RJ's The Amazing Race 13

RJ's The Amazing Race 13


RJ's The Amazing Race 13 is the 13th installment in the RJ's The Amazing Race series. The season was the first season to eliminate a team right at the starting line. The season was also the first season to officially have more than 12 teams be casted in one season. The season also had first time visits to Oman, Qatar, Cyprus, Romania, Paraguay and Puerto Rico. The winner of the season was SparkleSara.

Casting
For yet another season RJ was glad to see an overflow of applications. As a result RJ had pre-season challenges to determine who got in, however, he was still struggling to cut it down to 11 or 12 teams so ultimately went with 13 teams. In the cast included multi-season winner Edu84, consistent trier Ilikebugs as well as other former winners including Thebigbioss and Stuartlittle16. The season also welcomed a large proportion of newbies.

Starting Line Elimination
Season 13 saw the first time ever that a team was eliminated right at the starting line. All teams were given a document with 4,000 letters in it (You can see part of it via the image on the right). Among the letters was only ONE well known city which was their first destination. The team that took the longest to find it was eliminated. That team was Robbyjak.

Season 13 Teams & Results

 * ε  indicates the team used the Express Pass
 * ə  inidcates the team used the Express Pass they were given from the team who won Leg 1
 * ƒ  indicates the team won the Fast Forward on that leg
 * ⊃  indicates the team used the U-Turn. ⊂  inidcates the team received the U-Turn
 * ⋑  indicates the team used the 2nd U-Turn available. ⋐  indicates the team received the 2nd U-Turn available.  ⋐   indicates the team received the 2nd U-Turn but it did not affect them as they had already passed the U-Turn
 * Matching colour symbols (+  ~  ^  – ) indicates the teams who teamed up at the Intersection
 * >  indicates the team used the Yield.  <  inidcates the team received the Yield but it did not affect them as they had already passed the Yield
 * Underlined Number  inidicates the team arrived last but were NOT eliminated and had a Speed Bump on the following leg
 * Red Number indicates the team who were last and were eliminated
 * The little star next to a placement means the team chose to Quit during that leg of the race
 * ¢ means the team was foreced to withdraw from the race

Leg 1 (United States > Australia)
Season 13 started of with a bang when teams found out one team would be eliminated right at the starting line embracing the theme "Unlucky 13". The team that completed the starting line challenge the slowest (the team that finishes 13th) would be eliminated. Robbyjak was the slowest and was eliminated. Teams then flew to Melbourne where they had to search among over 40 bells for the one bell recording they were given. The Detour was a choice between Batter Up or Rev Up. At the Pit Stop it was Thebigbioss who was 1st and won the 2 Express Passes. In the end it was Euro who was last and was eliminated from the race.
 * Frankfort, Kentucky, United States [[image:United States Mini.png]] (Kentucky State Capitol Buidling) (Starting Line)
 * [[image:Air Travel Mini.png]] Frankfort to Melbourne, Australia [[image:Australia Mini.png]]
 * Melbourne (Birrarung Marr) [[image:Roadblock Mini.png]]
 * Melbourne (Melbourne Cricket Ground) [[image:Detour Mini.png]]
 * Melbourne (Bolte Bridge) [[image:Pit Stop Mini.png]]

Leg 2 (Australia)
At the beginning of the leg Thebigbioss chose to give Stuartlittle16 the Express Pass. At the Shrine of Rememberance teams had to work out where in the Bible it says "Greater Love Hath No Man" in the King James Version. Afterwards teams flew to Hobart where teams had to identify the brass instrument playing "The Last Post", which was the bugle. Stuartlittle16 chose to use his Express Pass. In the Detour teams chose either Music Perfection or Docking Perfection. At the Pit Stop Edu84 was 1st while Stuartlittle16 was last and was eliminated from the race.
 * Melbourne (Shrine of Rememberance)
 * [[image:Air Travel Mini.png]] Melbourne to Hobart, Australia
 * [[image:Bus Travel Mini.png]] Hobart (Hobart Cenotaph) [[image:Roadblock Mini.png]]
 * Hobart (Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra) [[image:Detour Mini.png]]
 * Hobart (Wrest Point Hotel Casino) [[image:Pit Stop Mini.png]]

Leg 3 (Australia > China)
At the Wrest Point Hotel Casino (the previous Pit Stop) teams could not leave until making over $2,000 at the Roulette table. Afterwards teams flew to Guangzhou where they had to choose either Sky Battle or Land Battle in the Detour. In the Roadblock teams were given a picture of a very close up bit of detail of 1 wedding dress and had to identify which one it was out of the 100 wedding dresses they were given. Thebigbioss chose to use the Express Pass. At the Pit Stop it was Edu84 who was 1st for the second time in a row. In the end it was Thebigbioss who was eliminated after choosing to Quit the race.
 * Hobart (Wrest Point Hotel Casino)
 * [[image:Air Travel Mini.png]] Hobart to Guangzhou, China [[image:China Mini.png]]
 * Guangzhou (Whampoa Military Academy) [[image:Detour Mini.png]]
 * [[image:Water Travel Mini.png]] [[image:Bus Travel Mini.png]] Guangzhou (Jiangnan Avenue) [[image:Roadblock Mini.png]]
 * Guangzhou (Chimelong Paradise) [[image:Pit Stop Mini.png]]

Leg 4 (China > Oman)
Teams had to enter Chimlong Paradise and find the rollercoaster in the image provided, which was the 10 Inversion Roller Coaster. Teams encountered the Fast Forward where Edu84 was the first to complete it and skipped all remaining tasks and headed straight to the Pit Stop. To win the Fast Forward teams had to identify what had 1,700,000,000 knots in Muscat, which is the Prayer Carpet in the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. The Detour was a choice between Accurate Aim or Accurate Move. Teams then encountered a Double U-Turn where SparkleSara U-Turned Ilikebugs and Max7313 U-Turned OhNatalie. In the Roadblock teams had to make 5 Dishdashas and give them to the Composer. At the Pit Stop it was Edu84 who was 1st and OhNatalie arrived last after her U-Turn and was eliminated from the race.
 * Guangzhou (10 Inversion Roller Coaster)
 * [[image:Air Travel Mini.png]] Guangzhou to Muscat, Oman [[image:Oman Mini.png]]
 * Muscat (Oman Oil and Gas Exhibition Center) [[image:Fast Forward Mini.png]] [[image:Detour Mini.png]]
 * Muscat (Royal Opera House) [[image:U-Turn Mini.png]] [[image:Roadblock Mini.png]]
 * Muscat (Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque) [[image:Pit Stop Mini.png]]

Leg 5 (Oman > Qatar)
After arriving in Doha teams faced a Roadblock which was a maze. After completing the maze teams received a flame torch and had to work out where they were going next. Teams then encountered an Intersection where they had to pair up with another team and complete a challenge which was to repel down the side of The Torch Hotel. After signing up for Charter Buses teams arrived in Al Bidda Park where they had to locate Thai Smile Corniche. In the Detour teams picked either Throw Away or Put Together. At the Pit Stop it was SparkleSara who was 1st and in the end it was Max7313 who was last and was eliminated.
 * [[image:Air Travel Mini.png]] Muscat to Doha, Qatar [[image:Qatar Mini.png]]
 * Doha (Qatar University) [[image:Roadblock Mini.png]]
 * Doha  (The Torch Hotel) [[image:Intersection Mini.png]]
 * [[image:Bus Travel Mini.png]] Doha (Al Bidda Park)
 * Doha (Thai Smile Corniche) [[image:Detour Mini.png]]
 * Doha (Museum of Islamic Art) [[image:Pit Stop Mini.png]]

Leg 6 (Qatar > Cyprus)
After leaving Doha and arriving in Nicosia teams encountered a Yield where MikeSpike tried to Yield Acyuta, however, Acyuta had already passed the Yield so was not effective. In the Detour teams chose either Night Time Party or Night Time Flip Out. At the Roadblock teams had to climb up a rope lader up the side of Tower 25 to the correct floor number that was the answer to the questions provided. Get one wrong and they had to start again. At the Pit Stop it was SparkleSara who was 1st. In the end it was SirNiceGuy who was last and was eliminated from the race.
 * [[image:Air Travel Mini.png]] Doha to Nicosia, Cyprus [[image:Cyprus Mini.png]]
 * Nicosia (Ledra Street) [[image:Yield Mini.png]] [[image:Detour Mini.png]]
 * Nicosia (Tower 25) [[image:Roadblock Mini.png]]
 * Nicosia (Venetian Walls of Nicosia) [[image:Pit Stop Mini.png]]

Leg 7 (Cyprus > Romania)
Upon arrivial in Bucharest teams faced a Detour where they picked either Slow and Steedy or Fast and Furious. In the Roadblock teams had to search through the famous book "Dracula" for the mentions of "Dracula's Castle". Using the page number teams would form a code that would unlock their next clue. At the Pit Stop it was SparkleSara who was 1st for the third time in a row and Awwsum11 was last but was not eliminated as this was a Non-Elimination Leg.
 * Nicosia to Larnaca, Cyprus (Kimon The Athenian Bust)
 * [[image:Air Travel Mini.png]] Larnaca to Bucharest, Romania [[image:Romania Mini.png]]
 * Bucharest (Arcul De Triumf) [[image:Detour Mini.png]]
 * Bucharest (Bran Castle) [[image:Roadblock Mini.png]]
 * Bucharest (Palace of Justice) [[image:Pit Stop Mini.png]]

Leg 8 (Romania)
After traveling by train to Cluj-Napoca teams took on a Roadblock that required them to fill different sizes of beer glasses. The Detour was a choice between Climb The Mountain or Ride The River. Teams then encountered Awwsum11's Speed Bump as well as a Double U-Turn. As Awwsum11 was last on the previous leg but was saved from elimination he had to complete a Speed Bump. He had to successfully pour 30 buckets of water into a container within 65 seconds. At the Double U-Turn Edu84 U-Turned SparkleSara while Ilikebugs tried to U-Turn Edu84, but Edu84 had already passed the U-Turn at that point. At the Pit Stop Edu84 was 1st while Acyuta arrived last and was eliminated from the race.
 * [[image:Rail Travel Mini.png]] Bucharest to Cluj-Napoca, Romania
 * Cluj-Napoca (Ursus Brewery) [[image:Roadblock Mini.png]]
 * Cluj-Napoca (Turda Gorge) [[image:Detour Mini.png]]
 * Cluj-Napoca (Ciucas Waterfall) [[image:Speed Bump Mini.png]] [[image:U-Turn Mini.png]]
 * Cluj-Napoca (Matthias Corvinus Statue) [[image:Pit Stop Mini.png]]

Leg 9 (Romania > Paraguay)
in Asunción teams encountered the second Fast Forward on the race. This time the team that was first to work out where the Mbiguá Club's rowing team trained they would win the Fast Forward. Awwsum11 won the Fast Forward and skipped all remaining tasks. In the Detour teams chose between Beat The Score or Beat The Goalie. The Roadblock required teams to solve a sliding puzzle of former president of Paraguay Carlos Antonio Lopez. At the Pit Stop, after winning the Fast Forward, Awwsum11 was 1st while MikeSpike fell into last place and was eliminated.
 * [[image:Air Travel Mini.png]] Cluj-Napoca to Asunción, Paraguay [[image:Paraguay Mini.png]]
 * Asunción (Estadio Defensores Del Chaco) [[image:Fast Forward Mini.png]] [[image:Detour Mini.png]]
 * Asunción (Palacio de los Lopez) [[image:Roadblock Mini.png]]
 * Asunción (Bay of Asunción) [[image:Pit Stop Mini.png]]

Leg 10 (Paraguay > Puerto Rico)
On the penultimate leg teams flew to San Juan where the Roadblock required them to use the International Maritime Signal Flags to unscramble several words. The Detour foreced teams to choose either Clickers or Searchers. At the Pit Stop it was SparkleSara who brought home another 1st place finish and for the first time in RJ's The Amazing Race history Edu84 was last and was eliminated from the race.
 * [[image:Air Travel Mini.png]] Asunción to San Juan, Puerto Rico [[image:Puerto Rico Mini.png]]
 * San Juan (Port of San Juan) [[image:Roadblock Mini.png]]
 * San Juan (Puerto Rico Conservation Center) [[image:Detour Mini.png]]
 * San Juan (Castillio San Felipe Del Morro)  [[image:Pit Stop Mini.png]]

Leg 11 (Puerto Rico > United States)
After flying to Lexington teams faced their final Detour which was a choice between Jump To Victory or Click To Victory. Afterwards teams encountered their Final Roadblock of the season which truly tested their memory and brains. They were given a puzzle, which was a clock, and 12 pieces, 11 of which represented a place on each leg of the race and the twelth piece was the starting line...which was also the Finish Line. Once the puzzle was solve everything would be in the correct order clockwise as the piece from leg one would be on 1 o'clock, leg two would be on 2 o'clock, etc. At the Finish Line it was SparkleSara who was 1st and won RJ's The Amazing Race 13. Awwsum11 finished 2nd and Ilikebugs finished 3rd.
 * [[image:Air Travel Mini.png]] San Juan to Lexington, Kentucky, United States [[image:United States Mini.png]]
 * Lexington (The Red Mile) [[image:Detour Mini.png]]
 * Lexington to Frankfort, Kentucky, United States (Floral Clock) [[image:Roadblock Mini.png]]
 * Frankfort (Kentucky State Capitol Building) [[image:Finish Line.png]]

Facts & Records

 * 1st time ever a team is eliminated at the Starting Line (Robbyjak - Leg 1)
 * Thebigbioss was the 1st team ever to use an Express Pass and Quit later on in the leg (Leg 3)
 * This season saw the 1st time RJ had to eliminate Edu84 at a Pit Stop (Leg 10)
 * Edu84 was the 1st person who was removed from the season
 * Ilikebugs sets the record for the longest time to complete the Final Leg (Leg 11 - 115 Minutes excluding Transport)
 * 1st time visits to Oman, Qatar, Cyprus, Romania, Paraguay and Puerto Rico