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Meredith Smith and Gretchen Smith are a Married/Retired team on The Amazing Race 7.

Though years older than and not as physically-adept as their competitors, Meredith & Gretchen's resilience and tendency to benefit from other teams' mistakes and misfortune allowed them to become the oldest team to ever make the final four. However, getting on the later flight to London with Uchenna & Joyce left them battling their allies to avoid elimination. A physical Detour task and a frustrating Roadblock task ultimately proved too much to overcome, eliminating them in 4th place.

Profile[]

Retrieved from CBS.com

Meredith & Gretchen are a husband/wife team from Easton, Maryland. Meredith is a retired executive and Gretchen is a retired nurse/flight attendant. Both found love late in their lives, and they are spending every moment making up for lost time. Their inspiration for participating in the Race is strictly for the adventure and the challenge of traveling around the world.

Meredith is a retired executive who spends his time fishing, biking, playing golf and teaching swimming. Father of three sons, Meredith is an avid swimmer who holds seven National Masters Swimming Championship titles. Meredith describes himself as competitive, articulate and compassionate.

Gretchen is a retired flight attendant and registered nurse. Mother of two, Gretchen spends most of her time cooking, biking, gardening and golfing. Gretchen describes herself as outgoing, reliable and kind, and she admits to being quite loud, particularly when she's upset.

Both are big fans of the show, and while watching one evening, they said to each other, "We could do that. Let's try."[1][2]

The Amazing Race 7[]

Race History[]

Meredith & Gretchen's Race History
Episode Leg Destination(s) Detour Choice
(underlined)
Roadblock
Performer
Placement Notes
1 1 United States → Peru Rope a Llama / Rope a Basket No Roadblock 6 of 11
2 2 Peru → Chile Shop / Schlep Gretchen 7 of 10
3 3 Chile → Argentina Paddle / Pedal Meredith 7 of 9 [1]
4 4 Argentina Shipwreck / Island Meredith 7 of 8
5 5 Argentina → South Africa Tunnels / Tribes Gretchen 7 of 7
6 South Africa → Botswana Food / Water Meredith 5 of 7
6 7 Botswana Carry It / Milk It Meredith 5 of 6 [2]
8 8 Botswana → India Solid / Liquid Gretchen 5 of 5 [3]
9 Trunk / Dunk Meredith 4 of 5
10 9 India → Turkey Columns / Kilos Gretchen 2 of 4
11 10 Turkey → United Kingdom Brains / Brawn Meredith 4 of 4
Average 5.40
Legend:
     The team finished in first place
     The team finished in last place and was eliminated from the race
     The team finished in last place in a non-elimination leg
     The team that won The Amazing Race
     The team that crossed the Finish Line second
     The team that crossed the Finish Line third
The team used the Fast Forward pass
> The team used the Yield
< Recipient of the Yield

Notes:
1: Meredith decided to forfeit the Roadblock and was issued a 4-hour penalty at the Roadblock site starting from the arrival of the next team.
2: Meredith & Gretchen initially arrived 4th, but missed their final clue at the end of the Roadblock and were required to retrieve it before being allowed to check in. Lynn & Alex checked in during that time period, dropping them to 5th.
3: Leg 8 was a double-length leg with two Detours and two Roadblocks shown over two episodes. The placement listed in the top row reflect the order teams arrived at the leg's halfway point.

Post-Race[]

  • In 2010, it was reported that Meredith, a member of the Easton Club in his hometown, scored a pair of hole-in-ones within a 33-day span.[3]
  • Meredith & Gretchen were asked to compete on The Amazing Race: All Stars, but declined.

Trivia[]

  • Phil Keoghan listed to take away all of their possessions in the sixth leg as one of the meanest moments of the first 30 seasons.
  • Following the death of Don St. Claire, Meredith Smith is the oldest living Amazing Race contestant.

Franchise Records[]

  • Meredith & Gretchen are tied with Don & Mary Jean for the oldest team to compete, with both teams having an age average of 67.5 years at the time of racing.
  • Meredith & Gretchen are the first team to have all of their possessions taken away for finishing last in a Non-Elimination Leg.
  • First team with an age average of over 60 to reach the final four.
  • First team to be eliminated in England.
  • Highest finish by a team with an age average of over 60, 4th place.
  • Lowest racing average of a team who finished in 4th place, at 5.40.

External links[]

Interviews[]

  • Harry Smith on The Early Show (05/05/2005): "Amazing Eldest Couple"
  • Cynthia Wang at People (05/05/2005): "The Amazing Race's Meredith and Gretchen"
  • Ethan Alter at TV Guide Online (05/08/2005): "Amazing Race's Oldsters Sound Off"

Social Media Profiles[]

References[]

The Amazing Race 7 Teams
 Brian & Greg
Brothers
S7 BrianGreg
 Debbie & Bianca
Lifelong Friends
S7 DebbieBianca
 Lynn & Alex
Boyfriends
S7 LynnAlex
 Megan & Heidi
Roommates
S7 MeganHeidi
 Meredith & Gretchen
Married/Retired
S7 MeredithGretchen
 Ray & Deana
Dating On and Off
S7 RayDeana
 Rob & Amber
Engaged
S7 RobAmber
 Ron & Kelly
Former POW/Pageant Queen
S7 RonKelly
 Ryan & Chuck
Best Friends
S7 RyanChuck
 Susan & Patrick
Mother/Son
S7 SusanPatrick
S7 UchennaJoyce
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