The Amazing Race 36: 13 Teams Kick Off the Journey in Puerto Vallarta
Thirteen teams set out on a global competition when The Amazing Race returns for season 36, premiering Wednesday, March 13 (9:30–11:00 PM ET/PT) on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs). This season promises bold challenges, intense eliminations and an ambitious international route.
NO non-elimination legs, a visit to Rihanna’s home in Barbados
Host Phil Keoghan sends teams off from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where the first challenge is a traditional Mexican rodeo requiring contestants to master a lasso and race to the mat. With no non-elimination legs this season, any team that finishes last on a leg will be sent home, raising the stakes on every task.
Along the way, racers will paraglide over Colombian landscapes, compete in rally car racing in Argentina, and explore two countries making their show debut: the Dominican Republic, where teams will swim through waterfalls, and Barbados, where competitors will visit the childhood home of music superstar Rihanna. The production team is also reinstating 90-minute episodes, allowing more time to showcase each destination and the contestants’ journeys.
Executive producers Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri emphasize that this season’s cast is a mix of adventurous, thrill-seeking personalities who will be tested in fresh ways across familiar and new locations. The full itinerary includes Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Barbados, the Dominican Republic and a final leg in Pennsylvania, where the first team to reach the finish line will take home the $1 million grand prize.
The Amazing Race 36 – 13 Teams Competing
Derek Williams (57, retired chief of police) and Shelisa Williams (55, retired sheriff’s lieutenant)
Married — Alta Loma, Calif.
Danny Butler (27, university resident director) and Angie Butler (55, seventh grade teacher)
Mother and son — San Diego, Calif., and Walla Walla, Wash.
Rod Gardner (46, former NFL player/owner of Gshred Supplements) and Leticia Gardner (38, fitness business owner)
Married — Lawrenceville, Ga.
Rod has played for Washington, Carolina, Green Bay and Kansas City.
Michelle Clark (39) and Sean Clark (46), owners of Double Dutch Aerobics
Married — East Point, Ga.
Yvonne Chavez (40, global strategy and operations lead) and Melissa Main (38, investigator for U.S. Navy special operations)
Dating — San Diego, Calif.
Sunny Pulver (41) and Bizzy Smith (37), firefighters
Best friends — Edgerton, Wis., and New Berlin, Wis.
Amber Craven (30) and Vinny Cagungun (37), nurse anesthetists
Dating — Englewood, Colo.
Ricky Rotandi (34, preschool teacher) and Cesar Aldrete (34, food stylist)
Dating — New York, N.Y.
Juan Villa (29) and Shane Bilek (29), Air Force pilots
Best friends — Spokane, Wash., and Marine City, Mich.
Anthony Smith (26) and Bailey Smith (26), recruiters
Twin brothers — Clearwater, Fla.
Kishori Turner (26, senior marketing strategist) and Karishma Cordero (22, student)
Cousins — Gaithersburg, Md., and Austin, Texas.
Maya Mody (20, student) and Rohan Mody (23, master’s student)
Siblings — Monmouth Junction, N.J.
Chris Foster (60, receptionist) and Mary Cardona-Foster (27, marketing manager)
Father and daughter — Waltham, Mass.
This season blends athleticism, strategy and cultural challenges across diverse locales. With every leg eliminating the last-place team and extended episode runtimes, The Amazing Race 36 aims to deliver more immersive storytelling, deeper location highlights and high-stakes competition as these 13 teams race toward the $1 million prize.