They say that speed kills in the NFL. Now it's time to see if a former NFL head coach can sprint his way to a million dollars on The Amazing Race.
Former New York Jets and Buffalo Bills head coach and current ESPN football analyst Rex Ryan (who took the Jets to back-to-back AFC championship games) is partnering with a golfing buddy / probation officer on season 34 of the CBS reality competition series, which premieres Sept. 21 at 10 p.m. ET on CBS. They will be one of 12 teams competing, a cast that also includes long-lost twins, former NFL cheerleaders, ballroom dancers, motivational speakers, as well as Big Brother season 23 stars (and Cookout victims) Derek Xiao and Claire Rehfuss.
![THE AMAZING RACE Season 34](https://ew.com/thmb/toyUUgoTmFnUT2awuxxtOaCCw2w=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/THE-AMAZING-RACE-Season-34-082322-14-42370a4e60834038a4ee1cc3dd134e40.jpg)
That was not the only big Amazing Race news regarding the new season. For the first time in franchise history, the competition will actually begin outside of the United States, with Munich, Germany serving as the season 34 starting line. And in another franchise first that will surely be cheered by longtime fans, there will be zero non-elimination legs on the season.
Not only that, but there will be what CBS describes as a "game-changing element" that host Phil Keoghan will tease during the first leg, and the show will also visit "the ancient city of Petra, in Jordan, where teams will ride a train and experience a scene reminiscent of the 1963 Oscar-winning film Lawrence of Arabia, perform a Jordanian folk dance and learn the Arabic alphabet." Other locations on the itinerary include Austria, Italy, France, Spain, and Iceland, while the race will conclude in Nashville.
Meet the season 34 Amazing Race teams below.
Aastha Lal (33, VP of Operations) and Nina Duong (34, Director Business Dev.)
Engaged from Marina Del Ray, Calif.
![THE AMAZING RACE Season 34](https://ew.com/thmb/sTmi4vr-SBTr-mM9Abtez4-meBM=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/THE-AMAZING-RACE-Season-34-082322-07-8494c84f28fe46d6af5c4f2db0d47808.jpg)
Abby Garrett (24, Data Scientist) and Will Freeman (25, Accountant)
Childhood sweethearts from Birmingham, Ala.
![THE AMAZING RACE Season 34](https://ew.com/thmb/kt1SFl_s8kGx_UEHq9Qxh18xujs=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/THE-AMAZING-RACE-Season-34-082322-05-9367894f8d7641568edb42c46fa0501c.jpg)
Aubrey Ares (29, Dance Studio Owner) and David Hernandez (29, Helicopter Mechanic)
Ballroom dancers from Los Angeles, Calif.
![THE AMAZING RACE Season 34](https://ew.com/thmb/Lixaj5FmbaxQiPm8b6A_sOtmw24=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/THE-AMAZING-RACE-Season-34-082322-15-838a2d3f1c7143e797e18cbbfebf4d4d.jpg)
Derek Xiao (24, Product Manager) and Claire Rehfuss (25, AI Engineer)
Reality romance from Los Angeles, Calif.
![THE AMAZING RACE Season 34](https://ew.com/thmb/n5gc7PUIJucwbzibRkGkRGOfqAc=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/THE-AMAZING-RACE-Season-34-082322-08-62fe1b0fde42488e86345dc4bfa2a3e9.jpg)
Emily Bushnell (36, Law Firm Admin) and Molly Sinert (36, Healthcare Admin)
Long-lost twins from Ardmore, Pa. and Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., respectively.
![THE AMAZING RACE Season 34](https://ew.com/thmb/MFxG9LGbAIU3TeGFmmsb4MnJoG0=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/THE-AMAZING-RACE-Season-34-082322-10-c39ba4e3ef54450da98ce8b3f6fc4e8c.jpg)
Glenda (41, Insurance Underwriter) and Lumumba Roberts (41, Middle School Teacher)
Newlyweds from Norcross, Ga.
![THE AMAZING RACE Season 34](https://ew.com/thmb/kvLoST_fcwJFB1lm83ukuFenlSk=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/THE-AMAZING-RACE-Season-34-082322-02-103c210fd55149908f484018643820d4.jpg)
Luis Colon (34, Firefighter) and Michelle Burgos (34, Dancer)
Married from Miami, Fla.
![THE AMAZING RACE Season 34](https://ew.com/thmb/ay-6kqbthqefzhfg5rnH-a3Iw5Y=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/THE-AMAZING-RACE-Season-34-082322-04-b2c7403804f14e1590a03501fb8d7af2.jpg)
Linton (50, Assistant Principal) and Sharik Atkinson (23, Masters Student)
Father and daughter from Brooklyn, N.Y.
![THE AMAZING RACE Season 34](https://ew.com/thmb/6NRIuOelTEkEiXZQS9X0vwR7EU8=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/THE-AMAZING-RACE-Season-34-082322-11-7243e837a8b64c9d8f542703a6e3e00e.jpg)
Marcus (38, Army Tank Commander) and Michael Craig (30, Air Force Fighter Pilot)
Military brothers from Richmond Hill, Ga. and Alamogordo, N.M., respectively.
![THE AMAZING RACE Season 34](https://ew.com/thmb/-20vcS2p-DCRwm5k8L_PLVF8ZVs=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/THE-AMAZING-RACE-Season-34-082322-06-022d777f73fe400b9cb18d6aed51e649.jpg)
Quinton Peron (29, Choreographer) and Mattie Lynch (27, Dance Coach)
Former Rams cheerleaders from Pasadena, Calif. and Vista, Calif, respectively.
![THE AMAZING RACE Season 34](https://ew.com/thmb/L3dJiURuhzEj0MgGQjekkgKNhes=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/THE-AMAZING-RACE-Season-34-082322-12-321069845573463494487696473f02a9.jpg)
Tim Mann (40, Probation Officer) and Rex Ryan (59, ESPN Analyst)
Golf buddies from Brentwood, Tenn.
![THE AMAZING RACE Season 34](https://ew.com/thmb/lufrEmnCAaqhGqvrIBCTauoOoGM=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/THE-AMAZING-RACE-Season-34-082322-03-217d1fc33d734630bb59ab2bafc6d10e.jpg)
Rich Kuo (32, Life Coach) and Dom Jones (35, Gym Owner)
Motivational speakers from Huntington Beach, Calif.
![THE AMAZING RACE Season 34](https://ew.com/thmb/fGEfxxOwhh1Kk76c6b69_zSnMkc=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/THE-AMAZING-RACE-Season-34-082322-01-da8d1da4f0f443289926d9c0658b24e7.jpg)
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