother & SonEliminated 4th(in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) Benjamin Harima 29 Jukka RasilaFinish Donald Duck voice actor 53Cohabiting CoupleEliminated 5th(in Manila, Philippines) Mirva Nieminen 45 Member of Parliament 32CoupleEliminated 6th(in Pampanga, Philippines) Aapo Hettula 30 Peter VesterbackaDeveloper of Angry Birds 55Mentor & MenteeEliminated 7th(in Yogyakarta, Indonesia) Thy "Anna" Nguyen 18 Marcus GrönholmWRC drivers' champion 55FriendsEliminated 8th(in Yogyakarta, Indonesia) Timo RautiainenWRC co-drivers' champion 58 Bakari DiarraEntrepreneur, Vitunleija 25FriendsEliminated 9th(in George Town, Malaysia) Samuel ChimeSocial media personality 24 Janne LehtonenHead Instructor on Erikoisjoukot 40FriendsThird place Robin HendryInstructor on Erikoisjoukot 37 Tuukka RitokoskiRadio presenter on Radio Suomipop 28Father & SonRunners-up Sami Ritokoski 58 Kaisa MäkäräinenBiathlete 40FriendsWinners Mari EderBiathlete & Cross-country skier 35
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. A dagger without a placement indicates that the team was eliminated without competing in the leg. A placement with a double-dagger () indicates that the team was the last to arrive at a Pit Stop in a non-elimination leg. The team that finished last on the seventh and tenth legs had to perform a Speed Bump task in the subsequent leg. +Team placement (by leg) Team123 456789101112Kaisa & Mari3rd2nd4th4th3rd3rd2nd3rd3rd2nd1stTuukka & Sami2nd3rd3rd6th6th2nd3rd2nd2nd3rd3rd2ndJanne & Robin9th7th6th2nd4th1st1st1st1st2nd1st3rdBakari & Samuel1st1st1st1st2nd4th4th4th4th1stMarcus & Timo4th4th2nd3rd1st6th5th5thPeter & Anna6th6th5th5th7th5thIlmari & Aapo10th10th8th5thJukka & Mirva8th8th7th7thKatariina & Benjamin11th9th Lotta & Noora5th5thAino-Kaisa & Silvia7th Anna & Atte Notes
Race summary
Leg 1 (Finland → Thailand)
Episode 1: "In the Heart of the Big City" / "" (30 September 2023) Eliminated: Anna & Atte Locations Helsinki, Finland (Töölönlahti Park ) (Starting Line) Helsinki (Helsinki–Vantaa Airport) → Bangkok, Thailand (Suvarnabhumi Airport) Bangkok (Benchasiri Park) Bangkok (Wat Saket) Bangkok (Talat Noi – So Heng Tai Mansion) Bangkok (Pak Khlong Talat) Bangkok (Wyndham Bangkok Queen Convention Centre) Bangkok (Benchakitti Park) Episode summary Teams set off from Töölönlahti in Helsinki. After retrieving their first clue, teams had to match the names, flags and currencies of several countries in order to receive their next clue. Teams then had to travel by taxi or train to Helsinki–Vantaa Airport with only 40 euros, less than what would be normally required for a typical taxi ride to the airport, and fly to Bangkok, Thailand. {| class="wikitable unsortable collapsible" style="text-align:center;" ! scope="col" | Country ! scope="col" | Flag ! scope="col" | Currency |- ! scope="row" | Czech Republic | | Koruna |- ! scope="row" | Malaysia | | Ringgit |- ! scope="row" | Mexico | | Peso |- ! scope="row" | Thailand | | Baht |- ! scope="row" | Tunisia | | Dinar |} In Bangkok, teams were released from Suvarnabhumi Airport in the order that they arrived at Helsinki's airport. Teams then travelled to Benchasiri Park in order to find their next clue, a two-baht coin that depicts Wat Saket, by a spirit house. In this season's first Roadblock, one team member had to find a wrapped paper instructing them to receive their next clue inside one of the hundreds of bells at Wat Saket. After the Roadblock, teams had to travel to the So Heng Tai Mansion and fish lotus flowers from a pond until they found one with a miniature Amazing Race flag in order to receive their next clue. Teams then had to travel by long-tail boat to Pak Khlong Talat with only a photograph of a relief as a hint in order to find their next clue. This season's first Detour was a choice between Flowers () or Cartons (). In Flowers, teams had to string flowers in order to make two phuang malais and receive their next clue. In Cartons, teams had to deliver 20 cartons of intact chicken eggs to a vendor and eat a century egg in order to receive their next clue. After the Detour, teams had to travel to the Wyndham Bangkok Queen Convention Centre in order to find their next clue. From the top of the building, teams had to find the Pit Stop: Benchakitti Park.
Leg 2 (Thailand)
Episode 2: "An Impossible Challenge" / "" (7 October 2023) Eliminated: Aino-Kaisa & Silvia Locations Bangkok (Benchakitti Park) Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi Airport) → Phuket (Phuket International Airport) Choeng Thale (Cassia Phuket) Si Sunthon (Wat Sri Sunthon) Choeng Thale (Elephant Retirement Park) Choeng Thale (Layan Beach) Mai Khao (Wat Mai Khao) Mai Khao (Sai Kaew Beach) Episode summary At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to travel to Phuket. Once there, teams were released from Cassia Phuket in the order that they finished the previous leg and were instructed to travel by songthaew to Wat Sri Sunthon and find their next clue by the reclining Buddha. Teams then travelled to the Elephant Retirement Park in order to find their next clue. There, teams had to memorise a recipe for rice balls, choose the correct ingredients from an array and prepare nine rice balls for the elephants in order to receive their next clue directing them to Layan Beach. This leg's Detour was a choice between Cutting () or Sand (). In Cutting, teams had to use hammers to crack open coconuts until they found one with red dye in order to receive their next clue. In Sand, teams had to dig in a marked area of beach until they found a miniature wooden turtle in order to receive their next clue. After the Detour, teams had to travel to Wat Mai Khao in order to find their next clue. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to remain still for 10 minutes while balancing a stack of coins on their backhands and head in order to receive their next clue directing them to the Pit Stop at Sai Kaew Beach; otherwise they had to start the task again.
Leg 3 (Thailand → Vietnam)
Episode 3: "Local Fun" / "" (14 October 2023) Medically Removed: Lotta & Noora Eliminated: Katariina & Benjamin Locations Choeng Thale (Cassia Phuket) Phuket (Phuket International Airport) → Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (Tan Son Nhat International Airport) Ho Chi Minh City (New World Saigon Hotel) Ho Chi Minh City (Chung Cư Thanh Đa) Ho Chi Minh City (Thanh Đa Restaurant) Ho Chi Minh City (Bình Quới Village) Ho Chi Minh City (The Bali Coffee & Tea) Ho Chi Minh City (Bình An Wharf) Episode summary At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Once there, teams were released from the New World Saigon Hotel in the order that they finished the previous leg and were instructed to travel by taxi to Thanh Đa Island and find their next clue on a cyclo. Teams had to pedal the cyclo along a marked course then travel by taxi to Thanh Đa Restaurant. There, teams had to catch one prawn from the restaurant's indoor pool in order to receive their next clue directing them to Bình Quới Village. This leg's Detour was a choice between Paddle () or Sling (). In Paddle, teams had to paddle a basket boat and retrieve ten specifically coloured coconuts from a pond in order to receive their next clue. In Sling, teams had to play a folk game called ném còn and throw a toy through a hoop in order to receive their next clue. After the Detour, teams had to travel to The Bali Coffee & Tea in order to find their next clue. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to make a clay bowl using a potter's wheel in order to receive their next clue directing them to the Pit Stop: Bình An Wharf. Additional notes Once in Ho Chi Minh City, Noora & Lotta withdrew from the race under medical advice after they both exhibited health difficulties. Although the last team to arrive at the Pit Stop was eliminated, there was no rest period at the end of the leg and all remaining teams were instead instructed to continue racing.
Leg 4 (Vietnam)
Episode 4: "Shivering Lunch" / "" (21 October 2023) Locations Ho Chi Minh City (Bình An Wharf → Bạch Đằng Wharf) Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon Central Post Office) Ho Chi Minh City (Turtle Lake ) Ho Chi Minh City (Ốc Chị Em Restaurant) Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens) Ho Chi Minh City (Cà Phê Trứng 3T & Thái Văn Lung Street) Ho Chi Minh City (Lam Sơn Square) Episode summary At the start of this leg, teams had to travel by water taxi to Bạch Đằng Wharf and then by taxi to the Saigon Central Post Office in order to find their next clue directing them to Turtle Lake. In this leg's Roadblock, teams had to travel to Ốc Chị Em Restaurant, where one team member had to eat a plate of mealworms, grasshoppers, silkworms, a scorpion, a tarantula and cobra in order to receive their next clue. After the Roadblock, teams had to travel to the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens in order to find their next clue.