'The Amazing Race' season 36 cast revealed

Publish date: 2024-06-14

The 13 teams racing across the globe in the hopes of winning $1 million on season 36 of The Amazing Race have been revealed and include twins, a pair of Air Force pilots, a duo of firefighter moms, and a former first-round NFL draft pick racing with his wife.

This season (which premieres March 13 on CBS and once again features no non-elimination legs) begins in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, as teams will have to participate in a Mexican rodeo and must “lasso their way to the finish line without coming in last.” Other tasks this season include paragliding in Colombia and rally car racing in Argentina. The course will also wind its way through two new countries for the show as players will swim through waterfalls in the Dominican Republic while also visiting Rihanna’s childhood home in Barbados. Yes, that Rihanna.

It has been a long wait for the season 36 cast, who originally filmed this installment back in the fall of 2022 as what was then supposed to be the 35th season of the reality franchise. With the writers and actors strikes of 2023, however, CBS decided to specifically film a season that could run as 90-minute episodes, so flipped seasons 35 and 36. Once the strikes were over, the network then decided to keep the show at 90 minutes, so the new season 36 will be running at the longer airtime anyway.

That means we’ll get to see even more of contestants like Rod Gardner, who played six seasons in the NFL after being selected 15th overall in the 2001 draft by Washington. He will be joined by wife Leticia in his quest for more competition glory. But they will have to battle 12 other teams to take home the loot. Get your official first look at those teams below.

The Amazing Race season 36 cast

Derek (57, retired chief of police) and Shelisa Williams (55, retired sheriff’s lieutenant)
Married
Alta Loma, Calif.

Danny (27, university resident director) and Angie Butler (55, seventh grade teacher)
Mother and son
San Diego, Calif., and Walla Walla, Wash.

Rod (46, former NFL player/owner of Gshred Supplements) and Leticia Gardner (38, fitness business owner)
Married
Lawrenceville, Ga.

Michelle (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 (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 (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.

The Amazing Race premieres March 13 on CBS.

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