Every Amazing Race Season Ranked Worst To Best

When the reality competition show "The Amazing Race" debuted on September 5, 2001, the ratings were modest in a post-9/11 heavy news cycle, but it didn't take long for audiences to take notice of the show's entertainment value and cultural significance. Created by Bertram van Munster and Elise Dognaieri and hosted by veteran New Zealand TV personality Phil Keoghan, teams of two race against each other around the world, navigating through diverse landscapes, completing challenges, and overcoming obstacles in an effort to win the million-dollar grand prize.

One of the longest-running reality shows of all time, "The Amazing Race" has spent decades on air, spawning a long list of global iterations in that time. Hundreds of contestants have covered millions of miles across more than 90 countries over the years. With so many memorable moments, coming up with a definitive ranking is no easy task. The best way to order all of the seasons is by relying on viewer scores, so here we go — this is every season of "The Amazing Race" ranked from worst to best by their IMDb ratings.

Season 32 of "The Amazing Race," which premiered on October 14, 2020, ranks at the bottom of all the seasons. While it had several "firsts" for the show, including the first marriage proposal between a gay couple (eventual winners Will Jardell and James Wallington), the season failed to gain good footing with fans. Many were unhappy with the early "Mine Five" alliance between five teams, made worse when a sub-alliance of what would become the top three teams helped each other so egregiously the element of surprise was eliminated.

"The Amazing Race" Season 28, which premiered on February 12, 2016, could be subtitled "The One Where Everyone's a Social Media Star," as that was the hook for casting. An obvious bid to tap into the younger demographic who may have been unfamiliar with the previous seasons of the show, a cast made up of YouTubers and Instagrammers didn't seem to impress long-time fans. Engaged choreographers and YouTubers Dana Borriello and Matt Steffanina bickered their way to the million dollar prize, but that didn't make for pleasant or memorable watching.

"The Amazing Race" Season 10, which premiered on September 17, 2006, was the first time "The Amazing Race" had a Muslim American team, as well as two Asian American teams. The race itself also went West first instead of East, as was the previous custom. Other innovations included a surprise elimination — two teams instead of one were cut during the first leg — and the Intersection, which compelled two teams to work together until told otherwise. As with any long-running show, the producers were looking to mix things up so the Racers wouldn't know what to expect. Needless to say, teams weren't the only ones caught off guard, as fans clearly weren't happy about the changes. Models Tyler Denk and James Theodore Branaman were the eventual winners.

The first and only "The Amazing Race: Family Edition" occurred during Season 8, which premiered September 27, 2005. The Linz family — siblings Nick, Alex, Megan, and Tommy — powered through what many fans considered easier tasks than a "normal" Race, even leading Entertainment Weekly recapper Josh Wolk to deem the season "uninspiring." The route stayed on one continent, though the families visited four countries: The U.S., Canada, Panama, and Costa Rica. There were 10 teams, each consisting of four family members, with the youngest Racer being Austin Black, who was only eight at the time his family competed.

"The Amazing Race" Season 13 premiered on September 28, 2008 and featured siblings Nick and Starr Spangler, who, despite a lack of travel experience, used their athleticism to win. The season was the first in which a U-Turn was available but was never used. While the U-Turn can be used by one team to hinder another's progress in the game, there are many fans who don't care for it, preferring the teams to just focus on their own game. The teams in Season 13 chose to do just that, which reduced the drama (and is perhaps one of the reasons that the season is ranked so low on IMDb).

"The Amazing Race" Season 26, which premiered on February 25, 2015, was the "dating season." It featured one twist: Five of the dating teams were actually blind dates who met for the first time on the Race. That one of the "blind date" couples, Laura Pierson and Tyler Adams, wound up winning was a bit of a kick for the longer-term dating couples, though it may be that not having any "issues" to work on allowed Laura and Tyler to avoid the relationship bickering that sometimes drags teams down. It was also the first season with no all-female team.

Premiering February 18, 2007, "The Amazing Race" Season 11 was the first All-Stars season and featured returning teams including Rob and Amber Mariano, who had married by then. By contrast, dating couple John Vito Pietanza and Jill Aquilina appeared on All-Stars as a formerly dating couple. Season 1 "villains" Joe Baldassare and Bill Bartek, aka Team Guido, returned but went out in 6th place despite being up to their old tricks — or maybe because of that. Uchenna and Joyce Agu were the only returning winners. Eric Sanchez and Danielle Turner from Season 9, who actually competed on opposing teams then, arrived at the final mat to win the first All-Stars, which was also the last season to have 13 legs. 

September 25, 2015 saw the premiere of "The Amazing Race" Season 27. In this season, the Express Pass had to be given to another team after the team which found it had used it, but the recipients were then forced to use it in the next leg or they would lose the advantage. An Express Pass allows the team holding it to skip the task at hand and move on to the next part of the leg. Production switched things up by including two Roadblocks and a Detour in one leg — normal legs have one of each type of task. Kelsey Gerckens and Joey Buttitta, a pair of dating news anchors, won the season.

"The Amazing Race" Season 22 premiered on February 17, 2013. In addition to a regular Express Pass, there was a second Express Pass that had to be given away to another team to use. This season was also notable for a team that had to pull out of the Race due to one member being injured: Father and son team Dave and Connor O'Leary were unable to complete the race because Dave tore his Achilles tendon and eventually was advised by the show's medical staff to get surgery, leading to their "self-elimination." Brothers and professional hockey players Bates and Anthony Battaglia, targeted early on by other teams who were afraid their athleticism would power them to the end, managed to overcome both that and their own missteps to finish in first place.

"The Amazing Race" Season 12 premiered November 4, 2007 and was the first season to have the controversial U-Turn, as well as the more widely-accepted Speed Bump. The U-Turn allows a team to force a team behind them to complete both tasks in a Detour, which is a choice between two different tasks. It is a way to slow down the competition and hopefully knock them out of the Race. The Speed Bump was an innovation connected to a Non-Elimination Leg. Previously, if a team came in last place on a leg that turned out to be non-elimination, there was no consequence other than being the last team to start the next leg. This time, the "NEL" team had to complete an extra task called a Speed Bump in order to continue the Race. Couple TK Erwin and Rachel Rosales won this season.

"The Amazing Race" Season 15 introduced the Starting Line Task and Starting Line Elimination, the latter of which was not very popular because a team was axed before they had a chance to race. Premiering September 27, 2009, Season 15 also introduced the Switchback, which was a reprise of a difficult task from a previous season. Though the season included a team of professional athletes, Herbert "Flight Time" Lang and Nathaniel "Big Easy" Lofton from the Harlem Globetrotters, it was dating couple Meghan Rickey and Cheyne Whitney who triumphed in the end — they were a dominant force throughout and deserved the victory.

"The Amazing Race" Season 21 premiered September 30, 2012 and included a Double Your Money prize — final winnings would be doubled if the team who won the first leg also won the final leg — and a "blind" Double U-Turn, which meant the teams who were U-turned didn't even know who made them complete both tasks of a Detour. Rock Star/Lawyer duo James LoMenzo and Mark "Abba" Abbattista provided a lot of drama, as the two frequently left important items (such as money and Abba's passport) behind. The lost passport led to their elimination in Russia. Goat farmers Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge, who finished last in a Non-Elimination Leg, completed a remarkable comeback to be crowned winners.

"The Amazing Race" Season 7 premiered on March 1, 2005. Former "Survivor" contestants Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich — married now but engaged at the time — were among the Racers, and they brought their castaway tactics to the show. For example, in a Roadblock where one member of the team had to eat four pounds of meat, Rob not only opted to take the four-hour penalty for not completing the task, but also convinced two other teams after him to do the same, thus giving his team a cushion against coming in last. Many people felt as though this season focused on Rob and Amber a little too much, and these viewers were no doubt thrilled when married couple Uchenna and Joyce Agu came first.

On February 14, 2010, "The Amazing Race" began its 16th season, which included former contestants from CBS's "Big Brother" in another bit of stunt-casting. The season was notable for using the Intersection again, as well as having Racers climbing the outside of San Francisco's famous Coit Tower during the final Roadblock. Although brothers Jet and Cord McCoy, aka The Cowboys, were one of the season's most popular teams and made two more appearances in later seasons, the winners were actually brothers Dan and Jordan Pious.

Premiering on March 30, 2017, "The Amazing Race" Season 29 introduced a new gimmick: The contestants didn't know each other ahead of time and had to complete a task that decided who would pick a partner first. Consequently, team dynamics developed in real time over the course of the season. Some teams, such as Becca Droz and Floyd Pierce, aka Team Fun, had a good time together, whereas the likes of Brooke Camhi and Scott Flanary had more of a push/pull relationship. However, the fraught dynamic didn't stop Brooke and Scott from winning the $1 million prize, and fans seemed to enjoy the different teams learning their partner's strengths and weaknesses as they competed.

"The Amazing Race" Season 4 premiered on May 23, 2003. This season featured the first LGBTQ+ contestants in married couple Reichen Lehmkuhl and Chip Arndt, who became the first romantic couple to win. The two split up afterward, which was not too much of a surprise given how often they fought on the show. No doubt the stress and fatigue of racing around the globe contributed to that. Despite the arguments, the two were highly competent in challenges and were able to overcome their mistakes to claim the prize money. It was a very even season overall — nine different teams won a leg, the most-ever in a single season at the time.

After the disaster that was "Family Edition," "The Amazing Race" went back to its roots with Season 9 and circumnavigated the globe with groups of two. The season premiered on February 28, 2006, with its usual mix of best friends, couples, and family members. Season 9 marked the first time the Race went to Japan and Greece, as well as reaching the milestone of 100 teams overall. Winners B.J. Averell and Tyler MacNiven were a popular best friends duo whose goofy antics endeared them to fans, though maybe not so much to fellow racers. B.J. and Tyler went from competent Racers to making mistakes that resulted in them coming in last twice — but lucked out in that those were Non-Elimination Legs.

One of the most notable aspects of "The Amazing Race" Season 14, which premiered on February 15, 2009, was the team of writer/actor Mike White and his father, Mel. White (perhaps best known for "School of Rock") is a huge fan of the series and showed that joy in almost every moment. The season also had its first deaf contestant, Luke Adams, who raced with his mother, Margie. While quite highly rated on IMDb, some viewers complained that the winners (siblings Tammy and Victor Jih) had an unfair advantage because the show spent several tasks toward the end in China, and Tammy and Victor speak Mandarin. However, others feel that it was just the luck of the draw. "It just so happens a team who spoke Mandarin was chosen and had an advantage while in China," Redditor u/SoCaldude421 said. "There's no way the teams would have known about the destinations beforehand."

September 26, 2014 saw the premiere of "The Amazing Race" Season 25, which introduced a Save pass that a team could use to prevent their own elimination. This was also the first time the starting point was public knowledge — people gathered at Times Square in New York City to see the teams embark on their journeys. Chipper food scientists Amy DeJong and Maya Warren beat out surfers Adam Dirks and Bethany Hamilton and dentists Misti and Jim Raman at the finish line. Amy and Maya were constantly underestimated because they were not the most athletic pair, making their win a true underdog moment. Bethany's inspirational story, which was the basis of the 2011 film "Soul Surfer," was a big draw for fans as well. Sadly, Jim passed away in 2019 at age 42.

"The Amazing Race" Season 30 premiered on January 3, 2018 and introduced two new elements, the Head-to-Head competition and the Partner Swap. The Partner Swap is simple: Teams change partners for one leg until they reach the Pit Stop and get back with their original teammate. The Head-to-Head challenge involved a task where teams would compete against each other until only one team was left; that team would receive a 15 minute penalty before moving on. Because the Head-to-Head occurred before the Pit Stop, however, the final team wound up eliminated. "Big Brother" contestants Cody Nickson and Jessica Graf won in the end, becoming the first team who appeared in another CBS reality show to scoop the prize.

It's a little surprising that "The Amazing Race" Season 5, which premiered July 6, 2004, doesn't rank higher. Apart from being a generally enjoyable watch with a fantastic finish, the season gifted the world with Colin Guinn's epic meltdown at the Plow detour, which involved having an ox plow a muddy field to dredge up a clue. Colin's ox would not cooperate, causing him to yell in anguish, "My ox is broken!" He and his then-girlfriend and now-wife Christie Woods also set a record for most legs won in a season (though that record was eventually broken). They were also the first to be both U-turned and yielded — the Yield being a new addition to the Race — by other teams. Married couple Chip and Kim McAllister beat Colin and Christie to the final mat.

"The Amazing Race" Season 23 premiered on September 29, 2013. Cousins Leo Temory and Jamal Zadran were the breakout personalities, returning for the All-Stars season in 2014 and again for Season 31. Because other teams found them rather annoying, they wound up being U-turned twice, but they managed to overcome both setbacks. However, their luck eventually ran out and they placed 4th. Dating couple Jason Case and Amy Diaz, who allied very early in the Race with married ER doctors Nicole and Travis Jasper, topped the pack.

The second season of "The Amazing Race," which premiered on March 11, 2002, brought in elements that became Race staples, including changing the route markers to the familiar yellow and red and having host Phil Keoghan greet everyone at the mat. It also had one of the most dramatic finishes in Race history, with winners Chris Luca and Alex Boylan literally running past bickering partners Tara Lynch and Wil Steger to the final mat. Well, they just passed Tara — both partners need to be on the mat in order to check in and she was behind Wil. Ironically, part of Tara and Wil's fighting was due to Tara helping Chris and Alex to her own team's detriment.

It took 17 seasons, but doctors Nat Strand and Kat Chang became the first all-female team to win "The Amazing Race." Their competency and cool demeanors, coupled with the support they offered each other, endeared them to fans. Season 17 premiered on September 26, 2010, introducing the Express Pass and the Double U-Turn to the game dynamics. It also introduced a very GIF-able moment when Claire Champlin took a watermelon to the face in the first leg. A clip of the incident quickly went viral. Claire's teammate (and fellow home shopping host) Brooke Roberts could only watch on since the task was a Roadblock. Fortunately, Claire was cleared to continue, and the pair wound up in second place in the final leg.

"The Amazing Race" Season 6, which premiered on November 16, 2004, is best remembered for a couple of controversies. The season was won by models Freddy Holliday and Kendra Bentley. Kendra made some offensive comments in Africa that riled a lot of people. "This country is wretched and disgusting," she said while in Senegal. "And they just keep breeding and breeding in this poverty. I just can't take it." She later blamed the editors and insisted that her comments had been taken out of context. "I was actually talking about the government and how they put people in these situations," she said (via Reality Blurred). "They don't give them opportunities for education or birth control."

Meanwhile, contestant Jonathan Baker drew the ire of viewers after verbally abusing his wife Victoria Fuller in Berlin. His behavior got so bad that executive producer Bertram van Munster had a talk with him. "I told him you've got to tone it down, you have to stop this kind of stuff, it's not cool — until then, I'd never given advice to a reality show player before to chill out," he told the New York Post. Baker also blamed the show's editors. "The editing wasn't kind to me, was it?" Baker told the Providence Journal. "We do love each other. But the way we're represented, I'm abusing her."

So, why does Season 6 rank so highly on IMDb? Probably because of the heartwarming growth in the father-daughter relationship of Gus and Hera McLeod and the heartbreak of close sisters Lena and Kristy Jensen going out on a grueling hay bale challenge. That's the kind of drama that fans have always seemed to prefer.

Known as "The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business," Season 18 debuted on February 20, 2011 and featured returning teams who wanted a second chance at glory. Father/son duo Mel and Mike White were back, as were Harlem Globetrotters Flight Time and Big Easy, cowboy brothers Jet and Cord McCoy, and sisters Kisha and Jen Hoffman, who went on to win. In Kisha and Jen's first appearance in Season 14, they had trouble communicating, causing numerous issues for them, but by Season 18, they had become much better at listening to each other. Allying themselves with Flight Time and Big Easy also gave Kisha and Jen a push in the right direction. While some teams wound up repeating past mistakes, Kisha and Jen showed growth and were rewarded with $1 million.

"The Amazing Race" Season 20 debuted on February 19, 2012 and racked up several firsts for the show. This was the first time two teams fell victim to the Double U-Turn in one leg yet still managed not to be eliminated, and the first time both a Speed Bump and Fast Forward (which allows a team to skip all tasks and go straight to the Pit Stop) appeared in one leg. Rachel and Dave Brown Jr., a married couple, overcame several obstacles on the way to winning, including missing the final Roadblock and being turned away from the Finish Line in order to go back and complete it. We cannot imagine what it would be like to think you've won, only to be told you missed a major task.

Season 19 featured then-dating couple Ethan Zohn and Jenna Morasca, both of whom had already won "Survivor," leading to the other teams targeting them for elimination. It was their own failure to see a clue, however, that led to their exit in the second leg. Engaged couple Ernest "Ernie" Halvorsen and Cindy Chiang, on the other hand, raced carefully and efficiently on their way to securing the $1 million prize. Season 19 (which premiered on September 25, 2011) introduced the Double Elimination Leg — two teams were eliminated in the second leg. It was also the first to use the Hazard, a penalty similar to a Speed Bump given to the team who finished last on the Starting Line task. Needless to say, that was not a popular innovation and hasn't appeared since.

"The Amazing Race" Season 24 — the second All-Stars season — premiered on February 23, 2014 and had one crucial difference from the original All-Stars: One team was a composite duo made up of members from two previous teams. Season 20's Mark Jackson and Bopper Minton were scheduled to return, but Bopper unfortunately became ill and the medical team wouldn't allow him to continue. Mark was paired with Mallory Ervin, who previously raced with her father, Gary, on seasons 17 and 18. The two didn't make it past the second leg. In an inspiring finish, however, Dave and Connor O'Leary, both cancer survivors, became the first parent/child team to win "The Amazing Race."

"The Amazing Race" Season 31 was hyped as a "reality showdown," as the teams all came from CBS's three reality competition shows: "The Amazing Race," "Survivor," and "Big Brother." Debuting on April 17, 2019, the season brought back the likes of Arturo "Art" Velez and John James "JJ" Carrell from Season 20 and Leo Temory and Jamal Zadran from Seasons 23 and 24, alongside newbies such as Rupert and Laura Boneham from "Survivor" and Nicole Franzel and Victor Arroyo III from "Big Brother." 

However, it was the return of Racers Colin Guinn and Christie Woods that had fans excited, with many hoping Colin's tendency to have a meltdown would return. Unfortunately for them, Colin and Christie returned with a Zen attitude that, coupled with their racing skills, created a redemption arc that ended with them winning. In terms of the showdown, the final three teams were all returning Racers, proving that "The Amazing Race" takes a certain kind of tenacity.

Debuting on October 2, 2002, "The Amazing Race" Season 3 featured the first female winner: Flo Pesenti. She became known for whining, not doing Roadblocks, and literally being carried by her teammate and friend, Zach Behr. However, some viewers feel that she wasn't as bad as many people like to make out. "Yes, she yelled at Zach a lot. Yes, she was frustrating sometimes. But she really didn't start to give out until the later legs of the race," Redditor u/kkranberry said. "I don't think people are being fair to her considering the conditions, the homesickness, the lack of sleep, and the heat." Despite fan antipathy toward Flo, though, many rooted for Zach to win just for putting up with her, which is one of the reasons the third season is so highly rated.

Season 34 of "The Amazing Race" had a roster of beloved teams, making it one of the show's most heartwarming seasons to date. The victory of fan favorites, former "Big Brother" contestants Derek Xiao and Claire Rehfuss, followed closely by formerly long-lost twins Molly and Emily in second place, created a dilemma for viewers, with many finding it difficult to root for one team over the other. This showdown in the finale made for a highly-rated conclusion that left fans satisfied with the show's trajectory.

This season saw a refreshing mix-up with the introduction of the Scramble, a new element that allowed teams to tackle tasks in any order. "The Amazing Race" also said goodbye to non-elimination legs this season, which, according to co-creator Elise Doganieri, was a way to keep the show's energy up. Of course, as with all big changes, viewers went back and forth over whether they enhanced or hindered the show. Although not quite a perfect season, IMDb reviewers were impressed enough to rate Season 34 among the top five.

After a production delay of over a year due to COVID-19, both contestants and viewers were looking forward to the return of "The Amazing Race" with Season 33. The show was forced to adapt to COVID-19 protocols and restrictions, and, as such, many changes were implemented. This resulted in a much-needed refresh of the show's long-running structure. These well-received changes included flying on charter planes, self-driving, a Europe-centric route, and more. There was also the fact that, with the elimination of U-Turns this season, there wasn't as much drama or interaction between teams as you would usually expect on the show. However, what the season lacked in drama, it more than made up for in suspenseful legs.

All things considered, fans were left impressed with how the production team and the contestants were able to pull off such a universally beloved season. Like other well-received seasons, one of the biggest factors was the likeability of the teams. For the most part, everyone was high energy, kind, and strategic in a way that's always great to see in "The Amazing Race" (and competitive reality shows in general). The casting choices gave audiences plenty of people to root for every step of the way and kept viewers engaged until the very end. Overall, IMDb reviewers found this season to be a welcome turning point for the modern iteration of the show. Internet personalities Kim and Penn Holderness were the winners.

Does the fact that the post-COVID 19 seasons of "The Amazing Race" all rank so high have something to do with viewers appreciating the show more after the dark days of the pandemic? Perhaps, but that's definitely not the whole story. Premiering on September 27, 2023, Season 35 continued the show's streak of top-tier television, combining the beloved elements from its inception with some fresh, modern twists. It also helped that this season's episodes were extended to 90 minutes rather than the usual 60 minutes, a side effect of the absence of scripted shows during the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike.

Remarkably, each episode of this season achieved an IMDb rating of over 8 out of 10, a rarity in the long history of "The Amazing Race." Fans rave about the stellar casting, scenic destinations spanning Thailand, Vietnam, India, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Sweden, and Ireland, and the return to normalcy after two seasons heavily impacted by COVID-19. It's clear the reignited sense of wonder and adventure we all experienced after worldwide travel restrictions still burns within us all. Brothers Greg and John Franklin came out on top after dominating for much of the season.

Sometimes, you just can't beat the original. Topping the list as the most highly rated season of "The Amazing Race" is Season 1, which premiered on September 5, 2001 and had memorable teams who, much like the castaways on the first season of "Survivor," created a blueprint for how teams should compete on the Race. That blueprint includes appreciating where you are, being kind to the locals, and ripping through tasks as efficiently as you can in order to get to the next leg. Teams were made up of friends, romantic partners, families, and roomies. The first three teams to finish leg one raced to the end in the final leg, with best friends Rob Frisbee and Brennan Swain becoming the first ever winners. Season 1 also had Joseph "Joe" Baldassare and William "Bill" Bartek (aka Team Guido) being delightfully villainous and getting their (extremely satisfying) comeuppance in the final leg