The world is waiting

Two Birmingham residents are in the hunt for $1 million in the 10th installment of the reality TV competition, “The Amazing Race.” The CBS show, taped this summer, pits 12 teams of two in a race around the world.

Karlyn Harris of Helena and Lyn Turk of Birmingham are listed as 32-year-old “best friends.” Harris is a program analyst, and Turk is a fourth-grade teacher. The two are the first “Race” contestants from Alabama.

Updated with corrected premiere date …

Lyn Turk of Birmingham, left, and Karlyn Harris of Helena will be competing this fall on ‘The Amazing Race.’

From the bio:

These two Alabama mothers have known each other since ninth grade. “The Amazing Race” will be the first time the two have ever traveled abroad together. Both have limited traveling experience but are hoping their resourcefulness and wit will make them the team to beat.

All-women teams have fared poorly in the show’s history, often exiting within the first few legs. The highest finish for an all-women team is fourth place.

Producers increased the number of teams from 11 in previous seasons. Competitors, at least the successful ones, will travel 40,000 miles in 30 days, heading to China from the starting line in Seattle. Other international stops include Mongolia, Kuwait, Vietnam and Madagascar.

Fans have already made early unconfirmed reports compiled a list of stops, in order, on The TARFlies Times site (hat tip to Reality Blurred). They also report personal encounters with contestants, including Harris and Turk, and order of finish. (Warning: links to spoilers.)

While the show has never featured contestants from Alabama, it did visit Huntsville and Talladega for the critically derided Family Edition in 2005.

Host Phil Keoghan is scheduled to kick off the competition at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17 on CBS 42. The show will air this fall at 7 p.m. Sundays.

• Wikipedia: “The Amazing Race”
• CBS Plans Premiere-Week Blitz

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Pit stop: more “Amazing Race” coverage.

Posted: Sunday, July 16, 2006, 5:16 pm, in B'ham, Bama, Culture.
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