Show's 10th edition includes Muslim team, amputee

PASADENA, Calif. -- The 10th edition of "The Amazing Race" will kick off with one of the most diverse groups of teams the show has ever had.

The Emmy-winning series, which moves to Sundays in the fall, will feature 12 teams this time, up from the usual complement of 11. Racers include the show's first-ever Muslim team -- a pair of Browns-loving best friends from Cleveland -- along with an Indian-American couple, an amputee (Sarah Reinertsen) who competes in triathlons and a father and his lesbian daughter.

And, yes, there are a couple of models, as well as a pair of Miss USA contestants.

"The range in this cast is remarkable," host Phil Keoghan told reporters Saturday at the Television Critics Association press tour. "We've never had such a broad spectrum of people."

The 12 teams will be put to the test right away, executive producers Bertram Van Munster and Jonathan Littman say. Instead of "easing in" to the competition by sending the teams to Europe or South America first, the teams will first head to China after starting in Seattle.

The racers will also travel to Mongolia, Kuwait, Vietnam and Madagascar. In all, the race will cover some 40,000 miles in 30 days.

Here's who's competing:

Names: Vipul and Arti Patel
Ages: 29, 26
Occupations: Sales, nutritional educator
Hometown: Windermere, Fla.
Relationship: Married

Names: Lyn Turk and Karlyn Harris
Ages: both 32
Occupations: Teacher, program analyst
Hometown: Birmingham, Ala., Helena, Ala.
Relationship: Best friends

Names: David and Mary Conley
Ages: 32, 31
Occupations: Coal miner, homemaker
Hometown: Stone, Ky.
Relationship: Married parents

Names: Bilal Abdul-Mani and Sa'eed Rudolph
Ages: 37, 39
Occupations: Medical supply technician, power lineman
Hometown: Cleveland
Relationship: Best friends

Names: Peter Harsch and Sarah Reinertsen
Ages: 35, 31
Occupations: Clinical prosthetitist, motivational speaker
Hometown: Laguna Beach, Calif., Trabuco Canyon, Calif.
Relationship: Friends

Names: Rob Diaz and Kimberly Chabolla
Ages: 31, 28
Occupations: Bartender/real estate student, public relations
Hometown: Los Angeles
Relationship: Dating

Names: Tyler Denk and James Branaman
Ages: 29, 27
Occupations: both models
Hometown: Los Angeles
Relationship: Best friends

Names: Erwin and Godwin Cho
Ages: 32, 29
Occupations: Insurance company manager, financial analyst
Hometown: San Francisco
Relationship: Brothers

Names: Tom Rock and Terry Cosentino
Ages: 39, 45
Occupations: College admissions director, special events director
Hometown: New York City
Relationship: Dating

Names: Kellie Patterson and Jamie Hill
Ages: both 22
Occupations: Student, recent college graduate
Hometown: Columbia, S.C.
Relationship: Best friends

Names: Dustin Konzelman and Kandice Pelletier
Ages: both 24
Occupations: Reigning Miss California USA/marketing director, reigning Miss New York USA/Rockette
Hometown: Riverside, Calif., New York City
Relationship: Best friends

Names: Duke and Lauren Marcoccio
Ages: 52, 26
Occupations: Tour company owner, speech and language pathologist
Hometown: Warwick, R.I.
Relationship: Father and daughter