The Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan stands on a rock in the desert in Jordan

‘The Amazing Race’: 4 Worst Injuries on the Show

'The Amazing Race' has seen quite a few accidents in 34 seasons, with some leaving injuries that forced contestants to quit the competition.

by Elise Nelson

Published on October 23, 2022

2 min read

Gretchen Smith cut her head in a cave during ‘The Amazing Race’ Season 7

Gretchen Smith and her husband, Meredith, were completing a challenge in a cave on The Amazing Race Season 7 when Gretchen slipped and fell. When she stood up, she had a big, bloody gash on her head. The medics immediately came to her side; thankfully, the injury wasn’t as bad as it looked. That moment also didn’t make Gretchen lose her sense of humor, as she joked to Meredith, “Don’t worry, I’ve been wanting a facelift for a long time.”

The injury slowed Gretchen and Meredith down, causing them to finish the leg in last place. However, it was a non-elimination leg, so they kept their spot on the show.

Claire Champlin got hit in the face with a watermelon during ‘The Amazing Race’ Season 17

The most surprising injury on The Amazing Race happened to season 17’s Claire Champlin. Claire was completing a Roadblock where she had to slingshot watermelons across a field. On one of her attempts, a watermelon ended up sticking to the slingshot and firing back into her face at full speed. Miraculously, the moment did not give Claire a concussion, but she had a massive headache. Still, her partner, Brooke Roberts, encouraged Claire to keep going with the Roadblock.

All things considered, this isn’t one of the worst injuries on The Amazing Race, but it is the most infamous. The footage of Claire getting hit by the watermelon went viral.

Marshall Hudes became the first person to drop out due to injury on ‘The Amazing Race’

Many contestants on The Amazing Race will do anything to keep going in the competition, even if that means powering through an injury. However, some medical emergencies are too serious to ignore. During The Amazing Race Season 5, Marshall Hudes experienced severe tendonitis in his knee. He was in excruciating pain, made even worse by all the walking the team did. While in Egypt, Marshall and his brother, Lance, made the decision to drop out of the race, becoming the first team in TAR history to do so because of an injury. Unfortunately, they just couldn’t make it to the Pit Stop.

“Marshall couldn’t walk. Marshall couldn’t leave that spot anyway,” Lance said on The Early Show after their elimination, per CBS. “I didn’t know what I was looking for. It got so frustrating. We were exhausted, and it was time to end.”

A crew member was injured when a car flipped in season 7

In the same episode as Gretchen’s head injury, brothers Brian and Greg Smith got into a severe car accident. While driving through the desert, the vehicle flipped over. Brian and Greg escaped the car unscathed, but a crew member was injured. CBS cameras caught the frightening moment and the aftermath as the brothers awaited medical assistance. Still, they made it to the Pit Stop before another team, keeping them in the race.