BIGGER PREMIERE, FASTER COURSE, ONE TEAM GOES HOME BEFORE LEAVING THE STARTING LINE --

CBS Announces the 12 Teams Racing in the 15th Installment Of The Emmy Award-Winning Series "The Amazing Race" Premiering on Sept. 27

CBS today announced the 12 Teams set to compete in THE AMAZING RACE 15, which premieres with a special two-hour episode on Sunday, Sept. 27 (8:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. 2009 Emmy Award nominee, Phil Keoghan, is the host.

Contestants will travel one of the fastest courses ever assembled on the Race - spanning eight countries in just 21 days. Season 15 also features the quickest elimination in the history of the series, sending one Team home before they leave the starting line. Teams fortunate enough to avoid the surprise elimination and compete for the $ 1 million prize will face the "Switchback," which sends Teams back to the site of 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 twist 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," stated 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."

Season 15 features a diverse cast of Racers including a Team of Harlem Globetrotters, professional female poker players, the first-ever Racer with Asperger's Syndrome, married yoga teachers and a former Miss America.

THE AMAZING RACE won its sixth straight Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Competition Program last year and is nominated for an unprecedented seventh consecutive award later this month.

Following are the 12 teams, listed in no particular order:

Name: Herbert "Flight Time" Lang

Hometown: Brinkley, Ark

Age: 32

Occupation: Harlem Globetrotter

Name: Nathaniel "The Big Easy" Lofton

Hometown: New Orleans

Age: 28

Occupation: Harlem Globetrotter

Relationship: 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."

Name: Lance Layne

Hometown: Salem, Mass.

Age: 41

Occupation: Lawyer

Name: Keri Morrione

Hometown: Peabody, Mass.

Age: 33

Occupation: Finance Manager

Relationship: Engaged

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.

Name: Maria Ho

Hometown: Arcadia, Calif.

Age: 26

Occupation: Professional Poker Player

Name: Tiffany Michelle

Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.

Age: 25

Occupation: Professional Poker Player

Relationship: 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.

Name: Eric Paskel

Hometown: Encino, Calif. via Michigan

Age: 41

Occupation: Yoga Studio Owner and Instructor

Name: Lisa Paskel

Hometown: Encino, Calif. via Michigan

Age: 43

Occupation: Yoga Studio Owner and Instructor

Relationship: 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.

Name: Gary Tomljenovich

Hometown: Laurel, Mont.

Age: 47

Occupation: Construction Manager and Mortgage Banker

Name: Matt Tomljenovich

Hometown: Bozeman, Mont.

Age: 22

Occupation: Student

Relationship: 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.

Name: Zev Glassenberg

Hometown: Sherman Oaks, Calif.

Age: 26

Occupation: Unemployed

Name: Justin Kanew

Hometown: Los Angeles

Age: 30

Occupation: VP of Development for National Lampoon

Relationship: 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.

Name: Garrett Paul

Hometown: Aptos, Calif.

Age: 28

Occupation: Day Trader

Name: Jessica Stout

Hometown: Larkspur, Calif.

Age: 27

Occupation: Freelance Editor

Relationship: Dating On and Off

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.

Name: Marcy Maloy

Hometown: San Francisco

Age: 60

Occupation: Advertising Photographer

Name: Ronald Shalita

Hometown: San Francisco

Age: 59

Occupation: Stock Trader and Math Tutor

Relationship: Dating

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

Name: Mika Combs

Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.

Age: 22

Occupation: Aspiring Singer

Name: Canaan Smith

Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.

Age: 26

Occupation: Professional Songwriter

Relationship: Newly Dating

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, Ky. and moved to Nashville, Tenn. two years ago to pursue a career in country music. Canaan is a professional songwriter.

Name: Daniel McMillen

Hometown: Liberty, Mo.

Age: 21

Occupation: Student

Name: Samuel McMillen

Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas

Age: 23

Occupation: Student

Relationship: Brothers

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.

Name: Meghan Rickey

Hometown: San Diego

Age: 23

Occupation: Account Executive

Name: Cheyne Whitney

Hometown: San Diego

Age: 23

Occupation: Student

Relationship: Dating

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.

Name: Ericka Dunlap

Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.

Age: 27

Occupation: Entertainer/ Miss America 2004

Name: Brian Kleinschmidt

Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.

Age: 27

Occupation: Marketing Tour Manager

Relationship: Married

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.

THE AMAZING RACE 15 will send 12 teams - each comprised of two people who have a pre-existing relationship with one another - on a trek around the world for 21 days. At every destination, each couple will have to compete in a series of challenges - some mental and some physical - and only when the tasks have been completed will they learn their next destination. Couples who are farthest behind will gradually be eliminated as the contest progresses, with the first team to arrive at the final destination winning $1 million.

Jerry Bruckheimer, Bertram van Munster, Jonathan Littman, Elise Doganieri and Amy Chacon are the executive producers for Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Earthview Inc. in association with ABC Studios and Amazing Race Productions. THE AMAZING RACE was created by Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri.

For more information on THE AMAZING RACE 15 and the new 12 couples, log on to http://www.cbs.com/.