Greetings Amazing Race fan. I've been a fan of the show since the middle of its first season, and I've compiled a list of things to look out for on this and future editions of the show. Newbies to the show might want to print & save it, while the oldsters can just skim it and nod their heads:

1. Phil - Phil Keoghan is the host of the show. He's from New Zealand, which is why he has a funny accent. He keeps track of the action on the show for us, telling us where the teams need to get to and what they need to do. Perhaps his most important role is to count down the contestants as they come in to the pit stop (the ending point for each leg). We occasionally get to hear him interview a team or two as they check in.

2. "The world is waiting for you... Go!" - The start of the race brings the teams individually to the starting point where they're bunched together. Phil greets them, gives them a few instructions, points to their backpacks (conveniently located a sprint's distance away) and sends them off. Chaos ensues, and not for the last time in the race.

3. The first flight - In the four previous races, the contestants have had two or three flights to choose from to get to their destination. Every time, it's been a person on the last flight that has been eliminated. We'll see if that stays true.

4. The Detour - Phil's had a standard spiel to go along with each detour. Let's see if it's changed at all. Also of interest are the detours themselves - usually a choice between fast and scary/messy/brawny or slow.

5. The Roadblock - This isn't usually seen until the second episode; let's see if that changes also. Phil also has a standard spiel here.

6. The Fast Forward - First of all, will someone be foolish enough to take it in the first leg? And second, yes, Phil has a standard spiel for this one too. Will it change at all?

7. The Yield - I'm sure Phil will develop a standard spiel for this one. This is new for TAR5, and you know as much about how it will work as I do.

8. Bunching, Part 1: International flights - As mentioned, the teams will probably have their choice of two or three flights to get to their first destination. Several teams will be on each flight. There will surely be other flights going to far-flung destinations. Sometimes ALL the teams are on the same flight, which makes everyone bunch up. The first person out of Customs (rarely shown) is in the lead, though not by much.

9. Bunching, Part 2: Charters - The races have had charter buses and planes in the past. The way it usually works is that
charter A holds 3 (or whatever) teams, Charter B holds another 3 and leaves an hour later, and Charter C holds the rest and leaves an hour after Charter B. This bunches them into groups which can be tough to get out of, especially if there is significant time between each charter.

10. Bunching, Part 3: Operating Hours - Sometimes the teams' journey will take them to a place that's only open for limited hours (say 10 AM - 4 PM). If they arrive and it's closed, they have to wait until the next day. This usually lets the other teams catch up with them. I complain the most about this type of bunching, and I'm sure you'll hear me rant about it soon enough. By then, you'll probably have figured out why.

11. Bunching, Part 4: The graveyard shift - OK, how many businesses can you think of that are open between midnight and 6 AM? Not too many, huh? That's what the producers are counting on. The vast majority of teams will get to their pit stops between noon and 6 PM, which means they leave for their next destination between midnight and 6 AM. I doubt this will change - much as I'd like it to - because it encourages bunching. The producers like bunching because it produces a lot of close finishes, especially at the end.

12. The locals - Most shows isolate the contestants from the locals. It's less true in TAR, and part of the appeal of it for me is that locals can sometimes have a significant role in helping or hurting the teams, and for sheer enjoyment on my end. Taxi drivers seem most influential, but there are others that will play their parts. Look out for them.

13. Penalties - Because all our contestants are (a) human and (b) under a lot of stress, they're going to make mistakes in interpreting the clues. sometimes those mistakes lead to time penalties, either at the pit stop or when leaving it. Sometimes it's the difference between sticking around and getting eliminated.

14. "Who will be eliminated tonight/next?" - Phil will say this at the start of every show, just after the highlights from the last episode. It's another standard spiel that we've grown used to over the years. If he says "tonight", that means it's an elimination episode. If he says "next", be careful. It might be an elimination eppie, or maybe not. They crossed us up in the last edition.

15. Legs 6, 8, 10, and 12 - These are my picks for the non-elimination episodes, based on the pattern established over the other races. They could change this up, and they might because I'd say the majority of fans are disappointed when they get a non-elim episode. Not me, but others.

16. "You're team #... you're the last team to arrive" - More Phil spiels, this time from the pit stops. Will he change this? Not likely.

These are just a few of many items to look out for.

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