American Ninja Warrior season 1

The first season of American Ninja Warrior premiered on December 12, 2009, with the first four episodes of the season. The final four episodes were released on December 19, 2009. The season was hosted by Blair Herter and Alison Haislip and the finalists were sent to Japan to compete in Sasuke 23. All eight aired on G4, an American television network. Levi Meeuwenberg was the "Last Ninja Standing," meaning he made it the furthest of any American competitor on Sasuke 23. The season operated on a lower budget than any other season, and only two contestants who competed in the first season also competed in all thirteen other seasons: Brian Kretsch and David Campbell.

Qualifiers
The top thirty competitors moved on.

Semifinals
The top 15 finalists move onto the finals.

Finals
In the finals, competitors must face two challenges. The two times on each challenge combined are a given contestant's total time. The ten contestants with the top times go on to compete in Sasuke 23.

Challenge #1: Competitors must shove 10 large slabs across a 50 ft distance and arrange them in a pyramidal structure while a bungee cord (with a big tire on the end) is strapped to them.

Challenge #2: In the first of three parts in this challenge competitors must crawl under a cargo net. Then, they must walk across two logs with a heavy barrel lifted high over their head. Finally, they must run through a forest of tires without touching them.