HaMerotz LaMillion 9

HaMerotz LaMillion 9, also known as HaMerotz LaMillion 2024, is the ninth season of HaMerotz LaMillion (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.

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. 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. 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, with Peking Express estimated to cost 1.1 million shekels per episode rather than 1.5 million shekels for each episode of HaMerotz LaMillion.

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. On 12 March 2023, Yehuda Levi was announced as the new host of HaMerotz LaMillion. Filming began in May 2023. On 14 May 2023, racers were spotted in Málaga, Spain. On 9 June, filming occurred in Queenstown, New Zealand. After 35 days, filming concluded in mid-June. According to promotion material released before it began, this season visited more countries that any other season of The Amazing Race globally. 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. Within a month, over 6,000 people had applied for the show. The cast was finalized in April 2023.

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

Cast
The cast includes Bnot Brak cast member Esti Socolovski, Tnuva vice chairman Guy Rosen, and Yiftach Ramon, son of Space Shuttle Columbia disaster victim Ilan Ramon. The cast was revealed on 1 July 2024.

Results
The following teams are listed with their placements in each leg. Placements are listed in finishing order.
 * A placement with a dagger (†) indicates that the team was eliminated.
 * A indicates that the team won the Fast Forward.
 * An indicates that there was a Double Battle on this leg, while an  indicates the team that lost the Double Battle and received a 15-minute penalty.
 * A or  indicates the team who received a Yield;  or  indicates that the team voted for the recipient.
 * A 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: • #The Premiere Episode (תכנית הבכורה) (Leg 1)

• #The Start - The Second Part (ההזנקה - החלק השני) (Leg 1)

• #The First Elimination (ההדחה הראשונה) (Leg 1)

• #Arriving in Spain (מגיעים לספרד) (Leg 2)

• #The Battle of Gibraltar (הקרב על גיברלטר) (Leg 2)

• #A Storm in Morocco (סערה במרוקו) (Leg 2)

• #Elimination Episode! (פרק הדחה!) (Leg 2)

• #Crazy Day in the Desert (היום המטורף במדבר) (Leg 3)

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, 16 & 17 July 2024
 * Eliminated: Shahar & Ronit
 * 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 (Playa de Rio Real – Tourist Booth)
 * Gibraltar (Grand Casemates Square)
 * Algeciras, Spain (Port of Algeciras) → Tangier, Morocco (Tanger Med)
 * Tangier (Bab El Marsa – Ahmed Halia's Hat Store) (Overnight Rest)
 * Tangier (Terrasse Borj al-Hajoui)
 * Tangier (Jawad's Souvenir Store)
 * 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. Lior & Sapir attempted the Fast Forward but were unsuccessful.
 * Teams who did 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.
 * Episode summary (Episode 5)
 * 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. There, teams had to listen to "The Ballad of John and Yoko" and find the location where John Lennon and Yoko Ono were married – Gibraltar – before receiving their next clue.
 * Episode summary (Episode 6)
 * After driving to Grand Casemates Square in Gibraltar, teams had to search the musicians of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment Band, all of whom were wearing 12 medals, for the one person wearing a different medal, which depicted the Lalla Abla Mosque, before receiving their next clue. If teams chose an incorrect medal, they had to march a lap around the square with the band while playing an instrument before making another choice.
 * Teams then had to drive to the Port of Algeciras, travel by ferry to Tangier, Morocco, and choose a departure time outside Ahmed Halia's Hat Store. Teams received varying sleeping accommodations – sleeping bags, personal home, hostel, or hotel – based on their departure time.
 * Episode summary (Episode 7)
 * In this season's first Roadblock, one team member had to join a group of Gnawa musicians and continuously twirl the tassel on a chechia for one minute while playing krakebs before receiving their next clue. The non-participating member had to play a drum.
 * After the Roadblock, teams found the Yield reveal board before traveling on foot to Jawad's Souvenir Store. There, teams had to search the store for a telephone number. Teams had to realize that number of flashes from lanterns corresponded to the telephone number before using a nearby payphone to learn the name of the Pit Stop: the Tanger-Ville Railway Terminal.
 * Additional note
 * Four teams chose to use the Yield on Racheli & Miri and Sahar & Yiftach.

Leg 3 (Morocco)

 * Airdates: 20 & 22 July 2024
 * Locations
 * Tangier (Tanger-Ville Railway Terminal)
 * Tangier (Tanger-Ville Railway Terminal) → Marrakesh (Marrakesh Railway Station)
 * Agafay (Agafay Desert Camp)
 * Lalla Takerkoust (Lac Lalla Takerkoust)
 * Oumnass (Oumnasse Kasbah)
 * Marrakesh (Mohammed V School)




 * Episode summary (Episode 8)
 * At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to travel by train to Marrakesh. After finding their next clue outside of the train station, teams were driven to the Agafay Desert Camp. There, teams had to lead out a herd of camels and arrange them in order based off of a brain teaser scroll before receiving their next clue.
 * After voting to Yield another team, teams traveled to Lac Lalla Takerkoust, where they had to scrub a large piece of Moroccan black soap until they could reveal an image of their next destination: the Oumnasse Kasbah.
 * For this season's first Double Battle, one racer from each team had to dress as Princess Tamina from Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. The other racer, who was dressed as Prince Dastan, had to collect apples from the kasbah's inner perimeter, including from a large staircase, and reunite with their partner. The first team to finish received their next clue, while the losing team had to wait for another team. The team that lost the final Double Battle had to wait out a 15-minute penalty.
 * After the Double Battle, teams had to travel to the Mohammed V School in Marrakesh.
 * Additional note
 * Six teams chose to use the Yield on Racheli & Miri.

Future legs

 * Mongolia
 * Ulaanbaatar (Genghis Khan Equestrian Statue)
 * New Zealand
 * 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.