The Amazing Race Season 37 elevates the competition by introducing a record-breaking 14 teams consisting of a diverse group of individuals, such as nurses, game streamers, and frontliners.
The brand-new season of CBS' hit reality series is being billed by the network as the "Season of Surprises," indicating that there are many twists and turns in store for the contestants who are competing.
Aside from the new challenges for the teams, the competitors are also set to embark on a race of a lifetime around the globe, which includes stops in Hong Kong (for the first time), Dubai, and the United States.
The Amazing Race Season 37 premiered on CBS on March 5.
The Amazing Race Season 37 Cast Guide: Meet the 14 Teams
Alyssa Borden & Josiah Borden
Instagram: @lysskirkborden
Alyssa Borden (31) and Josiah Borden (32) are married nurse anesthetists from Philadelphia who are set to go all-out in the brand-new season of The Amazing Race Season 37.
The pair will look to prove that trust between married couples reigns supreme in a high-stakes competition like Amazing Race. Alyssa and Josiah's combined competitive spirits will surely be tested when their backs are against the wall.
In a post from Instagram, Alyssa explains that their "love for competition, traveling, and stressing each other" make Amazing Race as the "perfect game" for them.
Bernie Gutierrez & Carrigan Scadden
Instagram: @burniefit & @dragonboatbae
Fitness is the name of the game for best friends Bernie Gutierrez (31) and Carrigan Scadden (33).
Bernie works as a personal trainer while Carrigan makes a living as a spa educator. As a pair of friends who are into an active lifestyle, joining The Amazing Race is a no-brainer.
Speaking with Uinta County Herald, Bernie said that she is prepared to do whatever it takes to win the competition since she believes that she is "an absolute athlete:"
"I’m very ready. I stay ready. I truly believe I’m an absolute athlete. If you want me to run, I can run. If you want me to swim, I can swim. Want me to lift something heavy, I got you."
As for Carrigan, competition has always been part of her life since she has been a dragon boat paddler in Colorado since 2012.
Brett Hamby & Mark Romain
Instagram: @poquitoshwol & @markromain
After starting as diehard fans of the show, Brett Hamby (36) and Mark Romain (37) are now living the dream as actual competitors of The Amazing Race Season 37.
The two married Las Vegas performers are hoping that their chemistry and determination will prove to be an advantage in outlasting the other participants of the brand-new season.
Carson McCalley & Jack Dodge
Instagram: @carsonmcalley & @jackdodge
As video game streamers and hosts of their podcast Dweeb Wars, Carson McCalley (28) and Jack Dodge (27) know what it takes to win, but it is a whole different ballgame in The Amazing Race Season 37.
The pair of best friends and gamers will look to defy the odds as they step up out of their comfort zone to take on an adventure of a lifetime while hoping to win $1 million.
Courtney Ramsey & Jasmin Carey
Courtney Ramsey (33) and Jasmin Carey (34) are dating nurses from Leland, North Carolina.
After the pair met at Duke University's School of Nursing, they managed to forge a strong bond that eventually led to a relationship.
Joining The Amazing Race Season 37 is a dream come true for them since it also further strengthened their connection to one another.
In an interview with WWAY, Courtney admits that being part of the competition is way more challenging than expected:
"Yeah, you got a backpack and all these things that are neatly packed in there. But you really have what you store within yourself. Whatever your methodology is for your day to day, you know how you build yourself up, and how you encourage yourself through challenges. That’s what you have to bring on the race with you."
Carey also teased in the same interview that there are many notable "twists and turns and surprises out the gate:"
"Twists and turns and surprises out the gate. It hits you kinda hard, we were like, 'Woah!'. When we said it, we were just like, 'Oh my gosh.' Even with [host Phil Keoghan] saying it, we couldn’t have imagined what those twists and turns were actually going to be."
Ernest Cato & Bridget Cato
Instagram: @bridget.s.cato
One of the notable participants in The Amazing Race Season 37 is the father-daughter duo of Ernest Cato (59) and Bridget Cato (28).
Ernest is a retired chief of the Chicago Police Department while Bridget works as an account supervisor.
Ernest and Bridget will look to prove that family ties are a surefire advantage in a game of twists and turns like The Amazing Race Season 37.
The pair follows the footsteps of another father-daughter pair, Chris Foster and Mary Cardona-Foster, who were part of the lineup of contestants in The Amazing Race Season 36.
Han Nguyen & Holden Nguyen
Instagram: @hanbnguyen & @hole.den
Siblings Han Nguyen (26) and Holden Nguyen (22) will look to combine their strengths in order to catapult them to the top of The Amazing Race Season 37.
Han previously worked as an energy consultant while Holden is a current student at Stanford.
In a post from Instagram, Han hopes to carry what their parents taught them growing up and carry those over to the race, noting that they deem "the value of hard work, grit, and never taking 'no' as an answer" as the perfect formula of a winner.
Ultimately, she hopes that they show the world that "Asians aren't one dimensional."
Jackye Clayton & Lauren McKinney
Instagram: @jackyeclayton & @veganradiance
Jackye Clayton (51) and Lauren McKinney (61) are sisters who want to showcase their competitive edge over the others in the brand-new season.
Working as a talent acquisition architect, Jackye knows how to work under pressure while getting things done.
Meanwhile, for Laura, her experience as a corporate event strategist means that planning and organizing are her strengths, and it could do wonders in navigating the necessary routes in their globe-trottling adventure.
Jonathan Towns & Ana Towns
Instagram: @ana_towns
Jonathan Towns (42) and Ana Towns (35) are married parents who are about to embark on a life-changing journey in The Amazing Race Season 37.
As a software developer, Jonathan will look to utilize his analytical and problem-solving skills to the test while stay-at-home mom Ana is expected to showcase her multitasking prowess on-screen.
Mark Crawford & Larry Graham
As two lifelong best friends, Mark Crawford (63) and Larry Graham (59) are joining The Amazing Race to tick off their bucket list.
Given that the pair are both retired firefighters, they know what it takes to be involved in risky situations and their years of experience in the field can help them gain an advantage over the other competitors in Season 37.
Melinda Papadeas & Erika Papadeas
Instagram: @papadeas12
Melinda (66) and Erika Papadeas (32) are a mother-daughter pair who are primed to make a statement in The Amazing Race Season 37.
Aside from aiming for the ultimate grand prize of $1 million, Melinda and Erika are also looking forward to making worthwhile memories that they can look back to in the future.
Working in administration has cemented Melinda's quick-thinking skills, and she hopes that she can do wonders with it when the time is right in the brand-new season.
As for Erika, her job as a client engagement specialist gives her an edge in terms of adapting in any situation across the globe.
Nick Fio & Mike Fio
Instagram: @fiobros
Brothers Nick (32) and Mike Flo (28) have great chemistry on their podcast, BestSelf University, and they are looking forward to carrying that strong bond in The Amazing Race Season 37.
Joining the hit CBS reality show has been a dream for the pair since they told UAlbany Magazine that they applied to become contestants for seven years straight before finally being accepted in the brand-new season.
In the same interview, Nick teased that all of the teams are widely competitive and determined, noting that "these people are smart [and] they're strategic:"
"In terms of competition, man, you realize that's it's not all about just having big muscles to do well in this race! These people are smart. They're strategic."
Jeff “Pops” Bailey & Jeff Bailey
Instagram: @popsandjeff
As a pair of father-son lumberjacks, the main asset of Jeff “Pops” Bailey (65) and Jeff Bailey (36) is the combined might of strength and familial bond.
Given that they have been working together for quite some time now, the familiarity between them holds the key in trusting one another to make the right calls and decisions in a complex game like The Amazing Race.
Scott Thompson & Lori Thompson
Instagram: @sigmanuelder & @lorisfablife
As married parents of eight sons, Scott Thompson (47) and Lori Thompson (49) are determined to make their family proud by joining the 2025 edition of The Amazing Race.
Speaking with the Salt Lake Tribune, Scott said that they will look to live up to their family mantra of "We do hard things" by putting the best version of themselves in the competition:
"Our family mantra has always been: ‘We do hard things.' 'The Amazing Race’ is the epitome of a hard thing, but it didn’t stop [Lori] and me from trying, making that effort, and putting our best selves out there."
Scott, who works as an emergency room physician's assistant, also admitted that they are super fans of the series.
In the same interview, Scott mentions that playing The Amazing Race in real life is "a whole different animal."
New episodes of The Amazing Race Season 37 premiere every Wednesday on CBS at 9:30 p.m. ET and can also be streamed on Paramount+.
