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The Final Push
January 20
Ron & Christina Hsu, a father-daughter team
from Washington. Don Jerousek & Nic Fulks, a grandfather-grandson team
from the Midwest. TK Erwin & Rachel Rosales, a dating couple from
Southern California. At the end of the hour, one of these teams will be
a million dollars richer as the Racers finally head home.
PIT STOP - Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall Plaza, Taipei, Taiwan
After a respite of 12 hours, Ron & Christina are the first to head out
at 9:47a. And the Race to a million begins with...
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ROUTE INFO |
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Time to head back to the USA.
Fly to your final destination
city of Anchorage, Alaska! When you land, make your way to
6th Avenue Outfitters. Here, you'll pick up vital tools for
your adventure ahead as well as the next clue. You have $392
for this leg of the Race. |
Everyone here is strong and smart, but
Christina says that they're stronger and smarter.
About half an hour later, here comes TK & Rachel. Every team has its
way to be successful, but TK & Rachel have gotten this far by staying
calm.
At 10:37a, local time, Nic, proud of his grandfather, takes off with
him.
At the airport, Ron & Christina get their tickets and head to the lounge
for some Internet time. TK & Rachel, not too far behind, get tickets for
the same flight. Same with Nic & Don. But no team can find Ron & Chris
anywhere. Speaking of, here they are at the China Air lounge, where they
hit up the website for 6th Avenue Outfitters to get an address.
The three teams are reunited for the only flight to...
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, USA
Now it's a matter of who's the father running team. So far, it's Ron &
Chris, followed by TK & Rachel, and Nic & Don. Now it's a race to see
who can get to 6th Avenue Outfitters first.
Ron & Christina are first there, and they get their gear and this...
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ROUTE INFO |
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Make your way to the waterfront
and find Ship Creek Boat Launch, where you'll find your next
clue. |
Ron & Christina take time to analyze their gear in the cab to
the waterfront.
TK & Rachel are a bit behind.
Nic & Don are heading to the boat launch without their gear.
"We're only behind by a couple of minutes, so we're in pretty
good shape." Except you don't have your gear with you. That's...
That's pretty important.
Ron & Christina are first to the final...
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DETOUR |
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CUT THE COD or GRAB THE CRAB
CUT THE COD: Cut through several
50-pound Ling Cod and search for a miniature clue hidden in one of the
fish.
GRAB THE CRAB: Jump into the hold of a boat swarming with over 500 live
crabs. Then, search through the nipping crustaceans for a crab marked
with Race colors. |
Ron & Christina opt to play with fish. Here's a hint: "One of
you may use a fillet knife."
TK & Rachel are dropped off at the wrong location. Or it's the
right location, but it's five miles premature.
Ron & Christina cut into the guts of their fish before they
find....
"Get to 20-Mile River by taxi. Then take a speedboat ride to
20-Mile Glacier."
What teams don't know is that the clue is atop the glacier, and
that they're going to have to climb the face of it to get there.
Ron & Christina spot two opposing taxis. The first, carrying Nic
& Don, has to double back to 6th Avenue Outfitters when Nic
realizes that they don't have a bag with them. The second,
carrying TK & Rachel... just became the first.
TK & Rachel decide to take on the crabs, while Ron & Christina
head up to the river. TK & Rachel find that the gloves when
handling crab... they don't work.
Nic & Don decide to gut the fish. TK & Rachel decide to gut fish
after some time in the bin with the crab... This before TK
manages to find a crab with the familiar yellow-and-red route
marker.
Nic & Don finally get on the road after gutting their fish. Can
either team catch up to the leading Hsus, who are now heading
down the river to the glacier?
TK & Rachel's cabbie needs directions to 20-Mile River. Aren't
they supposed to know these things ahead of time? The normally
cool headed hippies suffer their first mental breakdown of the
Race here. But they make it at least. Not too far behind, Nic &
Don.
Ron & Christina are the first to 20-Mile Glacier, where a
professional ice climber by the name of Matt informs them that
to get to the next clue, they have to climb up the face of the
glacier. BOTH of them have to do it. And remember, Ron is afraid
of heights. This could present a problem. Ron is very much
afraid of falling. He should be afraid of Christina falling. She
can't seem to get the hang of ice boots.
Ron is the first up the ice face, while Christina is still
hanging at the bottom. But she never gives up, and once she's on
her way, she doesn't look back. Next clue as TK runs up the face
of the ice wall....
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ROUTE INFO |
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Take a helicopter to Merrill Field.
When you land, travel by taxi to Goose Lake Park, where
you'll find your next clue. |
TK & Rachel are second to finish the climb, while Don makes
mincemeat out of the glacier. Nic... not so much.
Ron & Christina use the old "It's an emergency" excuse to get a
taxi to Goose Lake Park. TK & Rachel are hot on their tail.
Both teams arrive, Hsus before hippies.
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ROADBLOCK |
WHO WANTS TO RELIVE THEIR EXPERIENCE
ON THE RACE? MEMORY AND LOGIC ARE KEY!
There are 15 recognizable objects
from the Race course. They must place on a stage 10 specific
items.
1) There may only be one item from each of the previous legs
of the Race.
2) Of the 10 items, 3 must be animals or animal by-products,
one must be a U-turn, two must be objects either at or
brought to a Pit Stop, two must be items of transportation
with wheels (one of which was used at a Detour), and one
item of transportation must resemble a stick.
There are several ways to group the items, but only one
particular way will fulfill both requirements. |
Christina does the Road Block. For
those playing along at home, the correct answers are...
A tandem bicycle (Ireland), a standard bicycle (Netherlands), a
coconut bowl filled with camel's milk (Bingo, Burkina Faso), a
chicken (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso), stilts (Lithuania), a
cannon (Croatia), a Blackberry (Italy), a U-turn sign (India), a
window washer (Japan), and a teacup (Taiwan).
TK & Rachel know they're monkeys in the middle, so now it's a
wait and see. Meanwhile, we see Christina's memory fail her.
Will Rachel's memory be any better? Will Nic's?
Christina says "Done" first... but she's missing a tandem bike.
Rachel's "done" next... but she's missing three. Christina is
done... but she misses three as well. Nic is just... winging it.
Okay, folks. Listen. The three animals/by-products: camel's
milk... chicken... window washer. The things at the Pit Stop:
chicken... cannon. Wheels: tandem bike... regular bike. Sticks:
stilts.
All of the Racers are very nervous. Rachel tries again... and
gets it!
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ROUTE INFO |
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Find Cook's Eye View of the Sleeping
Lady. |
Teams have to figure out that the clue will lead them to a
statue of Captain Cook. The clue is just underneath.
TK & Rachel's cabbie knows exactly where Sleeping Lady inlet is.
Christina's the second to finish the Road Block, and they're on
their way. Their cabbie knows the way there as well.
TK & Rachel have traffic tie-ups, which force their cab to turn
around. Ron: "It's not over until it's over."
And the first to Captain Cook is... TK & Rachel!
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ROUTE INFO |
You're almost there.
Find the Salmon Hooker. |
Travel to downtown Anchorage and find the statue of a salmon
hooker.
The Salmon Hooker is on 5th and G. HURRY!
TK & Rachel are on H Street. Just a hop, skip, and a jump away
from...
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ROUTE INFO |
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FINISH LINE
This is it! Take a taxi to Girdwood
Airport and follow the route-markers to the Finish Line.
First team to the mat wins $1 million!
HURRY! GO, GO, GO! |
Will they be able to find a taxi?
TK & Rachel manage to find one first. Ron & Christina find one
second. Now it's a matter of who gets to the airport first.
Ron says he's learned a lot from this Race. TK & Rachel... they
just have their eyes on the prize.
FINISH LINE - Girdwood Airport, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
Now it's a mad dash.
And awaiting them, the customary assembly of losers...
Ari & Staella (My Big Fat Greek Couple), Kate & Pat (Tarts &
Vicars), Marianna & Julia (The Miami Heat), Lorena & Jason
(Ebony & Ivory), Shana & Jennifer (The Blondes), Azaria &
Hendekea (Team Fix-It), Kynt & Vyxsin (the Dating Goths), and
Nate & Jennifer (the Cheaters).
Oh yeah, and Phil... as himself.
And the first taxi to arrive... has dirty hippies in it! It's TK
& Rachel, and the only thing separating them from a million is a
manic run to the oversized mat.
"I think I'm gonna cry already." Save your tears, Rach.
Okay, I think I'll let Phil take this one...
"Ten cities.... four continents... Nearly 30,000 miles... TK &
RACHEL, YOU ARE THE OFFICIAL WINNERS OF THE AMAZING RACE! YOU
HAVE WON THE ONE MILLION DOLLARS!"
TK says that they're so many ups and downs and that their
relationship is much the better for it. Rachel beat a hell of a
lot of people. "It's a testament to how tough of a person she
is."
And coming in to congratulate them... Ron & Christina. Did the
old man change at the end? "I feel real grateful. I came out
with first place in my daughter's heart. For once in my life,
when I say 'I love you', I really mean it." A simple yes would
suffice, but good on you guys.
And coming in show... Nic & Don. Donald is now officially a part
of AR lore, the oldest person to finish. Nic's main goal was to
finish. "It was an incredible experience. One I will remember
for the rest of my life." You should, dude. You and Don have
matching tattoos.
Final words from TK: "Nice guys can definitely finish first."
Yeah, you know the rest: hugs and hand-pounds all around, final
words from the winners, gather round the platform, clap and
cheer... fade to black.
And so the 12th running of the Amazing Race comes to a harrowing
conclusion. Who'll be brave enough or perhaps foolhardy enough
to circumnavigate the globe in the 13th running, and what does
the 13th running have in store for them? Only time will tell.
Join us then, won't you?
Until then, get out and do stuff.
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