A new episode of The Amazing Race airs tonight on CBS. Read a live recap of the leg in Dubai below.
The teams are sent to Dubai, and host Phil Keoghan reveals the Fast Forward is in play for this leg. At the airport, competitors book the same flight, and tension is evident after the prior leg’s U-Turn vote. Jonathan & Ana are upset that Carson & Jack targeted them, but Ana eventually confronts the pair and the teams board the plane together.
Upon arrival in Dubai, all teams take taxis to the Platinum Heritage Desert Gate, where they will spend the night and draw start times for the following morning. Alyssa & Josiah, Jonathan & Ana, Han & Holden, and Carson & Jack secure the 5:10 a.m. slot, while Melinda & Erika, Pops & Jeff, Brett & Mark, and Nick & Mike take the 5:20 a.m. departures.
At first light the groups set out on camelback to their next clue boxes and discover a skydiving Roadblock: one teammate must jump from a plane and land in Dubai’s skyline. Jack, Holden, Alyssa, and Ana take the first group’s jumps; Brett, Nick, Pops, and Melinda will perform the Roadblock for the second group.
After Jack and Holden return to earth and read their clue, they learn to search for an orange luxury car that signals the Fast Forward. Han & Holden race through the parking area but miss it; Carson & Jack locate the car and claim the Fast Forward, which requires scuba diving. They head to Deep Dive Dubai to search a submerged city for their next clue, while the rest of the teams continue to Atlantis The Royal for the next task.
At Atlantis The Royal, teams must prepare afternoon tea by carefully garnishing pastries and arranging them on a tray to pass inspection from a pastry chef. This task requires precision and patience, and crews work under time pressure with the rest of the field often completing the same challenge simultaneously.
Alyssa & Josiah fail on their first inspection but quickly correct their mistake and become the first team to finish the pastry challenge, sending them on to Burj Al Arab Public Beach. Jonathan & Ana and Han & Holden also miss initially but recover on subsequent attempts. Melinda & Erika and Brett & Mark complete the dessert task soon after. Pops & Jeff suffer a setback when a pastry is accidentally knocked off its stand and must redo the tray, which allows Nick & Mike to overtake them briefly before Pops & Jeff pass on their second try.
Meanwhile, Carson & Jack finish their Deep Dive Dubai Fast Forward and are driven straight to the Pit Stop. Their successful scuba dive into the submerged attraction earns them a major advantage: they secure first place for the leg.
At Burj Al Arab Public Beach, teams face another Roadblock—this time a watersport challenge. One team member must ride an eFoil, an electric hydrofoil surfboard, and navigate the waves with control and balance. Josiah takes the first turn, followed by Han, Jonathan and later Mark, who chooses to attempt the Roadblock for Brett & Mark. Erika begins while others continue to practice and build confidence.
Nick & Mike and Pops & Jeff arrive at the beach, and Jeff opts to tackle the Roadblock for his team. Nick ultimately decides he will complete this Roadblock for his team as well. The sequence of attempts results in a mix of quick successes and frustrating wipeouts as competitors repeatedly fall before finding their footing.
Han becomes the first racer to complete the eFoil Roadblock and, with Holden, advances to the Pit Stop at the Museum of the Future. Josiah struggles under the mounting pressure—especially aware that Jeff and Nick are closing in—but he perseveres and finishes the task. Mark, Erika, Jonathan, and Jeff follow, leaving Nick & Mike battling to avoid last place; Nick completes the Roadblock shortly after and keeps his team in the race.
Teams must then navigate Dubai’s metro system to reach the Pit Stop at the Museum of the Future. Heavy road traffic and tight train schedules create opportunities for teams to catch up or fall behind. Pops & Jeff miss their intended train, enabling Nick & Mike to board the next service and make a last-minute surge.
Carson & Jack arrive at the mat first. Phil announces, Carson & Jack are Team #1, and awards them a prize of a trip for two on an Alaskan cruise. Following them, Han & Holden finish in second place, Alyssa & Josiah in third, Brett & Mark in fourth, and Jonathan & Ana and Melinda & Erika in fifth and sixth respectively. The final stretch becomes a sprint between Pops & Jeff and Nick & Mike.
Nick & Mike manage to overtake and join the mid-pack, while Pops & Jeff arrive last at the Pit Stop. Phil delivers the difficult news: Pops & Jeff have been eliminated from the race. They take their elimination with grace—Pops reflects happily on experiences like skydiving that he accomplished during the leg, and Jeff expresses pride in his father’s attitude.
Episode Summary
1st place: Carson & Jack
2nd place: Han & Holden
3rd place: Alyssa & Josiah
4th place: Brett & Mark
5th place: Jonathan & Ana
6th place: Melinda & Erika
7th place: Nick & Mike
Eliminated: Pops & Jeff
That wraps tonight’s Dubai leg of The Amazing Race. Thanks for reading this recap—check back next week for another episode recap and full coverage of the competition as teams continue to race around the world.