It’s back and better than ever. With the finale tonight, The Amazing Race 2023 winners will cross the finish line first and win the grand prize of $1 million.
The Amazing Race premiered in 2001 as a reality TV competition show that follows 13 teams of two around the globe. Each season lasts for approximately 21 to 30 days. The race is split into legs, in which the teams gather clues, journey through different foreign countries, interact with locals, and compete in physical and mental challenges. The teams typically travel by plane, boat, taxi, and other modes of transportation, and they all have limited budgets.
Teams are eliminated at the end of each leg. The first team to arrive at the end of the final leg wins the $1,000,000 grand prize. Since the show’s premiere in 2001, The Amazing Race has launched spinoffs in countries such as Australia, Canada, China, France, Norway, the Philippines, Ukraine, and Vietnam. It has also won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Competition Program 10 out of the 15 times the award has been given out since the category was created.
For Season 35, The Amazing Race went all out with a new 90-minute time slot and 13 teams trekking through Thailand, India, Germany, Sweden, Ireland. Now 3 finalists are heading to Washington state, where the first team to cross the final finish line will be crowned the winner.
Here’s The Amazing Race 35 winner.
Who are The Amazing Race 35 winners? Greg and John Franklin crossedthe finish line at the end of episode 12 of The Amazing Race 35. The episode’s scramble was inspired by Seattle’s art scene and includes contestants swinging from a high trapeze, glassblowing, and being a roadie for a grunge band.
Age: 25 & 27
Location: New York City, New York and Mountain View, California
Greg and John Franklin are brothers from New York City and Mountain View, California. Greg is a software developer, while John is a product manager.The two traveled the world together and are ready to take on The Amazing Race challenges. “We’ve been to Montreal together, we’ve been to Thailand together, Singapore, China — just all over the world together, so this is just a concentrated way to do it,” Greg said. The brothers placed first in episodes 6 – 9 and placed second while in the semi-final in Ireland.
On what traits they wish they exchanged, John said, “Gregory’s really bold. He will make that leap; he will eat that thing. And I will sometimes get in my head about it. I’ll need to take my time, give myself a countdown. I give Gregory all the trust in the world to just “3, 2, 1, do it,” and I wish I could do that.”
Meanwhile, the characteristic Greg says he wants from his brother is decision making. “On the flip side, Johnny’s very good at making decisions and having a calculated way to make decisions. I very much just choose. If I think it’s a good decision, I’m just gonna go for it. Johnny will sit and think about the decision before he makes it.”
Ages: 48 & 25
Location: Riverside, California & New York City
Rob and Corey McArthur are a father-son duo who are finalists in The Amazing Race 35. Rob works as a teaching assistant/assistant football coach and Corey is senior manager of a client strategy and analytics company. “My dad has really inspired me to always live putting my values first in pretty much everything that I do, and there’s a unique twist on it with my dad being deaf, so we can show the world, you know, deaf people can raise their children and have a really intimate relationship with them,” Corey said.
Rob and Corey placed first in episode 11. On their strongest suit, Corey said that he’s excited to communicate throughout the competition. “I think communication with your teammate is going to be so crucial. We’ve seen time and time again. Youth and youthfulness will help. But with past winners like Kim and Penn, they’re successful in their communication, and their ability to really be on the same page at all times. And that’s something I think my dad and I are trying to really adapt and put into our guidebook. And something I think we have a leg up on and that we have a 25-year relationship. We have multiple languages that we can communicate in. We can communicate further apart than some of the other contestants might be able to. And we could even do so underwater if we had to.”
Age: 42 & 43
Location: Kuna, Idaho and Meridian, Idaho
Joel Strasser and Garrett Smith are best friends who are finalists for The Amazing Race 35. Joel is an auto claims training specialist, while Garrett is a delivery driver. On a skillset that they prize the most, Joel touched on positivity. “I feel like if you’re constantly positive and telling yourself, ‘No matter what the challenge is, I can do this,’ rather than ‘I can’t do this’ or ‘this is too hard,’ you’re going to get through any challenge. And you’re gonna get through it a lot faster than if you have that negative attitude or that negative thought.
They placed first in episode 10.
