HaMerotz LaMillion 9
Season 9
Presented by	Yehuda Levi
No. of teams	13
No. of episodes	4
Release
Original network	Channel 12
Original release	1 July 2024 (2024-07-01) – present
Additional information
Filming dates	11 May (2023-05-11) – 14 June 2023 (2023-06-14)
Season chronology
← Previous Season 8 (on Channel 13)

HaMerotz LaMillion 9, also known as HaMerotz LaMillion 2024, is the ninth season of HaMerotz LaMillion ( Hebrew: המירוץ למיליון, lit. The Race to the Million), an Israeli reality competition show based on the American series The Amazing Race, and the first installment of Channel 12's iteration of the show. Hosted by Yehuda Levi, replacing Ron Shahar who hosted the previous seasons of the show, it featured thirteen teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world to win ₪1,000,000. Starting in Mýrdalshreppur, racers travelled through Iceland, Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco, Mongolia, and New Zealand. Elements of the show that returned for this season include the Fast Forward. The season was set to premiere in early 2024, although the premiere date was delayed by the Israel-Hamas war. The season premiered on 1 July 2024 on Channel 12.

Production

Development and filming

During finale press for the previous season, Ron Shahar said that due to the COVID-19 pandemic production for a subsequent season would happen after the countries to which the show would visit had sufficient vaccinated populations. ^[1] Shahar reiterated that filming for a new season would happen as soon as possible in an interview after his elimination from The Singer in the Mask a year later. ^[2] In October 2022, Channel 13 announced that it would be producing a local version of Peking Express instead of new seasons of HaMerotz LaMillion due to high production costs, ^{[3] [4]} with Peking Express estimated to cost 1.1 million shekels per episode rather than 1.5 million shekels for each episode of HaMerotz LaMillion. ^[5]

On 11 November 2022, Channel 12 announced that it had acquired the rights to HaMerotz LaMillion and would be filming a new season in 2023. ^[6] On 12 March 2023, Yehuda Levi was announced as the new host of HaMerotz LaMillion. ^[7] Filming began in May 2023. ^{[8] [9]} On 14 May 2023, racers were spotted in Málaga, Spain. ^[10] On 9 June, filming occurred in Queenstown, New Zealand. ^[11] After 35 days, filming concluded in mid-June. ^[12] According to promotion material released before it began, this season visited more countries that any other season of The Amazing Race globally. ^[13] This season also includes first-time visits to Iceland, the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, the Arab world with Morocco, and Mongolia.

Casting

Casting for the season opened on 24 November 2022. ^{[14] [15]} Within a month, over 6,000 people had applied for the show. ^[16] The cast was finalized in April 2023. ^[17]

Release

Broadcast

The season was slated to release in early 2024; ^[5] however, news coverage of the Israel–Hamas war delayed the programming blocks for Channel 12. ^[18] On 26 June 2024, the premiere date was announced to be 1 July. ^[19]

Cast

The cast includes Bnot Brak cast member Esti Socolovski, ^[20] Tnuva vice chairman Guy Rosen, ^[21] and Yiftach Ramon, son of Space Shuttle Columbia disaster victim Ilan Ramon. ^{[22] [23] [24]} The cast was revealed on 1 July 2024. ^[25]

Results

The following teams are listed with their placements in each leg. Placements are listed in finishing order.

• A red placement with a dagger (†) indicates that the team was eliminated.
• A green ƒ indicates that the team won the Fast Forward.
• A brown ⊂ indicates the team who received a U-Turn; ⊃ indicates that the team voted for the recipient.

Voting history

Teams may vote to choose either U-Turn or Yield. The team with the most votes received the U-Turn or Yield penalty, depending on the respective leg.

Episode Titles

Translated from Hebrew from the official website: ^[27]

Race summary

Destinations	Air travel    Rail travel    Water travel    Bus travel Helicopter travel    Bicycle travel    Gondola travel
Route Markers	צומת (Detour)    מחסום (Roadblock)    קיצור דרך (Fast Forward) עצור (Yield)    מסלול משותף (Intersection)    סיבוב פרסה (U-Turn) דו–קרב (Double Battle)    נקודת סיום (Pit Stop)

Leg 1 (Iceland)

• Airdates: 1, 2 & 7 July 2024
• Eliminated: Michal & Elrom

Locations

• Mýrdalshreppur, Iceland ( Katla Geopark) (Starting Line)
• Reykjavík ( City Center – Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur)
• Reykjavík ( Hallgrímskirkja)
• Reykjavík (Sandholt Bakery)
• Bláskógabyggð (Johannes Animal Farm)
• Reykjavík (Álafoss Wool Store)
• Reykjavík ( Reykjavíkurtjörn – Iðnaðarmannahúsið)

Episode summary (Episode 1)

• Teams began the race at the Katla Geopark in Iceland. After finding their first clue at a nearby glacier, one team member had to guide their partner, who was ice climbing up a glacial wall, to retrieve the six necessary puzzle pieces needed to complete a snowflake puzzle.
• Teams were instructed to drive to the center of Reykjavík and find their next clue at a place associated with an American president. They had to figure out that it was Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, a hot dog stand visited by Bill Clinton in 2004.

Episode summary (Episode 2)

• Teams were directed to Hallgrímskirkja and had to vote to U-Turn another team before searching inside the church. There, an organ player was playing "Ma'ale, Ma'ale" ("Up, Up") leaving teams to figure out that they had to go up to the bell tower. After purchasing tickets for the tower, teams received a sweater keychain that they would need later in the leg. Then, teams found their next clue instructing them to search for a building marked with an Amazing Race flag: the Sandholt bakery on Laugavegur.
• Outside the bakery, teams found a stand with 15 rjómabollur, a cream bun eaten during Bolludagur. Teams had to convince locals to purchase one for 500 króna and received their next clue if it contained jam. Otherwise, teams had to eat it before selling another. Teams then had to drive to a farm outside Reykjavík and find their next clue.

Episode summary (Episode 3)

• This season's first Detour was a choice between Sitting (לשבת) and Running (לריץ). In Sitting, one team member had to guide a horse through a course. Their partner had to ride the horse while balancing a stein of beer on a wooden spoon. After filling a tube at the end of the course with beer, teams received their next clue. In Running, teams had to herd 20 sheep into a pen before receiving their next clue.
• After the Detour, teams found the U-Turn Reveal board before driving to their next clue at the Álafoss Wool Store in Reykjavík. There, teams had to find a sweater that matched their keychain before receiving their next clue, which directed them to the Pit Stop: Iðnaðarmannahúsið along Reykjavíkurtjörn.

Additional notes

• Seven teams chose to use the U-Turn on Michal & Elrom.
• This leg was HaMerotz LaMillion's 100th overall leg.

Leg 2 (Iceland → Spain → Gibraltar → Morocco)

• Airdates: 8 & 13 July 2024

Locations

• Reykjavík ( Reykjavíkurtjörn – Iðnaðarmannahúsið)
• Reykjavík ( Keflavík International Airport) → Málaga, Spain ( Málaga Airport)
  • Málaga ( Port of Málaga – El Cubo)
• Málaga ( Plaza de la Merced)
• Marbella (La Pesquera del Faro)
• Marbella (Tourist Booth)
• Gibraltar
• Tangier, Morocco ^[10]
• Tangier ( Tanger-Ville Railway Terminal)

Episode summary (Episode 4)

• At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Málaga, Spain. Once there, teams found a car outside of the airport with their next clue.
• For this season's first Fast Forward, one team had to drive to El Cubo. There, the team had to find a trumpet and a violin, musicians to play those instruments as well as a provided piano and drum set, and three people who had to sing " The Rain in Spain" from My Fair Lady in Hebrew.
• Teams who chose to not attempt the Fast Forward had to drive to Plaza de la Merced. There, teams had to arrange six glass panels so as to recreate Pablo Picasso's Three Musicians before receiving their next clue. After voting to Yield another team, teams had to drive to La Pesquera del Faro in Marbella. There, teams had to take a tapas order, pick out the correct food items from a spread, serve the customers, and calculate the bill before receiving their next clue. Teams then had to travel on foot to a tourist booth, which had their next clue.

Future legs

• Mongolia ^[13]
  • Ulaanbaatar ( Genghis Khan Equestrian Statue)
• New Zealand ^[11]
  • Gibbston ( Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge)
  • Queenstown (Kerry Drive Jump Park)
  • Queenstown ( Lake Johnson)
  • Queenstown ( Queenstown Hill)
  • Queenstown ( Village Green)

Ratings

Data courtesy of the Israeli Rating Committee, according to individuals aged 4+ from the general population.

References