CBS Unveils Full Cast and Premiere Details for The Amazing Race Season 39

Cast and Premiere Schedule

CBS has unveiled the 13-team lineup for The Amazing Race Season 39, hosted by Phil Keoghan, with a two-night premiere on Wednesday, September 30 and Thursday, October 1 at 9:30 p.m. ET before settling into its regular Wednesday 9:30 p.m. ET slot on October 7. The roster features professional soccer players Ali Krieger and Joanna Lohman as pro athletes from Montclair, N.J., and Silver Spring, Md.; father and daughter Anuar Tager and Andrea Tager Ballesca from Houston; mother and daughter Ann-Marie Tejcek and Riley Tejcek; siblings Cody Langlois and Jaime Tribo; childhood friends Conner Wilson and Garrett McGuire; siblings Katie and Charlotte Schultz; grandfather and grandson Doug and Dylan Matter; and Ivy League graduates Jody Rebhun and Jenn Naso, among others.

Newly Introduced Twist

For the first time in the show's history, 13 Express Passes are in play, one for each team, requiring strategic deployment by the end of leg six. Host Phil Keoghan said the season's twists, including an unexpected start-line reveal and the return of tested classics, along with a first-time visit to Albania, raise the strategic stakes for the $1 million prize.

Race Scope and Route

The race begins in Vancouver, Canada, where teams face their first challenge, and spans more than 25,000 miles across five continents, nine countries, and 13 cities. Highlighted challenges include a 200-foot catwalk jump at BC Stadium in Vancouver, walking with camels in Morocco, and flying a paramotor through the skies of Laos, with additional stops including the first-ever visit to Albania.

Notable Contestants and Credentials

Among the most high-profile recruits are two-time Women's World Cup champion Ali Krieger, a 2016 Olympian and 2023 NWSL champion with Gotham FC, and her former U.S. Women's National Team teammate Joanna Lohman. The cast also includes a developer and medical student, a healthcare executive and marine officer, a civil engineer and dietitian, esthetician sisters, and other pairs spanning generations and regions. The team pairings reflect CBS's stated emphasis on relatable everyday Americans paired to race around the world.

Production Credits and Visuals

The season's cast portraits were shot by Sonja Flemming for CBS and by Matthew Taplinger for Paramount, accompanying the network's cast reveal and preview coverage. CBS framed the new season as continuing the franchise's core format of strategic travel and physical challenges while adding new wrinkles to the gameplay mechanics.

What's Next

The two-night premiere on September 30 and October 1 at 9:30 p.m. ET on CBS will be the next major milestone, followed by the show's move to its regular Wednesday 9:30 p.m. ET timeslot on October 7. Coverage will track how teams deploy their Express Passes, which must be used by the end of leg six, and how the first-ever Albania visit factors into the race route.