The race begins in Denver, Colorado when teams quickly jet off to their first location, Sao Paulo, Brazil where, upon landing, they must venture deep into the heart of the city to find their next clue at the Hotel Unique. Almost immediately, teams make their way by foot to Viaduto Santa Ifigenia, a pedestrian footbridge overlooking the highway and the Vale do Anhangabuau. One team struggles to locate the clue box, while other teams seem to find it with ease. At the bridge, teams are faced with their first detour and must choose between finding a local motorcycle shop, where they will have to assemble a motorcycle from scratch, or soar high above the city of San Paolo in a helicopter in order to locate a specific building where they will find their next clue.

One Racer breaks into tears when having to face an extreme fear of heights, repelling down a 400-foot building. Will she overcome her fear? Frustration gets the better of one racer who is lost and has trouble operating a manual transmission. Teams are neck in neck as they scale a waterfall, some watching others pass them by. On the way to the Pit Stop, one Team's car battery dies, causing them to lose precious time. Will they be eliminated from the race?

Teams take an exhilarating ride across a 300-foot zip line, and one Racer's nerves get the best of her. Will she be able to step off the ledge? A deep water phobia paralyzes one Racer who is afraid of drowning during a challenge. Frustration mounts when Teams have difficulty searching for a clue buried inside thousands of Russian nesting dolls.* Encouraged by other Teams and locals, one Racer overcomes not being able to swim by jumping off a high dive.

Computers crash at a foreign airport leaving several Teams stranded without a flight and allowing a few lucky Teams to surge ahead. Driving to the Roadblock, one duo follows another Team who leads everyone in the completely wrong direction. Teams get to relieve their frustrations and tensions from the stress of the Race by bashing bottles over each other's' heads.

One duo gets lost on the way to the Road Block and ends up at the Pit Stop instead. Will this mistake jeopardize their position in the Race? Competition heats up between three Teams as they frantically try to locate a marked piece of clothing among 2400 pieces of laundry. One Team member has a meltdown while trying to piece together a statue.

In an act of kindness, Italian strangers impart a small but significant gift to a lost pair of Racers. An arduous task takes its toll on one Racer who breaks down in tears while rushing through a bustling town. Bad luck plagues one Team who, while hitting traffic, realizes they are driving in circles and wasting valuable time. At the Roadblock, one team member struggles to complete the task as their unsupportive teammate rants from the sidelines.

Teams face a difficult Detour in Oman, which requires the racers to get up close and personal with several ornery camels in order to receive their next clue.

The teams receive a clue instructing them to fly to Muscat, Oman and search for a giant incense burner. The teams then travel 135 miles to Sur, facing flooded roads along the way. Once in Sur, a Detour titled Camel or Watchtower requires them to either secure a camel in a pickup truck and then deliver it a mile to a bedouin, or search watchtowers for a message box. After completing the task, the teams then travel 80 miles to Al Hawiyah, where they find a Roadblock waiting for them. One member of a team struggle with hot temperatures while digging through 117 sand mounds hoping to find one of six shuwas, a spicy dish that both team members must have for dinner. Confusion in regard to directions creates suspense on the way to the Pit Stop, but once there, one team receives some welcome news. Written by Rayan

On the drive to the airport, one team picks up a hitchhiker and takes some time to conduct international relations. A rivalry between two teams starts to heat up after one duo tells the other that at the next opportunity to use the Yield they will use it against them. All teams but one team sit anxiously on their plane waiting to takeoff hoping that the one team that is straggling behind will not make it in time. Will they or will they be left far behind in last place? What should otherwise be a fun ride on a bicycle built for two turns into a heated blowup for one team?

One team starts to play head games with another team egging them on with rumors that drive them crazy. The final four teams turn up the intensity, and one team schemes against the others by canceling all the cabs they called to pick them up at a route marker. It is a leg full of foot races. First, two teams race to the Yield mat and the first team to arrive at the Yield mat rubs salt in the wound and yields the team they outran right in front of their faces. Then, there is a three-way footrace to the pit stop mat. What news will Phil have for the last team to arrive?

Teams must prepare a feast for hundreds of sacred monkeys that insist on interrupting them while they work. Two teams race for the Fast Forward, and both are greeted with a gut-wrenching challenge. Will either of them be able to complete it? Despite a teammate's encouragement, a physically-demanding challenge proves to be too much for one Racer who has a breakdown. It's a foot race to the finish mat, but one team gets held up in order to pay respect to local traditions. Will this delay be the end for them?

One team is ecstatic thinking they have a serious advantage when they learn the location of the next destination...a place they've been to and where they know the language two teams race in paddle boats that look like ducks during a sprint to the first pit stop of this 2-leg finale. Little mistakes can cost big when the finish line is so close, and one team wastes a lot of time looking for equipment needed for a challenge...they keep walking by it when it is right in front of their eyes. Will this be the difference between first and second place? The last two legs of this race around the world are both mentally and physically grueling. No team is at an advantage over another. And, it is a tight race to the very end. Which duo will win the one-million dollars?