Speed is of the essence in the fifteenth season of the seven-time Emmy Award-winning reality series 'The Amazing Race', spanning eight countries in just 21 days on one of the fastest courses ever assembled.

Season 15 premieres on Sony Entertainment Television on Sunday, 18 April at 19h45.

Covering 25,000 miles and visiting Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, Sweden, Estonia and the Czech Republic, this season also features the quickest elimination in the history of the series, sending one of the 12 teams home before they even leave the starting line.

A new twist also sees the remaining teams facing the "Switchback," one of the series' most infamous Roadblocks, as well as a surprise appearance by one of America's most beloved entertainers, a visit to the world's tallest building and a spicy take on a Japanese game show.

"This season we wanted to keep the Racers and our fans on their toes and make sure no one gets too comfortable," says Bertram van Munster, executive producer and co-creator of The Amazing Race.

"We're adding some new surprise elements, including our quickest elimination ever, as well as revisiting one of the most challenging Roadblocks our teams have ever encountered during our past 15 seasons."

This refers to the infamous Stockholm Roadblock from Season Six, when one team member had to unroll up to 270 bales of hay in an effort to uncover the next clue.

Season 15 features another diverse cast of Racers, including a former Miss America, two members of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team, two professional female poker players, plus the first-ever Racer with Asperger's Syndrome, all vying to take home the $1-million prize money.

Without further ado — meet the cast:

Brothers for 21 years, Sam and Dan will tell you that their relationship did not truly start until last summer when they both came out and told each other that they were gay. While growing up, neither one of them felt comfortable coming out, but after doing so, they have discovered a new bond with one another and have become much closer.

Eric and Lisa Paskel - Married Yoga Teachers
Eric and Lisa have been married for over 18 years. Both are vegans, who have a passionate and fiery approach to their personal and professional lives, and are extremely dedicated to helping others.

Ericka Dunlap and Brian Kleinschmidt - Married Couple
After meeting Ericka in college nine years ago, and asking her out every week until she said yes, Brian's persistence finally paid off. Ericka did decide to give him a chance and now the two have been married for over two years. Ericka's greatest accomplishment other then meeting and marrying Brian, was winning the Miss America crown in 2004.

Garrett Paul and Jessica Stout - Dating On-and-Off Couple
One word to describe this Team is passionate. Garrett and Jessica met while in Barcelona on a study exchange program and have been dating on and off for seven years — during which time they have had three major breakups. Jessica is used to addressing issues head-on, while Garrett opts to ignore her, shying away from confrontation.

Gary and Matt Tomljenovich - Father/Son
Gary is a PC and Matt is a Mac. Gary enjoys hunting and Matt enjoys video games. Gary enjoys classic rock and Matt enjoys metal. This father and son duo do not have a lot in common and they never have... that is why they are running the Race. They are eager to share the experience of a lifetime with one another and establish a bond for the rest of their lives.

Herbert "Flight Time" Lang and Nathaniel "The Big Easy" Lofton - Teammates
Their athletic talent brought these two friends together five years ago when they met at the Harlem Globetrotters training camp. Herbert, aka "Flight Time," stands at 6'3" and believes he can get along with anyone on the planet. Nathaniel goes by the name "The Big Easy" and towers over his competition at 6'9."

Lance Layne and Keri Morrione - Engaged Couple
Lance and Keri have known each other for over two years. Lance proposed six months ago and they are planning to be married this fall. Lance, a black belt in Karate, has an uber-aggressive personality and does not shy away from confrontation. Keri admits to getting frustrated when he interrupts her and fails to listen to her input, but Lance insists that he is always right and does not need to listen.

Marcy Maloy and Ronald Shalita - Dating Couple
Marcy and Ron both believe that at 60 you can be strong, sexy, vibrant and energetic. After meeting on an online dating website, they are looking forward to sharing the intense experience that the Race can provide and hope this helps determine whether their relationship is destined to last. Both are exceptionally fit, have great people skills and high energy.

Maria Ho and Tiffany Michelle - Professional Poker Players
These two professional poker players have been friends for over five years and have been going head-to-head at the tables the entire time. From Vegas to Monte Carlo, both have been the last females standing in a male-dominated sport on more than one occasion. Well traveled, extremely competitive and strong-minded, these savvy players can deal with the cards they are dealt and will not be afraid to battle to the end.

Meghan Rickey and Cheyne Whitney - Dating Couple
Meghan and Cheyne met on a grade-school tetherball court. Ten years later, they became a couple and have been going strong ever since. Other than a six-month period, where Meghan studied abroad in Italy, this couple is nearly inseparable.

Mika Combs and Canaan Smith - Newly Dating Couple
These southern sweethearts will charm you with their fresh faces and wide eyed enthusiasm for life. They have only been dating for a few months, but admit to spending every waking hour together since they fell in love. Mika grew up in Hazard, Kentucky and moved to Nashville, Tennessee two years ago to pursue a career in country music. Canaan is a professional songwriter.

Zev Glassenberg and Justin Kanew - Friends
Zev and Justin's friendship started six years ago when they were working as camp counselors and the two have been very close ever since. Zev has Asperger's Syndrome, but they do not let it affect their relationship. They share friends and interests, and the friendship is as mutually beneficial as any friendship could be.

Article provided by www.tvsa.co.za