The Amazing Race 13 is the thirteenth 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 in order to win US$1,000,000. This season visited five continents and eight countries and traveled over 40,000 miles (64,000 km). Starting in
Los Angeles, racers traveled through
Brazil,
Bolivia,
New Zealand,
Cambodia,
India,
Kazakhstan, and
Russia before finishing in
Portland, Oregon. The season premiered on
CBS on September 28, 2008, and the season finale aired on December 7, 2008.[2]
Siblings Nick and Starr Spangler were the winners of this season, while former
NFL safety
Ken Greene and his wife Tina finished in second place, and fraternity brothers Andrew Lappitt and Dan Honig finished in third place.
Production
Development and filming
The Amazing Race 13 spanned 40,000 miles (64,000 km) in 23 days and visited eight different countries.[3] This included the series' first visits to
Bolivia,
Cambodia, and
Kazakhstan. CBS had originally planned to only air one installment of The Amazing Race (
season 12) in the
2007–08 season, but due to the
2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, CBS ordered a thirteenth installment as a replacement for programs affected by the strike.[4] CBS greenlit the thirteenth installment on December 9, 2007.[5] Season locations were scouted in January 2008 and filming took place between April and May 2008.[6][7][8]
Toni and Dallas Imbimbo were absent from the finish line, because Dallas had misplaced his passport and the team's money in
Moscow, Russia, during the penultimate leg.[9] This had been hinted at in promotional materials aired before the season began, where CBS revealed that one team made "an unprecedented mistake that ultimately prohibit[ed] them from joining their fellow Racers at the Finish Line."[10] The passport was eventually turned in at the
U.S. Embassy in Russia, but it was still too late for Toni and Dallas to join their fellow racers at the finish line.[9] Starr Spangler revealed in a post-show interview that they did join the other racers in
Portland, Oregon, at a party following the end of the competition.[11]
Marketing
CBS heavily promoted the new season, including placing advertising on the top of three hangar buildings at
Los Angeles International Airport prior to the premiere.[12] Unlike other seasons, CBS revealed a location map of where the show would be traveling prior to the start of the season.[13]
Cast
The cast this season featured a team of fraternity brothers, married hippies, southern belles, businesswomen divorcées, and a
retired NFL player hoping to reconnect with his estranged wife.[14] Ken Greene was a
safety for the
St. Louis Cardinals and
San Diego Chargers before retiring in 1984.[15]
Starr Spangler and Dallas Imbimbo, who had competed on opposing teams, revealed in interviews that they had been dating long-distance for six months since the show completed taping.[9][11] The two eventually ended their relationship due to the distance.[16]
Terence Gerchberg and Andrew Lappitt later attended the public start of
season 25.[17]
Results
The following teams are listed with their placements in each leg. Placements are listed in finishing order.
A red placement with a dagger (†) indicates that the team was eliminated.
An underlined blue 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.
A green ƒ indicates that the team won the Fast Forward.
^Toni & Dallas were initially denied their clue at the Detour, because they had taken the metro instead of a taxi, and were required to go back to the end of the Roadblock and return to the Detour via taxi. After all of the other teams had checked in at the Pit Stop, Phil came to
Rizhskaya Station to inform Toni & Dallas of their elimination.
^Terence & Sarah initially arrived 3rd, but were issued a 30-minute penalty for speeding. They departed the next leg 5th.
^Mark & Bill initially arrived 8th, but were issued a 30-minute penalty for taking a taxi instead of going on foot to the Detour as the clue had instructed. Kelly & Christy checked in during this penalty time, dropping Mark & Bill to last.
Race summary
Destinations
Air travel Rail travel Water travel Bus travel Helicopter travel Bicycle travel Gondola travel
Teams set off from the
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and drove to
Los Angeles International Airport, where they had to book one of two flights to
Salvador, Brazil. The first six teams departed on the first flight via
American Airlines, while the remaining five teams departed three hours later on the second flight via
United Airlines. However, the first flight ended up being delayed 1:30 hours during its connection in
Rio de Janeiro. Once there, teams had to go to a sandwich shop, choose a traditional vending cart, take it to the Praça da Sé, and deliver it to a man named Indio in order to receive their next clue.
This season's first Detour was a choice between Hard Way Up or Soft Way Down. In Hard Way Up, teams climbed the
Escadaria do Passo on their hands and knees. At the top, teams were asked how many stairs they'd climbed. If they gave the correct answer, they received their next clue; if they were wrong, they had to climb the staircase and try again. In Soft Way Down, teams had to go to the top of the
Elevador Lacerda, an outdoor elevator, and climb down a 240-foot (73 m)
cargo net in order to receive their next clue.
After the Detour, teams had to travel by ferry to the Pit Stop: the
Forte de São Marcelo.
Leg 2 (Brazil)
Episode 2: "Do You Like American Candy?" (October 5, 2008)
Prize: An
off-road vehicle for each team member (awarded to Ken & Tina)
At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to
Fortaleza. Once there, teams had to travel to Praia de Cumbuco, where they had to ride a
dune buggy along the beach to Barraca do Manoel in order to receive their next clue.
This leg's Detour was a choice between Beach It or Docket. In Beach It, teams had to travel to Pecém Beach and move a traditional Brazilian sailboat known as a jangada to an inlet in order to receive their next clue. In Docket, teams had to travel to the nearby
Port of Pecem and search a computer database for the specific
ID number of the
shipping container that held their next clue.
After the Detour, teams had to travel to the Parque de
Vaquejada in order to find their next clue.
In this season's first Roadblock, one team member had to locate the name of their next Pit Stop (Cidade da Criança), which was hidden amongst several advertisements painted along a 600-foot (180 m) wall, in order to receive their next clue.
Leg 3 (Brazil → Bolivia)
Episode 3: "Did You Push My Sports Bra Off the Ledge?" (October 12, 2008)
At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to
La Paz, Bolivia. Once there, teams had to go to the statue of
Simón Bolívar, where they spent the night. The next morning, teams had to search the classified ads of a newspaper for their next clue, which directed teams to the Narvaez Hat Shop in
Plaza Murillo. There, teams had to buy a traditional
bowler hat called a bombin, which they had to keep for the remainder of the leg, in order to receive their next clue.
This leg's Detour was a choice between Musical March or Bumpy Ride. In Musical March, teams had to travel on foot to three plazas several blocks apart and gather the members of a marching band. After leading the band to
Plaza Abaroa, teams received their next clue. In Bumpy Ride, teams had to travel on foot to
Mercado de las Brujas, where they had to ride a traditional wooden bicycle down the steep cobblestone streets to
Plaza Abaroa in order to receive their next clue.
After the Detour, teams had to travel to El Multifuncional in
El Alto in order to find their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to learn six wrestling moves from
luchadoras called the
Fighting Cholitas and successfully perform the moves in the ring in order to receive their next clue directing them to the Pit Stop: Mirador el Monticulo.
Leg 4 (Bolivia → New Zealand)
Episode 4: "I Wonder If They Like Blondes in New Zealand?" (October 19, 2008)
Te Puke (Kiwi Orchard) orTauranga (Blokart Heaven)
Tauranga (Summerhill Recreational Farm)
Episode summary
At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to
Auckland, New Zealand. Once there, teams had to drive to
Gulf Harbour and untie a large
Gordian knot in order to retrieve a clue from inside.
This season's first Fast Forward required one team to climb the mast of the
Sky Tower in Auckland and retrieve a
TravelocityRoaming Gnome from the top. Ken & Tina won the Fast Forward and received a helicopter ride to the Pit Stop.
Teams who did not attempt the Fast Forward had to drive to the top of
Mount Eden in order to find their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to search among
Māori warriors who were performing a
haka dance for the one whose tā moko face tattoo matched a selected pattern in order to receive their next clue. If racers chose the wrong warrior, the warrior took the image away and they had to start over with a new pattern.
After the Roadblock, teams had to drive to the CityLife Hotel and found their next clue on the roof instructing them to use binoculars to spot one of eight Travelocity Roaming Gnomes hidden around downtown Auckland. They then had to retrieve one gnome and found their next clue on the bottom of its base, which directed teams to Kiwi 360 in
Te Puke. Teams had to keep the gnome with them for the rest of the leg.
This leg's Detour was a choice between Matter of Time or Matter of Skill. In Matter of Time, teams had to drive to a
kiwi orchard. There, teams had to use their feet to crush a vat of kiwis and produce 12 US quarts (11,000 ml) of juice. Then, both team member had to drink a glass of juice in order to receive their next clue. In Matter of Skill, teams had to drive to Blokart Heaven. There, teams had to assemble two
Blokarts, and each team member had to complete three laps around a track in order to receive their next clue.
After the Detour, teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: Summerhill Recreational Farm in Tauranga.
Additional note
John Keoghan, father of host
Phil Keoghan, appeared as the Pit Stop greeter in this leg.[18]
Leg 5 (New Zealand → Cambodia)
Episode 5: "Do It Like a Madman" (October 26, 2008)
Prize: A trip for two to
Saint John (awarded to Nick & Starr)
At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to
Siem Reap, Cambodia. Once there, teams traveled to Phlau Ben Lane and found a roadside gas station, where they had to fill a truck with 25 liters (6.6 U.S. gal) of diesel fuel. They then drove the truck to Siem Reap Harbor, where they rode a boat to the floating Kho Andeth restaurant in order to retrieve their next clue.
This leg's Detour was a choice between Village Life or Village Work. In Village Life, teams had to retrieve a set of toy teeth from a dentist, a doll from a tailor, and a basketball from a floating basketball court. Each team member had to score a basket before returning all the items they'd collected to the Siem Reap Harbor, where they received their next clue. In Village Work, teams had to go to
Tonlé Sap, retrieve two full baskets of fish from the water, and then return them to the Siem Reap Harbor in order to receive their next clue.
After the Detour, teams had to travel to
Angkor Wat in order to find their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to search Angkor Wat for an echo chamber within a room called "Prassat Kok Troung". Once there, they had to stand in a specific spot and thump their chest so as to make an echo sound in the room. They could then pick up a stone
frieze, which displayed their next clue on the reverse directing them to the Pit Stop: the
Bayon Temple.
Leg 6 (Cambodia → India)
Episode 6: "Please Hold While I Singe My Skull" (November 2, 2008)
Prize: An
electric car for each team member (awarded to Nick & Starr)
At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to
Delhi, India. Once there, teams had to travel to Moonlight Motors in order to find their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had cover all of the glass and wheels of an
auto rickshaw with newspaper and then spray-paint the black portions with green paint, indicating that the rickshaw had switched to using natural gas as fuel, in order to receive their next clue.
After the Roadblock, teams had to travel to the Ambassador Hotel and search the garden for a doorman, who had their next clue.
This leg's Detour was a choice between Launder Money or Launder Clothes. In Launder Money, teams had to make a traditional Indian wedding necklace by stapling enough 10
Indian rupee banknotes to the necklace so that they added up to ₹780. They then had to find the newlywed couple in the crowded banquet hall and present them with the necklace in order to receive their next clue. In Launder Clothes, teams had to use a traditional charcoal iron to press twenty pieces of clothing in order to receive their next clue.
After the Detour, teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: the
Baháʼí House.
Additional note
This was a non-elimination leg.
Leg 7 (India)
Episode 7: "My Nose Is on Fire" (November 9, 2008)
Prize: A trip for two to
Kauai, Hawaii (awarded to Nick & Starr)
At the start of this leg, teams had to travel to the Deshbandhu Apartments in
Kalkaji in order to find their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to climb one of three ladders to find a suspended envelope imprinted with The Amazing Race, among several others that said Try Again, amid celebrators of
Holi, the Festival of Colours, who were bombarding them with colored dyes and water.
After the Roadblock, teams had to travel to the Charity Birds Hospital at
Jain Mandir, where they had to search the birdcages for their next clue.
This leg's Detour was a choice between Bleary Eyed or Teary Eyed. In Bleary Eyed, teams had to follow a series of power lines on
Nai Sarak Street, keeping track of the numbered tags. They then had to report these numbers to a power company official and if they were correct, they could plug in a musical
Ganesh statue in order to receive their next clue. In Teary Eyed, teams had to search a spice market for Ram Bhandar, where teams were given two 40-pound (18 kg) bags of
chili peppers that they had to transport one-quarter mile (0.40 km) to Shwan Kumar and Sons and then grind into
chili powder in order to receive their next clue.
After the Detour, teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: the
Tomb of Isa Khan.
Leg 8 (India → Kazakhstan)
Episode 8: "I'm Like an Angry Cow" (November 16, 2008)
Prize: A
WaveRunner for each team member (awarded to Nick & Starr)
At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to
Almaty, Kazakhstan. Once there, teams had to travel to the Alel Agro Chicken Factory in
Boralday in order to find their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to search among 30,000 chickens for one of seven golden eggs, which they could trade for their next clue.
In this season's second Fast Forward, teams had to join a traditional Kazakh feast at the Alasha Restaurant, where each team member had to eat a serving of sheep fat known as kurdyuk. Nick & Starr won the Fast Forward.
After the Roadblock, teams had to search for a giant crane truck and travel to
Kok Tobe Arch. There, at the foothills of the
Tien Shan Mountains, teams followed a marked path to a
Mongol warrior, who used a
trainedgolden eagle to deliver them their next clue.
This leg's Detour was a choice between Play Like Mad or Act Like Fools. In Play Like Mad, teams would have traveled to the
Kazakh Museum of Folk Musical Instruments, where they would have learned to play a traditional folk tune on the
dombra and the
shang-kobuz. They then would have had to go to a nearby park and perform for locals so as to earn enough tips in order to receive their next clue. In Act Like Fools, teams traveled to the Almaty State Puppet Theater, where they had to put on a two-person cow costume and travel across town to a milk stand to drink a glass of milk. At the bottom of the glass was the name of their next destination – the
Zelyoniy Bazaar – where they had to find the meat section in order to receive their next clue. All teams (except for Nick & Starr, who won the Fast Forward) chose Act Like Fools.
After the Detour, teams had to travel on foot to the Pit Stop at the
Old Square, bringing the cow costume with them.
At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to
Moscow, Russia. Once there, teams had to travel to the Dormition Cathedral in
Krutitsy, where they took part in an
Eastern Orthodox candle-lighting ceremony. All women were required to don
headscarves prior to entering the monastery per religious custom. Teams then received their next clue directing them to the Kolosok Camp in Tatarintsevo.
This leg's Detour was a choice between Boots or Borscht. For both Detour options, teams had to dress in a Russian military uniform. In Boots, teams had to learn a Russian parade march and then perform one full lap with a drill team to the drill master's standard in order to receive their next clue. In Borscht, teams had to travel to a nearby tent and serve 75 soldiers a bowl of
borscht in order to receive their next clue.
After the Detour, teams had to travel to the Zhukovsky Bakery in order to receive their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to unload fifty 55-pound (25 kg) bags of flour from a truck and properly deliver them to the bakery in order to receive their next clue directing them to the Pit Stop:
Neskuchny Sad Park.
Additional note
This was a non-elimination leg.
Leg 10 (Russia)
Episode 10: "You're Gonna Get Me Killed" (November 30, 2008)
Prize: A trip for two to
Anguilla (awarded to Nick & Starr)
At the start of this leg, teams traveled to
Severnoye Tushino Park, where they had to search the Komsomolets of Novosibirsk submarine and find the
Sonar room. Among the crew members, teams had to find an actor who had appeared in the film The Hunt for Red October, who gave them their next clue directing them to the
Fallen Monument Park.
In this season's final Roadblock, one team member had to count the number of statues of
Vladimir Lenin and
Joseph Stalin in the park, and then proceed to an antique bookshop on
Arbat Street, where they had to give the numbers to the manager. If they were incorrect, they had to wait 10 minutes before they could make another guess. If they were correct, they received a copy of The Master and Margarita by
Mikhail Bulgakov, and found a clue about their next destination –
Bulgakov's old flat – on the page of the correct answer. They reunited with their teammate at the Bulgakov House, where they received their next clue.
After traveling to
Sokolniki Park, teams had to search for a woman with a
Shetland pony in order to receive their next clue.
For their Speed Bump, Andrew & Dan had to perform a
traditional Russian dance to the satisfaction of a choreographer before they could continue racing.
This leg's Detour was a choice between Ride the Rails or Ride the Lines. In Ride the Rails, teams had to take the
Moscow Metro from
Sokolniki to
Ulitsa 1905 Goda, where they picked up a
samsa from a snack stand. The wrapper directed teams to
Kitay-Gorod, where they had to give the samosa to a babushka near the statue of
Saints Cyril and Methodius in
Slavyanskaya Square. In return, she gave them a postcard directing teams to the
VDNKh Park station, where they found their next clue. In Ride the Lines, teams had to travel by
trolleybus from Sokolniki Station to
Krasnoselskaya Station and find a key maker, who gave them a key. The key tag directed teams to the
Rizhskaya Station, where they found a postcard with their next clue inside a locker.
After the Detour, teams had to travel by foot to the Pit Stop: the Central Pavilion of VDNKh Park.
Additional note
Toni & Dallas were initially denied their clue at the Detour, because they had taken the metro instead of a taxi, as had been required in the clue, and were required to go back to the end of the Roadblock and return to the Detour by taxi.[19] After all of the other teams had checked in at the Pit Stop, Phil came out to Rizhskaya Station to inform Toni & Dallas of their elimination.
Leg 11 (Russia → United States)
Episode 11: "You Look Like Peter Pan" (December 7, 2008)
At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to
Portland, Oregon. Once there, teams had to travel to the Tilikum Retreat Center in
Newberg in order to find their next clue.
This season's final Detour was a choice between High & Dry or Low & Wet. In High & Dry, each team member had to climb 30 feet (9.1 m) up a tree, where they had to balance themselves on a log and then jump off to each grab half of their next clue. In Low & Wet, teams would have had to walk 850 feet (260 m) across floating logs to a river island in order to retrieve their next clue. All teams chose High & Dry.
After the Detour, teams had to travel to the
Bridge of the Gods in
Cascade Locks, Oregon, where they had to ride a
zip-line from the bridge along the
Columbia River to nearby Thunder Island. There, teams undertook a memory challenge. Given an answer board with spaces numbered for the first ten legs, they removed covers one at a time, revealing the symbol of either a Roadblock, Detour, Route Info, or Pit Stop. Teams then had to search through 150 identical clue boxes to find a picture depicting the task or location from that leg. When they retrieved a picture and placed it on the board in the corresponding position, a green light would indicate whether it was correct and if so, they could move on to the next one; otherwise they had to try again. Once all ten spaces were correct, teams could retrieve their next clue directing them to the
Portland Building.
Leg
Symbol
Location
Country
1
Route Info
O Rei do Pernil
Brazil
2
Detour
Barraca do Manoel
Brazil
3
Roadblock
Los Titanes del Ring
Bolivia
4
Pit Stop
Summerhill Recreational Farm
New Zealand
5
Roadblock
Angkor Wat
Cambodia
6
Route Info
Ambassador Hotel
India
7
Detour
Nai Sarak
India
8
Pit Stop
Old Square
Kazakhstan
9
Route Info
Krutitsy
Russia
10
Roadblock
Fallen Monument Park
Russia
At the Portland Building, teams had to search for a green
dinosaur statue located in the adjacent
Standard Building in order to find their next clue. Teams were then directed to the
Alder Street Food Cart Pods, where they had to search for the
food cart selling ethnic food from the country of the last Pit Stop (Russia), where the proprietor handed them their next clue. Teams were then instructed to travel to the place where "the magic is in the hole", and they had to figure out that it was a reference to
Voodoo Doughnut. There, teams found their final clue directing them to the finish line at the
Pittock Mansion.
Elimination Station
The first five teams eliminated were sequestered at a
villa in
Acapulco,
Mexico to await the finale. Subsequently, eliminated teams telephoned to inform the teams at the villa of their elimination, but continued to run as decoys to throw off spoilers to the final outcome of the season. The sequestered teams met up with the decoy teams in the final destination city, to cheer the final three teams at the Finish Line. (The exception was Toni & Dallas, who were stuck in Russia after their elimination due to the loss of Dallas' passport.)
CBS posted short videos on its website after each episode aired in the
Pacific Time Zone to show the eliminated teams interacting at the villa.
After Leg 1, Anita & Arthur were the first team eliminated and sent to the villa. They expressed their disappointment for being eliminated so early but were also appreciative of their surroundings.
After Leg 2, Anthony & Stephanie were the second team eliminated and sent to the villa. Anita and Arthur were surprised but excited that it was them, and Anthony and Stephanie felt welcomed and less depressed over their elimination. Over a meal, they predicted that Terence & Sarah would win. The two teams then enjoyed the sights and sounds of Acapulco.
After Leg 3, Mark & Bill were the third team eliminated and sent to the villa. They were glad that the two teams there were shocked and saddened to hear that they were eliminated. As they retold how they were eliminated, they found Mexican wrestling masks in their room. The six were later brought, at night, to a luchadore exhibition where Anthony and Stephanie had a lack of interest and left to roam the streets instead.
After Leg 4, Marisa & Brooke were the fourth team eliminated and sent to the villa. They were excited on how lavish the villa was. They then discussed what happened in New Zealand before they all went into town and Anthony, Stephanie, and Bill did a bungee jump.
After Leg 5, Aja & Ty were the fifth team eliminated and sent to the villa. Before they arrived, the others went to the market and prepared a celebratory lunch. The teams were surprised that it was Aja & Ty, who brought news about the season. After the meal, Anthony did not offer to help clean, leaving Stephanie embarrassed. Meanwhile, Ty felt awkward and predicted that Andrew & Dan would be the next team eliminated.
Leg 6 was a non-elimination leg. The five eliminated teams went to the beach where they encountered a weird individual who staged a "performance" for the teams in the ocean. There were mixed reactions from the teams with Anita being thrilled and filled with admiration while Ty was having difficulty understanding the different lifestyle of the people in Mexico.
After Leg 7, Kelly & Christy were the sixth team eliminated. They called the villa during the early hours in Acapulco, and recalled their horrifying "Holi Festival" Roadblock experience and gave them an update on the season.
After Leg 8, Terence & Sarah were the seventh team eliminated. Before their phone call, the eliminated teams went to La Quebrada to watch cliff divers. After that, they gave opinions on who would be eliminated next. Most of them thought it would be Andrew & Dan. They were all shocked when Terence & Sarah called, as several were rooting for them.
Leg 9 was a non-elimination leg. While Aja & Ty had a minor tiff with each other, Marisa & Brooke struggled to make toast. Anthony started complaining about how slow time is passing in the villa. All in all, most of the sequestered teams reveal that they are missing home and are eager to return to their normal lives. Most of them wanted to see either Toni & Dallas or Ken & Tina win.
After Leg 10, Toni & Dallas were the eighth and final team to be eliminated. The first five eliminated teams packed-up to head for the finish line location. As they packed to leave the villa, each team recalled their experience with each other at the villa and expressed their excitement for returning home.
Leg 11 was the final leg of The Amazing Race 13. The five sequestered teams arrived in Portland, Oregon, where they checked into a hotel and were reunited with Terence and Sarah. Toni and Dallas then called the six teams at the hotel, breaking the news that they had been eliminated and would most likely not be joining them at the finish line due to their passport mishap. The teams then went to the finish line, where they reunited with Kelly and Christy, and some of the teams again expressed who they wanted to win. Nick & Starr express their joy and disbelief at winning The Amazing Race, while Ken & Tina express their disappointment but vow to make their marriage work. Andrew & Dan express their elation at making it to third place.
Reception
Critical response
The Amazing Race 13 received mixed-to-positive reviews. Diana Steenbergen of IGN called this another successful season writing that "for the most part, the race was designed well, and the tasks were often very funny" and "this season was cast with an adequate bunch of contestants".[20] Arthur Perkins of Reality Wanted praised this season's cast and wrote that "AR13 will rank high on my list of topnotch Amazing Races."[21]Heather Havrilesky of Salon wrote that even after 13 seasons the show "remain entertaining regardless of the personalities involved."[22] Josh Wolk of Entertainment Weekly wrote that he felt indifferent by the end of the season.[23] Michael Hewitt of the Orange County Register called this "a sometimes maddening season."[24] Reece Forward of Screen Rant ranked this season as the show's best praising the cast, humor, and story arcs writing that "It's a season that gets lost in the shuffle a lot of the time due to following one of the most popular seasons among fans, and preceding a season that marked a clear change in the show" but "when it gets the attention it deserves, it's clear that season 13 stands well on its own as one of the funniest, most endearing seasons of The Amazing Race with a unique cast, gorgeous locations, and consistent positive quality episode to episode."[25] In 2016, this season was ranked 16th out of the first 27 seasons by the Rob Has a Podcast Amazing Race correspondents.[26] In 2021, Val Barone of TheThings ranked this season as the show's 6th best season.[27]