- The Amazing Race Season 39 contestants feature 13 two-person teams racing across multiple continents.
- Record twist: every team received an Express Pass, a series first with 13 in play at once.
- Vancouver, Canada hosted a leg for the first time after years of fan requests.
- Zach and Nate were the first team eliminated in a heartbreaking opening leg.
- Host Phil Keoghan calls this cast one of the most hyper-competitive in show history.
The Amazing Race Season 39 Contestants: Meet the 13 Teams
The Amazing Race Season 39 contestants represent one of the most competitive casts the CBS reality race has ever assembled. Thirteen two-person teams fought through multiple casting calls for their spots, with some racers having applied seven or eight times before finally making the show. Host Phil Keoghan put it plainly: just getting to the starting line means beating out thousands of other applicants.
Video Highlights:
- 13 teams compete with an unprecedented 13 Express Passes in play at once
- Phil Keoghan previews the hyper-competitive Season 39 cast
- Vancouver, Canada hosts a race leg for the first time
- Zach and Nate become the first eliminated team
- A new mother-daughter team chases the first mother-daughter win in show history
The season premiere unpacked the casting philosophy behind this cast. Producers searched for "that perfect mix" of personalities, relationships, and competitive drive, and the result is a field where every team is convinced they have what it takes to win.
Some of the Season 39 contestants applied seven or eight times over the years before earning a spot. Persistence in the casting process is a real pattern — many longtime fan-favorite racers got on the show only after repeated attempts.
The 13 Express Pass Twist
Season 39 changed the game before the race even started. For the first time in Amazing Race history, every single team received an Express Pass, putting 13 of them in play simultaneously. In past seasons, Express Passes were rare prizes won by first-place teams — now every contestant had a secret weapon.
When to use it became the season's central strategic question:
| Strategy | Timing | Risk Level | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Burn | First leg | Low | Teams fearing immediate elimination |
| Mid-Race Save | Legs 3-5 | Medium | Teams stuck on a difficult Detour |
| Insurance Hold | As long as possible | High | Confident front-running teams |
| Reactive Use | When falling behind | Medium | Weaker early performers |
The universal Express Pass flattened the field. Front-running teams could no longer predict the middle of the pack, because any trailing team could skip a Roadblock and jump ahead. It changed the elimination order throughout the race.
Phil Keoghan described the twist as "a game changer," noting that it gave teams that might be weaker at the start a genuine chance to catch back up and reset the running order.
Race Route: Vancouver and Beyond
Season 39 made Canadian fans' wish come true. For years, viewers of the successful Canadian version of the show asked Phil Keoghan to bring the American race north of the border, and Season 39 finally delivered with a leg in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Vancouver Leg
- First-ever Canadian leg on the U.S. version
- Filmed on a spectacular sunny day
- Lush green scenery after frequent rain
Why Vancouver
- Fans campaigned for years
- Strong Canadian viewership
- World-class urban race terrain
Host's Take
- Phil Keoghan: "It's a beautiful, beautiful country"
- Crew paused to soak in the views
- A thank-you to Canadian fans
Beyond Canada, the season maintained the show's signature unpredictability. As Keoghan emphasizes, every envelope teams rip open holds a surprise, and nothing can fully prepare contestants for what lies ahead.
The first elimination is always the hardest. Keoghan admits he hates eliminating the first team — hours after the race begins, someone's dream ends. Zach and Nate, the first team out of Season 39, still called the experience a blessing they shared together.
How the Casting Process Shapes the Cast
Understanding who the Season 39 contestants are starts with understanding how they got there. The path from applicant to racer is long and selective.
Application
Teams submit video applications and detailed forms. Many racers, including some in Season 39, applied repeatedly over multiple years before breaking through.
Casting Calls
Candidates go through multiple rounds of interviews and screenings as producers search for the right mix of dynamics, personalities, and competitiveness.
Final Selection
Only 13 teams make the cut from thousands of applicants. As Phil Keoghan tells them at the start line, "you've already won" just by getting there.
The Race
Selected teams face a grueling global race where most will be eliminated — only one duo takes the million-dollar prize.
| Cast Trait | Season 39 Details |
|---|---|
| Number of Teams | 13 two-person teams |
| Application History | Some teams applied 7-8 times before casting |
| Notable Storyline | First potential mother-daughter winner in 39 seasons |
| Competitive Level | Described by the host as hyper-competitive |
| First Eliminated | Zach and Nate (Leg 1) |
Season 39 features a mother-daughter team chasing what would be the first mother-daughter victory in the show's 39-season history — one of the season's most compelling contestant storylines.
Contestant Viewing Checklist
Track the season like a superfan with this checklist of contestant storylines and twist moments to watch for:
Season 39 Must-Watch Moments:
- Watch how each team times their Express Pass usage
- Follow the mother-daughter team's historic run
- See the first-ever Vancouver, Canada leg
- Track which teams struggle in the opening legs
- Note which first-leg frontrunners maintain their lead
A pattern worth remembering: historically, teams that perform well in the first leg tend to keep performing well throughout the race. The universal Express Pass was designed in part to disrupt exactly that pattern — and it visibly changed the running order across the season.
| First-Leg Pattern | Effect in Season 39 |
|---|---|
| Strong starters usually stay strong | Still true, but harder to predict |
| Express Pass scarcity | Replaced — all 13 teams hold one |
| Predictable elimination order | Shuffled by pass strategy |
| Middle-pack teams | Gained comeback opportunities |
FAQ
Q: How many teams are competing as The Amazing Race Season 39 contestants?
Season 39 features 13 two-person teams. All of them went through multiple casting calls, and some had applied seven or eight times over previous years before finally being selected for the race.
Q: What makes Season 39's Express Pass twist different?
For the first time in the show's history, all 13 teams received an Express Pass at the start, meaning 13 passes were in play at once. Previously, passes were rare rewards. This gave weaker early teams a comeback tool and forced front-runners to second-guess their competition.
Q: Who was the first team eliminated in Season 39?
Zach and Nate were the first team eliminated in Leg 1. Despite racing hard across the city and doing things viewers could hardly imagine, they arrived last. They reflected that they were blessed to share the experience together and finished feeling they did everything they could.
Q: Did Season 39 visit Canada?
Yes. Season 39 included a leg in Vancouver, British Columbia — the first time the U.S. version raced in Canada. It came after years of Canadian fans asking Phil Keoghan to bring the race north, aided by the success of the Canadian version of the show.