Understandably, Colin & Christie are VERY confident that none of the other teams are stronger and smarter than them. Christie goes as far as saying the other teams "suck". Harsh words from someone who is a mere 87 minutes ahead with a POSSIBLE air trip coming up. Team Bowling Moms depart at 6:23am in hot pursuit. They are shocked to have been in second after such a hard time in the last leg... but directions to Auckland put BOTH of them on edge. Karen even ends up tossing the map at driver Linda.

About 20 minutes later, the Dating Models take off from the PIT STOP, not liking to be in third but confident they can catch up. The Married Parents are the last to leave just over 3 hours behind the leaders. Learning from the mistake of the YIELD in the last leg, Chip will drop the "diplomat" role and do what it takes to get ahead.

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND

Team Type A has no problems finding the right marina... but they failed to realize it was so HUGE! However, the "Hydroflow" is among the yachts closest to the shore. Colin didn't bother to crank the pulley, opting instead to YANK the rope to lower the clue. What he finds is a:

Colin thinks the task would be to climb to the top of a tall mast, so he takes the initiative. The marine workers suit him up and he and Christie make their way to the bridge.

Meanwhile, the other three teams are trying to find their way to Auckland. Linda & Karin are lost while the Dating Models and Married Parents pass them on the right route. Chip thinks he might've seen a small boat going under the bridge with a marker on it.

On said boat, Colin starts his ascent. Christie tells him to take his time since they have such a big lead... but Colin doesn't DARE want to lose it! He makes it to the girders and, without any fear at all, makes the short trek to the other side of the bridge. The helper gives him the clue and Colin repels off the bridge to the boat below. As they head back to the marina, they open the clue:

(See, TOLD ya there was a flight to be taken... and we all KNOW what an
equalizer the airports are!)

While Team Type A get a taxi to the nearest international airport, Brandon & Nicole make their arrival at the marina, find the yacht and crank down the clue. When they read that the ROAD BLOCKer needs strong arms and legs, Nicole says to Brandon, "Is that you or is that you?!" When BRANDON reads what he has to do, he says, "God help me..."

The Married Parents arrive as the Dating Models are about to take off for the bridge, happy to be in third. As they grab the clue, Team Bowling Moms get directions to the marina.

At 9:39am, Team Type A reaches the International Terminal and look for flights to Manila. They go to Air New Zealand and ask them about the quickest flight. They're told they can route through Singapore on Singapore Airlines and be in Manila by 8:20pm... AND the flight LEAVES in 25 minutes! They rush to the Singapore Airlines ticket office and are relieved to find that they are able to get out since the flight was rescheduled for 10:45am. They make their flight and head to Singapore, confident they can make their connection to Manila on time.

Brandon starts the climb, praying all the way up the ladder since he's intimidated by heights (Nicole must've MISSED that part). But he struggles on as Chip chooses to do the ROAD BLOCK and he and Kim head for the bridge. Brandon gets the clue, repels down and joins Nicole again. Brandon jokes, "I've done the 'catwalk' before but not like that." As they take off for the marina, Chip arrives and starts HIS climb. He LIKEWISE prays... but only for the strength to get up that seven-story ladder while hefting his bulk up. He stops halfway to catch his breath...

...and, at that moment, Team Bowling Moms drive by and SEE Chip climbing the rope. They are suddenly both nervous and elated; nervous about that being a task, elated that they're not too far behind! They crank down the clue and, after choosing Linda to do the task, find out that that's EXACTLY what she needs to do.

As the Dating Models catch a taxi to the airport, Chip reaches the girders and slowly walks across, huffing and puffing all the way. He gets lowered down to the boat and they take off just as Linda & Karen arrive at the bridge with much trepidation. But going "heel-toe", despite her saying she was "spaghetti" after the climb and hesitating before the jump, Linda makes it and they head for the airport behind Chip & Kim.

At the airport, Brandon & Nicole confess they know NOTHING about the Philippines except that "it's an island" (actually, it's over 7000 islands). As they look for tickets out, Chip & Kim arrive and exchange notes about the task. As they do THAT, Linda & Karen arrive and get in on the conversation. The Dating Models get tickets to Manila with an overnight stop in Hong Kong arriving at 10am the next day... 10 hours after Colin & Christie supposedly arrive. The Married Parents and Team Bowling Moms get on the same flight... so all three are tied for second.

MANILA VIA SINGAPORE, ARRIVING 8:20pm: Team Type A
MANILA VIA HONG KONG, ARRIVING 10am THE NEXT DAY: Dating Models,
Married Parents, Team Bowling Moms

SINGAPORE

Off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, Team Type A arrives on time. However, they had only 20 minutes to make their connection or their 8-hour lead is history. They sprint from one gate to the other as fast as possible...but, according to the attendant, they are too late. Now they have to troll the counters for the fastest flight out.

Unfortunately, Singapore Airlines can't get them to Manila until the next day. When Colin says they'll connect to anywhere, they find tickets to...

HONG KONG, CHINA

Meanwhile, off the southern part of China, the other three teams arrive late at night. All the teams want to see about getting an earlier flight... but none are available so it looks like they're camping out in front of the gate.

As the six snooze away, Colin & Christie arrive and, likewise finding no other flights out, crash out near the ticket counters, unaware that the "great equalizer" has put them all on the same flight!

Boy, was everyone surprised when Team Type A arrived at the gate the next morning...not the least being Team Type A themselves! Colin says, "We couldn't let you guys have ALL the fun." Hugs and smiles were exchange and everyone is relieved, since every team is now in a tie for first heading to...

MANILA, PHILIPPINES

The plane arrives at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in the capital city of this great archipelago nation... and eight crazed Americans bolt out of the gate and out of the terminal to find cabs to Malaguena Motors. The Married Parents get out of the terminal first, with the Dating Models close in second, Team Bowling Moms in third and Team Type A in a VERY unfamiliar position: LAST PLACE! And, again, another "Cannonball Run" escapade ensues. But Chip & Kim already KNOW what they're going to do. They intend on utilizing:

They intend on putting the YIELD on Colin & Christie. As Brandon & Nicole pass them by in heavy traffic, they come to an agreement that whoever gets to the YIELD will force Team Type A to stop. Linda & Karen agree, even though no one else knows.

As they approach the motors place, Chip & Kim jump out of the taxi and look for the YIELD. Brandon & Nicole are right behind them. They BOTH run into Linda (literally) and she and Karen follow suit. As it is, they all make the YIELD at just about the same time. They agree to post Team Type A's picture on the YIELD... with the Married Parents' picture in the "courtesy of" square. Chip & Kim may no longer YIELD another team during the Race. As the three teams wait for the "L.A. Lakers" of the Race to arrive, they all grab the next clue:

So two men and four women scramble to pick a Jeepney and start to decorate it (with help from the mechanics and drivers, of course).

Needless to say, when Colin & Christie arrive at Malaguena Motors and find out they've been YIELDed... and a MONSTER hourglass is waiting for them to turn it, they are NOT happy! Colin stares down Chip as he waits for the hourglass to run out... and Chip is VERY uncomfortable.  Team Type A decides to watch the other teams so that they can do it faster when the YIELD ends. Team Bowling Moms, being mothers and more than adept at putting broken things back together, are rocking through the task with smiles on their faces. They finish their Jeepney first and get a clue:

Linda & Karen are THRILLED to be in first place at last... while the other teams are upset that two women beat them. The Dating Models are the second team to finish their Jeepney and take off after the mothers... but not before telling Colin where they're going. This leaves Chip & Kim... under the watchful eye of Team Type A. Chip REALLY wants to get on the road before the YIELD ends... and, sure enough, they finish the Jeepney before all the sand runs out. They head out... and Chip feels ashamed at what he's done. But Kim ensures her husband that he did the right thing.

Like sands through the hourglass, so goes Colin & Christie's YIELD time. No sooner do the last grains fall than the two daters jump on the clue... even though they KNOW what they have to do. They make up for lost time by working as fast as possible, using what they remember from watching the other teams. Even though they argue during the task, they work hard to finish the task and get the driver to catch up with the others (with much, MUCH prodding by Christie to "go fast, go fast, go fast!" and to run over pedestrians).

VICTORIA, PHILIPPINES

Victoria is the center of the duck population of the country. The Giant Duck is their local landmark. It is here that Linda & Karen hop out of the Jeepney in the rain and bolt for the clue, Brandon & Nicole almost literally on their heels. As such, both teams get to the clue mere seconds apart. And the clue is a...:

Team Bowling Moms choose PLOW... but Nicole would rather do FOWL... and, of course, Brandon talks her out of it. The mud they must till through is roughly knee-deep... so this should prove most interesting. One of each team (Nicole and Linda) pulls the ox while the other (Brandon and Karen) pushes the plow down to find that rope. The fields are not only deep and dingy but also fairly large. But luck is on the Dating Models' side as Brandon yells, "I FOUND IT!" and vault into first place. And their reward is:

As Brandon & Nicole run OUT, Chip & Kim run IN. Nicole asks Chip if Team Type A is right behind them... but he doesn't know. When the Married Parents get to the DETOUR, they try to decide on a task... just when Linda falls on her ass pulling out the rope with the PIT STOP clue. Chip & Kim decide on PLOW as Team Bowling Moms gather their sneakers (right in front of them) and sprint off. Chip leads the ox while Kim plows... or TRIES to, anyway, since her feet seem to always get stuck.

The Dating Models try to get a taxi... but the only transportation to Manila are buses. Linda & Karen find this out as well. Fortunately, a bus heading for Manila is JUST arriving. So the two teams get on and make tracks.

Meanwhile, Team Type A FINALLY arrives at the Great Duck and run for the fields... but not before Chip & Kim find their clue to the PIT STOP and try to find a bus before the team they screwed over finishes their DETOUR... which happens to be PLOW. Unfortunately, Colin & Christie misread the clue... and Colin starts to plow the field all by himself, letting the ox go where it wants to. Colin is getting frustrated... not only at the ox but at Christie's nagging and not-helping. As Colin contracts Tourette's Syndrome, the Married Parents get on board a bus to Manila... extra relieved that they don't have to face down Team Type A until the PIT STOP.

But Colin is TOO "Type A" to just relax. He grabs the leash of the ox with one hand and the plow with the other and DEMANDS the ox to get moving in the right direction. They go all around the field and then some, the two "lovers" yelling at each other all the time. Finally, Colin yells at Christie to swallow her pride and lead the damn ox! She walks out into the mud... and actually FINDS the clue! No sooner do they read it than they run out, find a bus waiting for them and speed back to Manila.

As the teams head to the capital via "Filipino Greyhound", Colin & Christie decide to get OFF the bus halfway and take a cab the rest of the way (the clue doesn't state that they HAVE to take the bus all the way) in the hopes of beating at least ONE of the other teams. Chip & Kim get the same idea IN Manila and grab a cab... as do Brandon & Nicole (though the driver first thinks it's the "COOKIE Palace". Linda & Karen have some trouble finding one but eventually find one. It's a wheel and foot race to the...

PIT STOP: COCONUT PALACE, MANILA, PHILIPPINES

A taxi winds around the front of the palace... two people get out... they grabs their bags from the trunk and run around to the back, where Phil and a native girl welcome them to Manila and the Philippines. Then Phil says those magic words:

"Chip & Kim, you're team number one!" And, man, are THEY ecstatic.  Chip nearly CRUSHES Phil in a hug...and that's BEFORE Phil tells them that they're going to Hawaii courtesy of AA.com! Chip smiles and says, "God takes care of His idiots, and I'm the first on the list!" (No arguments there.)

Traffic holds up the other three teams for a while, but one eventually breaks through and gets to the palace. And that taxi holds... Linda & Karen! And they are SHOCKED to maintain second place after all this.

So which duo of God-fearing, egomaniacal, sell-their-Mom-for-one-more-leg players will get that coveted third spot? Both the Dating Models and Team Type A yell at their drivers to go as fast as possible, using pleading and money to get their point across. And third place goes to...

Brandon & Nicole!! They thank God for getting them there and, no matter what kind of leg this may be, they still have a good chance!

Just like Alison & Donny did back in the second leg, Colin & Christie go from first... to WORST. However, UNLIKE Alison & Donny, they are NOT eliminated. See, this is the final of four pre-determined non-elimination legs in the Race. So the GOOD news is they're still in the running and not that far behind the lead.

Of course, the BAD news is that Phil confiscates every penny to their name and informs them that they'll get no money to start the next leg. Christie just wants to be in the Race until the very end. Colin, however, now has a vendetta against Chip & Kim for YIELDing them after trusting them. "It is on," says Colin. "It is on!"

So there are four teams ready to take those final steps back to the U.S. of A. and try to win a million dollars. Will one team be eliminated beforehand? Will a team be physically and/or mentally unable to go on? Will any team lag behind so much that they'll have to be informed they finished last before they even come NEAR the FINISH LINE? And, most importantly, where IS the FINISH LINE?! Find out next week!