The Amazing Race 38 finale recap: Shocking turns, tough tasks and the team that took the win after a chaotic NYC showdown

The Amazing Race season 38's 90-minute finale, which premiered on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, delivered one of the tightest finishes in recent years.

As the finalists reached New York City, the leg moved at full speed, sending the teams running down the Empire State Building, where they navigated crowded city streets with heavy fabric rolls, and solved a crossword puzzle before racing to Yankee Stadium.

Jas and Jag took a lead for most of the leg, survived several close calls, and ultimately raced to the finish line first, emerging as the winners of The Amazing Race Season 38 and bagging the $1,000,000 prize.

Kyland Young and Taylor Hale finished right behind them in second place, while Joseph Abdin and Adam Abdin came in third.

Here's what happened in The Amazing Race season 38 finale

The Amazing Race finale episode picked up from last week, where Jas & Jag and Taylor & Kyland were already confirmed as finalists, and it all came down to whether Adam & Joseph or Izzy & Paige reached the pit stop in France first. 

Both teams arrived at nearly the same time, but Joseph & Adam found Phil first and secured the final spot in the finale. Izzy & Paige arrived seconds later and were eliminated.

The final three teams competing for the CBS competition were Jas & Jag, Kyland & Taylor, and Joseph & Adam.

The final leg started with Phil sending all three teams to New York City. Everyone landed on the same flight, and as soon as they grabbed taxis, they rushed to the Empire State Building for their first clue.

The challenge required the teams to rappel from the 103rd floor down to the 90th floor to recover their next clue. Jas & Jag arrived first and tackled the height challenge quickly.

Kyland & Taylor followed close behind. Adam, who is afraid of heights, struggled but pushed through so Joseph could rappel next. 

As a Cookie Monster joined Phil, the next clue required the teams to travel to a bakery, pick up a special package, and deliver it to him on Sesame Street.

 Jas and Jag delivered their package first, and Taylor and Kyland came next. As Adam and Joseph’s taxi didn’t wait for them, forcing them to search for another ride, they started to fall a bit behind.

After delivering the package, the teams were greeted by the Grouch, who handed them their next clue and sent them to Spandex House.

Spandex House proved to be one of the toughest tasks of the finale. Each team was tasked with locating 16 bolts of a specific fabric within the vast, two-story store.

Jas & Jag finished their order first and started the difficult 11-block delivery to students at the Fashion Institute of Technology on foot. Kyland & Taylor finished soon after, followed by Joseph & Adam.

Delivering heavy fabric rolls on the crowded streets of New York was a major challenge. At one point, one of Jas & Jag’s fabric rolls opened and got stuck in their cart wheel.

They stayed calm, untangled it, and kept moving. All three teams eventually delivered their fabrics and received their clue directing them to Seret Studio in Brooklyn.

Once they reached the studio, teams had to solve a big crossword puzzle to get their final clue. Every clue was related to different legs of the race.

Jas & Jag arrived first, but they struggled with spelling and needed time to work through it. Kyland & Taylor arrived next, then Joseph & Adam.

Once the crossword was solved, certain letters were highlighted, and the teams had to unscramble them to figure out the final stop on the race: Yankee Stadium. 

Jas & Jag eventually completed the puzzle, with Kyland & Taylor solving their puzzle soon after, and Joseph & Adam finished shortly behind them.

All three teams raced across New York City to reach the finish line. It was extremely close, but Jas & Jag arrived at Yankee Stadium first, officially becoming the winners of The Amazing Race Season 38.

Kyland & Taylor arrived moments later to secure second place. Joseph & Adam followed in third.

Jag also made history as the first-ever Big Brother winner to win The Amazing Race.

Stay tuned for more updates.