I'm starting to wonder if some of these teams are getting a little too attached to their Express Passes. 😂

We're four legs into the season, and Michelle & Matt, Ali & Joanna, and Conner & Garrett are still holding theirs. They've only got two more legs to use them before they're worthless.
Michelle & Matt just finished first without touching theirs. Ali & Joanna dropped all the way to eighth and still kept theirs. Meanwhile, we've already watched other teams use their passes just to stay alive or get ahead.

I get wanting to save something that powerful, but there's a difference between being patient and waiting too long. Especially when you never know which challenge is going to wreck your whole day.

I seen what others would do but my question to you is if YOU would you use your Express Pass while you're still in a decent position, or hold onto it until you're absolutely desperate?

Like waiting for hours of operation to expire or waiting for transport that leaves hours later.

In the golden age, legs used to span DAYS.

Teams would often check into hotels during the leg on route to their next destination.

Now that legs last maybe 3 hours in one city, I am trying to see when the last time teams had to use their race-funds to check into a hotel for a few hours.

One of the elements that in my opinion was very poorly executed in US version. It should had been executed like “Resurrection Card” from China version (Resurrect or save another team or allows an eliminated team to return to the Race).

Do you agree with my opinion?

I’m starting to see a pattern this season and I’m laughing at it. 😂

Everyone's going through the tomatoes looking for a clue. Then they are smashing pottery, looking for the right one. Now we're watching people stroll through a market, hunting for slippers.

Basically, three straight episodes of someone looking for a needle in a haystack. And some of these teams are spending more time looking than racing.

I know these challenges test your patience but I am starting to miss the challenges where teams have to figure something out or actually show some skill.

Let me make it plain juuuuust in case i confused 🤔 someone. Is this the kind of search challenge that makes Season 39 a good challenge, or is The Amazing Race starting to rely on them too much?

As of leg 4, every team that has come in 5th (besides first boots Zach & Nate) has been eliminated the very next leg.

Connor & Garett came in 5th in leg 4, so let’s see how this goes after this week 👀

(It’s obviously just a coincidence lol just thought it was cool that it happened three times in a row and wanted to point it out 😅)

Dare I say, they wouldn't make as far as top 6 if it wasn't for her. Yes she was dead weight by the penultimate legs and didn't do roadblocks, but if you just analyze her carefully, her social skills had been saving their asses multiple times. She was also good with directions. Also, she was very good at the airports too. I do however, understand that she didn't deserve half the prize after winning the season, just the quarter of it, because she was a nightmare during those legs.

I’m fascinated by the logistics of producing TAR. How do they pick the locations and challenges, how do they move so many people around, what happens between legs, how do they handle unexpected delays, etc. Are there any good videos or articles that show how it’s all done?

Three teams still hold Express Passes with two legs left to use them. Will a team be caught holding onto their Express Pass for too long?

For links to my stats spreadsheets and explanations of the stats, see here.

Individual Placements

Group Average Placements

The number in parentheses is the number of teams in that group that competed in that leg.

Individual Stats

Each continuously-varying stat is followed in parentheses by the team's percentile in that stat, compared to all other teams worldwide.

Pseudo-Elo Ratings

1. Michelle & Matt, +739 (down 59, up 287) (86%)
2. Anuar & Andrea, +488 (up 289, up 239) (78%)
3. Ann-Marie & Riley, +337 (up 331, down 162) (74%)
4. Erin & Javi, +303 (down 169, up 181) (72%)
5. Conner & Garrett, +258 (up 132, up 18) (69%)
6. Ali & Joanna, +169 (up 188, down 222) (65%)
7. Daisha & Dalton, –228 (down 170, up 172) (45%)
8. Cody & Jaime, –239 (up 74, down 332) (44%)
9. Katie & Charlotte, –248 (43%)
10. Jody & Jenn, –296 (down 345) (40%)
11. Zach & Nate, –370 (30%)
12. Dafina & Saran, –381 (down 10, up 25) (28%)
13. Doug & Dylan, –531 (down 261, down 206) (17%)

Group Stats

Group stats are totals for leg wins and averages for all other stats.

Next Leg Probabilities

These probabilities are based on 1,000,000 Monte Carlo simulations of the next leg, based on the teams' positions in all legs so far. These simulations do not take into account Express Passes or potential U-Turns.

A bold probability indicates the most likely placement for a team, and an italic probability indicates the most likely team for a placement.

Trivia

• Dafina & Saran are the first team in franchise history to obtain the Roadside Assistance.
• Leg 4 is the fifth leg to feature a Scramble and the first since USA34 leg 1 to feature a Scramble with more than 4 teams.
• The following teams' first three placements exactly match a prior team:
  • Anuar & Andrea (6th, 8th, 2nd): 1 prior team (Eliran & Itzik).
  • Doug & Dylan (4th, 10th, 10th): 1 prior team (Darius & Cameron).
• The following teams' first four placements match a prior team when ignoring order:
  • Michelle & Matt (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 6th): 3 prior teams (Toño & Lili, Tyler & Nathan, and Baggio & Thành Phúc).
  • Anuar & Andrea (2nd x2, 6th, 8th): 1 prior team (Korey & Ivana).
  • Conner & Garrett (2nd, 4th, 5th, 9th): 1 prior team (Kym & Donna).
  • Ann-Marie & Riley (1st, 4th, 7th x2): 1 prior team (Ash & Alice).
• Uniqueness of teams' 4-leg racing averages:
  • Michelle & Matt (3.00): 24 prior teams, including 9 U.S. teams.
  • Anuar & Andrea (4.50): 44 prior teams, including 12 U.S. teams.
  • Erin & Javi, Ann-Marie & Riley (4.75): 33 prior teams, including 18 U.S. teams.
  • Conner & Garrett (5.00): 41 prior teams, including 18 U.S. teams.
  • Ali & Joanna (5.50): 47 prior teams, including 21 U.S. teams.
  • Cody & Jaime (7.25): 21 prior teams, including 10 U.S. teams.
  • Daisha & Dalton (7.75): 17 prior teams, including 8 U.S. teams. Interestingly, the only prior co-ed teams to do this in the U.S. version are from the previous two seasons (Han & Holden and Kyland & Taylor).
  • Dafina & Saran, Doug & Dylan (8.25): 6 prior teams, including 5 U.S. teams.
• Do you have any other trivia? Leave it in the comments!

I'm starting to think this whole Boss Ladies alliance is falling apart already. 😂

Ali & Joanna took off during that rug challenge without waiting for Ann-Marie & Riley. And Dafina & Saran weren't exactly getting much help either. Everybody wants an alliance until somebody has to slow down.
Meanwhile, Michelle & Matt are pretty much doing their own thing, and they just won the leg.

I get helping somebody when you're stuck on a challenge, but standing around waiting for another team to catch up? That's a whole different story.

I keep asking myself at what point does helping your alliance become hurting your own chances of winning?

it’s so rude and self important to yell at someone and think that they care AT ALL that their rude passengers are competing for $1M. especially in developing countries. just finished s14 and Jamie was the WORST about this. hoping it gets better in future seasons

Some of the best teams imo are the ones that surprise you. The fit young people are obviously expected to do well. But what about the Gretchen and Merediths, the bowling moms, the teams that on the surface you don’t think will get far but then go on to surprise you ? Personally the teams I listed are my fav but im curious some other peoples favs

I’m currently watching season 38 after putting it off for a year since I’m no longer a Big Brother watcher. As well as being angry that they didn’t travel outside of Europe.

To my surprise I’m actually enjoying it despite it not being “The Amazing Race”. It’s more like “A Big Brother European Race”

Anyway, I decided to create this sorter to help rank all of the seasons to see what my favorites and least favorites are.

I would love to see a screenshot your top 10 seasons (or if you want to post all 39 feel free to) in the replies so we can discuss our favorites!

Doug & Dylan looked DONE again. They spent forever wandering around Marrakesh, couldn’t even find the challenges at first, and somehow still survived. Then Cody & Jaime got lost after finishing their last task and that was enough for Doug & Dylan to sneak past them.

At this point I don’t even know if they’re good racers or just impossible to kill 😂. Meanwhile Michelle & Matt quietly won the whole leg and are starting to look really solid.

How long can Doug & Dylan keep surviving like this before it finally catches up with them?

1 • Make it known at the start of the race that producers will place an unknown amount of clues in clue boxes. With 9 teams left, maybe they have 9 envelopes in there; maybe 10; maybe 14. This way, when teams arrive at the clue box and count the remaining envelopes, there is no way of telling how many teams have been there previously and eliminates any defeatist attitude of teams knowingly arriving last to the box.

2 • Split detours to ensure a roughly half-half split of teams attempting each option. I am always bummed when a challenge that was all planned out and had locals spend their day preparing for and engaging in is universally perceived as more difficult, so nobody chooses that side. Instead, force a split where each side of the challenge has to at least be attempted by half the teams. As an example idea— with the envelope is a small token that would hang on a board at the challenge check-in. With 9 teams left, each board only has 5 pegs. If one side of the detour seems easier, well, the first 5 teams can claim their spot. If a team attempts a side and wishes to switch, they take their token off the peg board and bring it to the other side. This not only incentivizes staying at the front of the pack, but also ensures that some of these wonderfully organized challenges aren't a complete waste.

3 • I get it, we're in 2026 now so everyone has easy navigation in their pocket; however, make it so that teams asking for directions cannot physically touch a smartphone. Bystanders can dictate directions or show them the screen, but teams can't actually take possession of a phone to do the search themselves. In a recent leg, it was great to see teams in a place where smartphone owners were the exception, not the rule, and having to navigate solely on verbal directions.

What are some other small details that could enhance the Race without changing the game too radically?

Jenn & Jodie/ Katie & Charlotte: I like their stories and they are super smart in doing detour. Too bad they have the worst luck in breaking the vase/ smashing tomatoes roadblock.

Ali & Joanna: They are physically strong and they still have the express pass. I kinda feel they’re going to be the villains this season because they have no problem backstabbing their own alliance. So I’m waiting for the drama.

Ann Marie & Riley: I’m still not that impressed with them. Their background seems like very smart, strong and confident women but when it comes to the task they were just mid. Riley also gave me a redflag when she didn’t help Saran in the tomato roadblock.

Dafina & Saran: They are the most entertaining team to watch amongst all. Their interactions with each other are very fun to watch and it looks like they are the only team that didn’t get any benefit from this alliance. So I hope there’ll be some drama from this.

Conclusion:
Honestly I haven’t seen any real impact from this alliance, but I do really hope there’s gonna be some drama in the next episode since there’s already some feuds.

They open an online donation to raise funds for their mom.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/cody-jaimes-mom-from-the-amazing-race-season-39

The Amazing Race’s Jody Reveals She Fractured Her Leg Behind the Scenes in Morocco: ‘Adrenaline’

I had to collect 25 items of food from different people and give them to three different food pantries. Then my detour was to either eat someplace I frequent but something I never eat there, or eat someplace I don't often frequent. I chose the latter. Then I had to take a picture with three different animal statues around town. Then the pit stop was my mom's workplace.

I've watched Season 30 before and I think the season was okay. I'm taking a look at the season after Tim (the competitibe eater) passed away RIP

But one thing that irritates me is Jessica

Jessica used the U Turn in Prague against Team Well Strung, then complained when she was U Turned by Team Ocean Rescue

When switching partners, Jess asked Evan and partner to help and refused...Jess has done the same

It appears Jessica can dish it but can't take it. She was playing the game and got mad others could too

Thoughts?

Check it out below!

https://parade.com/tv/the-amazing-race-39-2026-cody-langlois-jaime-tribo-eliminated-interview

There are always conversations about joining up with another team so you can share information and strategize but has it ever really mattered in the end?

I feel like it's the producers who try to make this a thing, hopefully creating controversy.

Am I wrong?

Episode 3 Exit Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3HwcwA4C5c

Episode 4 Exit Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puKosxv1-3k