It was a simple premise.

11 teams of two would race around the world, competing in legs that would require them to navigate picturesque foreign locales while performing physical and mental challenges. Leg after leg, one team would be sent home until one made it to the final mat, earning themselves a grand prize of $1 million dollars. 

When The Amazing Race premiered on CBS in 2001, it was an instant hit with both viewers captivated by both the stunning visuals and entertaining game play and industry heavyhitters, who've awarded it 10 Emmys for Outstanding Competition Program since the category was introduced in 2003, leaving it in a league of its own. (Only The Voice comes remotely close to its record, with four wins.) And just last night, venerable host Phil Keoghan—who, like Jeff Probst, Julie Chen and Ryan Seacrest, has been around since day one and become truly an irreplaceable part of the show's DNA—handed over the show's 31st check for $1 million to winners Colin Guinn and Christie Woods after a season that saw teams of returning players, as well as teams from Big Brother and Survivor, race around the globe.