The Amazing Race 24


The Amazing Race 24 is the twenty-fourth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race that featured eleven teams of two – each returning from a previous edition for the first time since Season 18 – in a race around the world for a $1 million prize.
The season premiered on February 23, 2014 on CBS, and the season finale was broadcast on May 18, 2014.
Father and son David "Dave" and Connor O'Leary from Season 22 were the winners of the Race. They are the first parent-child team to win the American edition of the competition, and at age 58 at the time of filming, Dave is also the oldest person to win the American edition of The Amazing Race.

Production

Development and filming

Filming for the season began on November 16, 2013 at Cougar Stadium at the College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, California. Filming was initially set to begin at the Rose Bowl, the UCLA Bruins football home stadium and a location previously visited during the Season 17 finale, but was changed to Cougar Stadium due to "issues of availability to use the Rose Bowl." The season's course traveled across three continents and through nine countries including China, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Italy, and a first time visit to Wales.
Illusionist David Copperfield appeared in the first Roadblock during the finale in Las Vegas.
At 31 legs each, both Jet & Cord and Flight Time & Big Easy held the title of the most number of legs competed on the Race after the conclusion of this season. This record was broken by Rachel Reilly on The Amazing Race 31 before being broken by Leo & Jamal on the same season.

Cast

This season's 11 teams were selected from past contestants, going as far back as Season 14. This includes three teams competing for a third time.
The returning teams and their prior Race placements are:
Mark was originally set to compete with Bopper, but Bopper began showing signs of pancreatitis before arriving in Los Angeles for filming and was deemed unfit to compete by the production's medical team upon arrival. As a last-minute replacement, Mallory was invited to fly from Nashville to compete as Mark's teammate. This marked the first time that a team without a pre-existing relationship competed on The Amazing Race. On air, the team was dubbed "Team Kentucky" in reference to Jackson, Minton, and Ervin's home state.

Future appearances

Leo & Jamal and Rachel Reilly returned to compete on The Amazing Race 31.
Not long after this season aired, Natalie and Nadiya later competed on the of Survivor, making them the first Race contestants to compete on another CBS reality show. Nadiya was the first person voted out and Natalie won the season. Natalie then returned to Survivor to compete on alongside other winners where she finished as 1st runner-up.
On May 25, 2016, Leo & Jamal and Bopper & Mark appeared on an Amazing Race-themed The Price is Right primetime special. Rachel Reilly appeared on a Big Brother-themed episode the day before, and Natalie Anderson appeared on a Survivor-themed episode two days prior.

Results

The following teams participated in the Race, each listed along with their placements in each leg and relationships as identified by the program. Note that this table is not necessarily reflective of all content broadcast on television, owing to the inclusion or exclusion of some data. Placements are listed in finishing order:
  1. ^ The placements from Leg 1 and departure order for Leg 2 differ because some teams received time credits due to production difficulties. The original placements before adjustment were: Margie & Luke, Dave & Connor, Joey & Meghan, Jessica & John and Caroline & Jennifer.
  2. Caroline & Jennifer received the Express Pass from Jet & Cord and then use it to bypass the Roadblock on Leg 2. Before using the Express Pass, Caroline chose to perform the Roadblock; this is reflected in the total Roadblock count.
  3. After missing an earlier flight into Colombo, Margie & Luke were far behind on the course by the time all of the other teams checked in. In an interview posted on the official website following their elimination, Margie revealed that she and Luke did not perform all of the tasks on the leg prior to their elimination due to logistics, but they did visit all of the locations on the racecourse.
  4. Jet & Cord used the Express Pass to bypass the Detour on Leg 8.
  5. Caroline & Jennifer used their U-Turn on Brendon & Rachel; however, Brendon & Rachel had already passed the U-Turn point and were therefore unaffected by it.

    Episode title quotes

Episode titles are often taken from quotes made by the racers.
  1. "Back in the Saddle" – Cord
  2. "Baby Bear's Soup" – Mark
  3. "Welcome to the Jungle" – Flight Time
  4. "Smarter, Not Harder" – Brendon
  5. "Can't Make Fish Bite" – Jet
  6. "Down and Dirty" – Flight Time
  7. "The Gladiators Are Here!" – Jamal
  8. "Donkeylicious" – Flight Time
  9. "Accidental Alliance" – Caroline
  10. "Bull Down" – Leo
  11. "Hei Ho Heidi Ho" – First and last line of Welsh poem recited in challenge
  12. "Do You Believe in Magic?" – Clue to first Roadblock

    Prizes

The prize for each leg is awarded to the first place team for that leg. Trips are sponsored by Travelocity.

Leg 1 (United States → China)

Airdate: February 23, 2014
This leg's Roadblock required one racer to dress in a special costume and perform 5 aerial somersaults while suspended in the air by wires attached to the stadium's towers to receive their next clue.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: March 2, 2014
This leg's Roadblock required one team member to assemble a child's motorized car from a provided kit. Once the car was fully assembled and operational to the "toy soldier" judge's approval, he would give out the next clue.
This leg's Detour was a choice between Featherball and China Cup. In Featherball, teams had to play jianzi with two local players. Once the teammates successfully volleyed the shuttlecock a combined 10 times, they received their next clue. If at any time the shuttlecock fell to the ground, teams would have to start over. In China Cup, each team member received a traditional massage involving cupping therapy and would receive their next clue after the massage was completed.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: March 9, 2014
In the Roadblock, one team member had to take the Travelocity Roaming Gnome, travel through the treetops on a safety line, and then rappel down Kiansom Waterfall, a height of 10 stories, collecting their next clue on the way.
The Detour was a choice between River Delivery and Run Through the Jungle. Before the Detour, teams had to build a bamboo raft which they used to travel down river, through rapids, to their Detour choice. In River Delivery, teams had to pick up several goods from a depot at the beginning of the task and then carry them down the river on their raft to the town of Kampung Tombung, delivering the goods to the village elder. In Run Through the Jungle, teams joined a Murut hunting guide who would lead them through the jungle to several fake bird targets. Using a blowgun, the racers had to each successfully knock over one bird target before being allowed to continue. After completing either Detour, teams were directed to return to their rafts and continue down river, receiving their next clue from a local river guide.
;Additional notes
Airdate: March 16, 2014
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member participated in a traditional :ms:Tarian Lansaran|Lansaran dance, in which the team member and a group of locals would bounce on a bamboo springboard. At the climax of the dance, the racer would use the springboard to launch themselves high enough to grab a flag of Sabah positioned above them, adjusted for their height, that they could exchange for their next clue. If more than one team was present, team members had three jumps before making another attempt.
The two Detour options were Mix Master and Master Mix. In Mix Master, teams had to learn to scratch on a DJ table by a coach and then perform in front of a DJ and the crowd, receiving the next clue if each team member was able to replicate a series of seven record scratches to the DJ's approval. If teams did not perform the scratching properly, they had to allow other teams in line to perform before they could try again. Only four practice scratch tables were available. In Master Mix, teams had to stack seven cocktail glasses into a two-tier pyramid and then use a stack of mixing glasses to pour different colored cocktails into each glass simultaneously so none of the cocktails mixed to receive their next clue.
;Additional note
Airdate: March 23, 2014
This leg's Detour was a choice between Fishing Pole and Spin Control. In Fishing Pole, teams had to wade out into the surf and then climb up traditional fishing stilts from where they could fish. Once each team member caught a fish, they had to give them to a local fisherman in exchange for their next clue. In Spin Control, teams had to learn a traditional Kandyan dance and then perform it while balancing a spinning raban on a stick. Once the lead dancer was pleased with the performance, he would give the team their next clue.
For their Speed Bump, Brendon & Rachel had to properly use silk screening to apply the final color to 15 T-shirts bearing the flag of Sri Lanka before they could continue racing.
For the Roadblock, one team member had to properly sew a shirt in the garment factory. Once the floor manager approved the work, he directed the team to a heat transfer machine which printed the name of their next location onto the shirt.
;Additional task
Airdate: March 30, 2014
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to pick a color badge in the gas station's office and then search along a line of parked tuk-tuks for 4 that had the same color marker on their windshields. They then had to lead the tuk-tuks back to the gas station to fill up their tanks to. Once all 4 tuk-tuks had full tanks, they were given their next clue.
This leg's Detour was a choice of Trunk or Sheets. In Trunk, teams worked with an elephant to load a truck with timber. After chaining a special knot to the larger pieces of timber so the elephant could lift it, the racers and the elephant had to each carry three logs to the truck. After giving their elephant palm leaves, the mahout would give teams their next clue. In Sheets, teams made paper using an environmentally friendly and unique ingredient: elephant dung. After collecting dung in a wheelbarrow, teams took it over to the paper mill where it was mixed with water and paper scraps to make pulp. Teams then put the pulp on screens, making sure to press out the bubbles, to make five sheets of paper. After teams laid five pre-made sheets out to dry, the managing director would give them their next clue.
;Additional task
Airdate: April 13, 2014
The Speed Bump required Caroline & Jennifer to head to the Pantheon, pick up an antique Olivetti typewriter, and drop it off at the building it resembled, the Altare della Patria which locals call "the Typewriter", before they could continue.
The Detour was a choice between Gladiator and Charioteer. For both Detours options, teams dressed up in ancient Roman costume. In Gladiator, teams learned a series of sword maneuvers to "battle" a seasoned gladiator to receive their next clue. If teams strayed from the battle sequence they were taught, they had to start over. In Charioteer, teams raced around a track using a radio-controlled chariot with one team member controlling speed and the other controlling direction. Once teams completed five laps within one minute and thirty seconds, indicated by a "fire" going out, they would be given their next clue.
In the Roadblock, one team member had to get a postcard from a chestnut vendor and count the steps of the Spanish Steps, not counting the sidewalk at the bottom. Then, they had to add that total to the Roman numerals on the Obelisco Sallustiano in front of the Trinità dei Monti, indicating its year of construction. They had to write down their sum in Roman numerals on the back of the postcard and show it to a pair of Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn from Roman Holiday impersonators at the top of the steps. If they had the right answer of MCMXXIV, they would receive their next clue; otherwise, they had to go back down to the chestnut vendor to get a new postcard and try again.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: April 20, 2014
This leg's Detour paid homage to Bagnoregio's traditional mode of transportation: the donkey. In Donkey Run, teams had to pick a pair of donkeys and then participate in a traditional donkey race, Palio della Tonna. If they could make three laps before the band stopped playing, they would win their next clue. In Donkey Build, teams headed to "Geppetto's Workshop" where they built a wooden donkey-shaped trolley using all of the pieces provided, including the crate the pieces were held in. Once they were done, it was loaded with wood and they then had to deliver the wood to "Geppetto" himself for their next clue.
In the Roadblock, one team member had to copy a page out of an illuminated manuscript, just as monks traditionally did before the invention of the printing press. Once they properly copied the page's calligraphy and gold leaf to the head monk's approval, they received their next clue.
;Additional task
;Additional note
Airdate: April 27, 2014
In this Roadblock, one team member had to pick a Bernese Mountain Dog with a cart containing two empty milk jugs and guide their dog to one of two gondola stations. After unloading the milk jugs and riding the gondola to the top station, the team member had to carry the milk jugs to a dairy farm and trade the empty jugs for full ones. They then had to carry the full jugs back to the gondola and down to their dog, before bringing the dog and full milk jugs to the milk truck to receive their next clue.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: May 4, 2014
In the Roadblock, one team member paid homage to the opera The Barber of Seville by becoming a barber in Seville. They had to properly apply shaving cream to a balloon and then use a straight razor to remove all of the shaving cream within 60 seconds to receive their next clue from a barber. If they popped the balloon or ran out of time, they had to start over.
The Detour was a choice between Spanish Steps and Running with the Ballz. In Spanish Steps, teams had to learn a traditional flamenco routine and correctly perform on stage to receive their next clue. In Running with the Ballz, teams wore bumperz designed to look like bulls and ran through the streets of Seville, trying to avoid other "bulls", and looking for fragments of a motto printed on several posters along the route. Once the teams reached the end of the course and could recite the full motto to the mayoral, the teams would receive their next clue.
For their Speed Bump, Caroline & Jennifer had to deliver six jamónes ibéricos through the streets and alleys of Seville to Las Teresas Café Bar before they could continue racing.
;Additional notes
Airdate: May 11, 2014
In the Roadblock, one team member rode on one of Pontcysyllte Aqueduct's canal boats and worked with a Welsh language instructor to learn a verse of the Welsh poem "Y Sipsi!". After the 15-minute boat ride to the other side of the aqueduct was complete, the team member disembarked the boat and had to recite the poem verbatim from memory to a waiting linguist to receive their next clue.
The Detour was a choice between Shoot It and Boot It. In Shoot It, teams participated in clay pigeon shooting using a 12-gauge shotgun and had to hit a total of 16 clay pigeons to receive their next clue. In Boot It, teams participated in boot throwing. After searching through a pile of Wellington boots to find a pair of either size-9 or size-11 boots, the teams filled them with water and threw them along a course until they reached the finish line. At the end of the course, a "Wellie official" would confirm that the teams had used the correct-sized boots and then give them their next clue.
;Additional task
Airdate: May 18, 2014
In the first Roadblock of the leg, one team member participated in an illusion with magician David Copperfield. After opening up the box they previously dug up from the desert, retrieving the keys inside, the team member performing the Roadblock was shackled to the inside of a box and once the box was closed, their partner would hand over the keys through a hole in the box. Copperfield then escorted the teammate sitting out the Roadblock to a television monitor to watch their partner attempt the challenge. After the team member inside the box found the right key and unlocked the shackles, they had to retrieve lockpicks from the top of the box, after which the box was lifted off of the ground and lit on fire. Once the racer in the box said that they were complete, the partner, under Copperfield's instruction, set off a series of switches that dropped the box into a burning pile of wood and set off a fiery explosion. Copperfield then informed the partner that they would have to get the fire department's assistance, and the racer in the box would appear wearing a firefighter uniform, completely unharmed. Copperfield would then give them their next clue, after a bit of sleight of hand.
For final Roadblock of the Race, the team member who sat out the first Roadblock had to get in a helicopter, wearing a special futuristic jumpsuit, and search the Las Vegas Strip for a sign at the Aria Resort and Casino that told them the name of their drop zone and location of the Finish Line: the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. After informing their pilot, they would tandem skydive onto the racetrack's infield, spewing fireworks along the way, to join their partner and cross the Finish Line.
;Additional tasks
;Additional note
No episode aired on April 6, 2014, due to the CBS broadcast of the Academy of Country Music Awards.

U.S. Nielsen ratings

Canadian ratings

Canadian broadcaster CTV also airs The Amazing Race on Sundays. Episodes air at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and Central, with four exceptions. The broadcast of the second episode conflicted with CTV's broadcast of the 86th Academy Awards; The Amazing Race was instead shown at 7:00 p.m. in the Atlantic time zone, at 6:00 p.m. in the Eastern time zone, and at 5:00 p.m. in the Central time zone, and immediately after the broadcast of the Oscars in the Pacific and Mountain time zones. The broadcast of the sixth episode conflicted with CTV's broadcast of the 2014 Juno Awards; The Amazing Race was instead shown at 7:00 p.m. in the Atlantic and Central time zones, at 8:00 p.m. in the Eastern and Mountain time zones, and at 9:00 p.m. in the Pacific time zone. The broadcast of the eleventh episode was rescheduled due to CTV's broadcast of the season finale of Once Upon a Time; The Amazing Race was instead shown at 8:00 p.m. in the Atlantic time zone, and at 7:00 p.m. in the rest of the country. The broadcast of the season finale conflicted with CTV's broadcast of the 2014 Billboard Music Awards; The Amazing Race was instead shown at 8:00 p.m. in the Atlantic time zone, and at 7:00 p.m. in the rest of the country.
Canadian DVR ratings are included in BBM Canada's count.
#AirdateEpisodeViewers
Rank
1February 23, 2014"Back in the Saddle"2.3428
2March 2, 2014"Baby Bear's Soup"1.78814
3March 9, 2014"Welcome to the Jungle"2.4073
4March 16, 2014"Smarter, Not Harder"2.4902
5March 23, 2014"Can't Make Fish Bite"2.4823
6March 30, 2014"Down and Dirty"2.4292
7April 13, 2014"The Gladiators Are Here!"2.4242
8April 20, 2014"Donkeylicious"2.3322
9April 27, 2014"Accidental Alliance"2.3972
10May 4, 2014"Bull Down"2.5072
11May 11, 2014"Hei Ho Heidi Ho"1.70616
12May 18, 2014"Do You Believe in Magic?"2.12410