The Amazing Race 3


The Amazing Race 3 is the third season of the American reality competition show The Amazing Race. Hosted by Phil Keoghan, it featured 12 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, competing in a race around the world. This season visited four continents and 13 countries, traveling approximately over 13 legs. Filming took place between August 9 and September 8, 2002. Starting in the Everglades, racers travelled through Mexico, England, Scotland, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam before returning to the United States, traveling through Hawaii, and finishing in Seattle. The season premiered on CBS on October 2, 2002, and concluded on December 18, 2002.
Friends Flo Pesenti and Zach Behr were the winners of this season, while married parents Teri and Ian Pollack finished in second place, and brothers Ken and Gerard Duphiney finished in third place.

Overview

The Amazing Race is a reality television show created by Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri, and hosted by Phil Keoghan. The series follows teams of two competing in a race around the world. Each leg of the race requires teams to deduce clues, navigate foreign environments, interact with locals, perform physical and mental challenges, and travel on a limited budget provided by the show. At each stop during the leg, teams receive clues inside sealed envelopes, which fall into one of these categories:
  • Route Info: These are simple instructions that teams must follow before they can receive their next clue.
  • Detour: A Detour is a choice between two tasks. Teams may choose either task and switch tasks if they find one option too difficult. There is usually one Detour present on each leg.
  • Roadblock: A Roadblock is a task that only one team member can complete. Teams must choose which member will complete the task based on a brief clue they receive before fully learning the details of the task. There is usually one Roadblock present on each leg.
  • Fast Forward: A Fast Forward is a task that only one team may complete, which allows that team to skip all remaining tasks on the leg and go directly to the next Pit Stop. Teams may only claim one Fast Forward during the entire race.
Most teams who arrive last at the Pit Stop of each leg are progressively eliminated, while the first team to arrive at the finish line in the final episode wins the grand prize of US$1,000,000.

Production

The third season of The Amazing Race spanned a total of and visited four continents and 13 countries, 12 of which were new to the series: Mexico, England, Scotland, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam. Casting for this season began in April 2002. Filming began on August 9, 2002, and finished on September 8, 2002.

Contestants

The cast of The Amazing Race 3 included twelve teams. Jill and her brother F.T. had originally applied for season 1, but after F.T. was killed on September 11, John Vito and Jill applied in his memory.
ContestantsAgeRelationshipHometownStatus
35Soccer MomsHilton Head Island, South CarolinaEliminated 1st
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34Soccer MomsHilton Head Island, South CarolinaEliminated 1st
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22Brother & SisterGary, IndianaEliminated 2nd
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29Brother & SisterLos Angeles, CaliforniaEliminated 2nd
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48Father & SonLexington, KentuckyEliminated 3rd
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21Father & SonLexington, KentuckyEliminated 3rd
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25Law School RoommatesBoston, MassachusettsEliminated 4th
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25Law School RoommatesNew York City, New YorkEliminated 4th
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28Long-Distance DatingSan Diego, CaliforniaEliminated 5th
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31Long-Distance DatingBirmingham, MichiganEliminated 5th
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27Lifelong FriendsNew York City, New YorkEliminated 6th
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27Lifelong FriendsNew York City, New YorkEliminated 6th
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32Cop & FiremanLos Angeles, CaliforniaEliminated 7th
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33Cop & FiremanLong Beach, CaliforniaEliminated 7th
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28DatingStaten Island, New YorkEliminated 8th
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24DatingManhattan, New YorkEliminated 8th
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32Twins & ModelsLos Angeles, CaliforniaEliminated 9th
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32Twins & ModelsLos Angeles, CaliforniaEliminated 9th
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40BrothersNew York City, New YorkThird place
35BrothersDenville, New JerseyThird place
49Married ParentsPalm City, FloridaRunners-up
50Married ParentsPalm City, FloridaRunners-up
23FriendsNew York City, New YorkWinners
23FriendsNew York City, New YorkWinners

;Future appearances
Teri & Ian and John Vito & Jill were selected to compete in The Amazing Race: All-Stars.
In 2021, Andrew Shayde appeared on Naked and Afraid and lasted 13 days in South Africa before being removed for a possible MRSA infection. In 2023, Shayde returned for Naked and Afraids fifteenth season once again in South Africa. Shayde later appeared on the spin-off Naked and Afraid: Castaways. Shayde also competed on the CBS reality competition show Buddy Games. In 2024, Shayde appeared on Naked and Afraid XL.

Results

The following teams are listed with their placements in each leg. Placements are listed in finishing order.
  • A placement with a dagger indicates that the team was eliminated.
  • An placement with a double-dagger indicates that the team was the last to arrive at a Pit Stop in a non-elimination leg.
  • A indicates that the team won the Fast Forward.
;Notes

Race summary

Leg 1 (United States → Mexico)

  • Episode 1: "What If Our Parachute Doesn't Open?"
  • Prize: A seven-night Caribbean cruise
  • Eliminated: Gina and Sylvia
;Locations
;Episode summary
  • From the Everglades, teams drove themselves to Miami International Airport, where they had to book one of two flights to Mexico City, Mexico. Once there, teams had to travel to the Angel of Independence, where they received a picture of a man named Pablo. They had to use the picture as a reference in order to find him at the Zócalo, where he gave them their next clue, which directed them to the Hotel de Cortés. There, teams had to sign up for one of three charter buses leaving the next morning to an unknown destination.
  • This season's first Fast Forward required one team to travel to Plaza Santo Domingo and search for the one street typist out of dozens who had a "special message": the Fast Forward award. Ken and Gerard won the Fast Forward.
  • This season's first Detour was a choice between Wings and Wheels. In Wings, teams had to board a plane, climb to an altitude of over, and then each team member had to skydive in tandem with an instructor in order to receive their next clue. In Wheels, teams had to choose a donkey-drawn cart and use a supplied map to direct a driver, who didn't speak English, along a course in order to receive the next clue.
  • After the Detour, teams had to drive themselves to the Pit Stop: the Hacienda San Gabriel de las Palmas in Puente de Ixtla.

    Leg 2 (Mexico)

  • Episode 2: "This Seems Like the Path Straight to Hell!"
  • Eliminated: Tramel and Talicia
;Locations
;Episode summary
  • At the start of this leg, teams had to drive themselves to the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan and climb up to the top of the pyramid in order to retrieve their next clue, which instructed them to travel by bus to Cancún and find their next clue at the San Marino marina.
  • This leg's Fast Forward required one team to travel to the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City and join a group of performers called the Voladores by climbing a pole and swinging around the pole while suspended on ropes. Derek and Drew won the Fast Forward.
  • This leg's Detour was a choice between Man Power and Horse Power. In Man Power, teams had to use a kayak to search a small section of the lagoon for their next clue, which was hanging from a tree. In Horse Power, teams had to use a WaveRunner to search a large section of the lagoon for their next clue, which was attached to a buoy.
  • After the Detour, teams had to land at the marina and then drive to Playa del Carmen, where they boarded a ferry to the island of Cozumel. From there, teams had to find Chankanaab Park to find their next clue.
  • In this season's first Roadblock, one team member had to jump into the lagoon and swim with a pod of dolphins to find their next clue.
  • After the Roadblock, teams had to return to Playa del Carmen via ferry and then drive to the Pit Stop: the Diamante K Bungalows in Tulum.