The Amazing Race is officially returning for Season 39, and CBS has revealed the 13 teams who will compete for the $1 million prize.
After Season 38 featured a cast made up of former Big Brother players, the long-running reality competition is returning to its traditional format with teams made up of people with existing relationships. This season includes professional athletes, family members, siblings, married couples, best friends and a particularly memorable grandfather-grandson duo. (Paramount Press Express)
The new season begins with a two-night premiere event on Wednesday, September 30, and Thursday, October 1, at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. The October 1 episode will follow the Big Brother 28 finale, which airs at 8 p.m. (Paramount Press Express)
Who Is in The Amazing Race Season 39 Cast?
Here are all 13 teams competing in Season 39.
Ali Krieger & Joanna Lohman
Ali Krieger and Joanna Lohman are professional soccer players and moms.
Krieger is a two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion who won with the U.S. Women’s National Team in 2015 and 2019. She also competed at the 2016 Olympics. Lohman played professionally in the NWSL and spent eight years with the U.S. national team. (Parade)
Their athletic backgrounds could make them one of the teams to watch when the competition becomes physically demanding.
Ann-Marie Tejcek & Riley Tejcek
Ann-Marie and Riley Tejcek are a mother-daughter team.
Ann-Marie is a healthcare executive, while Riley is a Marine officer. The pair bring very different professional experiences to the race, which could make their ability to communicate and work together especially important. (Parade)
Anuar Tager & Andrea Tager Ballesca
Anuar Tager and Andrea Tager Ballesca are a father-daughter team from Houston, Texas.
Anuar works as a developer, while Andrea is a medical student. Their family connection will be put to the test as they navigate unfamiliar locations and high-pressure challenges. (Parade)
Cody Langlois & Jaime Tribo
Cody Langlois and Jaime Tribo are siblings.
Cody is a civil engineer, while Jaime is a dietitian. The siblings will have to rely on their familiarity with each other while competing in a race where mistakes can quickly send a team toward elimination. (Parade)
Conner Wilson & Garrett McGuire
Conner Wilson and Garrett McGuire are childhood friends.
Both are 27, with Conner working as a media producer and Garrett working as an engineer. Their long friendship could give them an advantage when it comes to understanding how the other person thinks under pressure. (Parade)
Dafina Dunmore & Saran Dunmore
Sisters and best friends Dafina and Saran Dunmore are also joining the race.
Dafina works as a bond analyst and DJ, while Saran is a personal trainer and founder of Kids Leading Kids. The Chicago-based sisters will be competing together as they attempt to stay ahead of the other teams. (Parade)
Daisha Wilks & Dalton Hamby
Daisha Wilks and Dalton Hamby are a dating couple and videographers.
The Alabama-based pair already work together creatively, but The Amazing Race will put their relationship under an entirely different kind of pressure as they race from one destination to the next. (Parade)
Doug Matter & Dylan Matter
Doug Matter and Dylan Matter are a grandfather-grandson team.
Doug is a retired fire chief, while Dylan is a college student. Their 54-year age difference makes them one of the season’s most distinctive pairings and marks the show’s first grandparent-grandchild team in 23 seasons. (Parade)
Erin Taylor & Javi Vintimilla
Erin Taylor and Javi Vintimilla are a married couple.
Erin works as a head of human resources, while Javi is a pilot. Their professional backgrounds could come in handy during a race requiring organization, navigation and the ability to stay calm under pressure. (Parade)
Jody Rebhun & Jenn Naso
Jody Rebhun and Jenn Naso are best friends and moms.
Jody is a history teacher, while Jenn is a forensic scientist. The pair will have to balance their friendship and parenting experience with the intense demands of the competition. (Parade)
Katie & Charlotte Schultz
Sisters Katie and Charlotte Schultz are both estheticians.
Katie is 26 and Charlotte is 20, making them one of the younger sibling teams competing this season. The sisters are from Murray, Kentucky. (Parade)
Michelle & Matthew Patterson
Michelle and Matthew Patterson are married parents from Rutherford, New Jersey.
Michelle owns an auto body shop and works as a real estate agent, while Matthew is a business operations director. The couple will be competing together while juggling the physical and mental demands of the race. (Parade)
Zach & Nate Johnson
Brothers Zach and Nate Johnson round out the Season 39 cast.
Zach is a car salesman and co-founder of Pipley, while Nate works as a director of sales. The Dallas, Texas-based brothers will be hoping their family connection helps them navigate the competition. (Parade)
The Amazing Race Season 39 Has a Major New Twist
The cast isn’t the only thing that makes Season 39 different.
For the first time in The Amazing Race history, all 13 teams will receive an Express Pass at the starting line. Normally, the powerful advantage is limited to only a small number of teams.
Each team will have the ability to use its Express Pass to skip one task, but there’s a catch: the pass must be used by the end of Leg 6. (Paramount Press Express)
That means teams will have to decide whether to use the advantage early to avoid a difficult challenge or save it for a potentially crucial moment later in the first half of the race.
Where Will The Amazing Race Season 39 Take the Teams?
Season 39 will begin in Vancouver, Canada, before sending the teams on a much larger international journey.
According to CBS and reporting on the season, the racers will travel more than 25,000 miles across five continents, nine countries and 13 cities. The season will include challenges such as a 200-foot jump from the catwalk at Vancouver’s BC Stadium, camel trekking in Morocco and paramotor flying in Laos. (Parade)
The season will also mark the U.S. version’s first visit to Albania. (Parade)
When Does The Amazing Race Season 39 Premiere?
The Amazing Race Season 39 premieres Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.
The second episode airs Thursday, October 1, at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT, immediately following the Big Brother 28 season finale. After the special two-night premiere, The Amazing Race returns to its regular Wednesday-night time slot. (Paramount Press Express)
With 13 brand-new teams, a $1 million prize, an international route and an Express Pass for every team, Season 39 is bringing a major shake-up to the race. Fans will soon find out which teams can handle the pressure, the travel and each other long enough to make it to the finish line.
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