Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Gauntlet

Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Gauntlet is the 7th season of the MTV reality game show, The Challenge (at the time known as Real World/Road Rules Challenge). The season is directly subsequent to Battle of the Sexes. The Gauntlet featured 28 castmates competing in missions with an immunity life-saver awarded to the best individual performer. Each team would then select a player from their team to go into the Gauntlet elimination challenge. It was hosted by Jonny Moseley. This season was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for outstanding reality program.^[1]

The Gauntlet
Season 7
Presented by	Jonny Moseley
No. of contestants	28
Winners	Adam Larson Cara Zavaleta Darrell Taylor Dave Giuntoli Rachel Robinson Roni Martin Sarah Greyson Theo Vonkurnatowski Veronica Portillo
Location	Telluride, Colorado
Opening theme	"It's" by Ill Kidd
No. of episodes	16
Release
Original network	MTV
Original release	September 29, 2003 (2003-09-29) – January 26, 2004 (2004-01-26)
Season chronology
List of episodes

Filming was originally planned to began in July 2003 in Middletown, RI, but in June a local judge blocked it at request of local residents who thought it would be "materially disruptive". The show instead ended up being filmed in Telluride, CO, and finished filming in August 2003.^[2][3] A casting special, Real World/Road Rules Corral: A Guide To The Gauntlet was aired on September 22, 2003. The season premiered one week later on September 29, 2003, and concluded on January 26, 2004, with the season in-review special.

This is the first edition of the Gauntlet series, with The Gauntlet 2 following in 2005–2006 and The Gauntlet III following in 2008.

Contestants

Real World team Player Original season Finish Alton Williams The Real World: Las Vegas Runner-up Coral Smith The Real World: Back to New York Runner-up[a] Mike Mizanin The Real World: Back to New York Runner-up Nathan Blackburn The Real World: Seattle Runner-up Norman Korpi The Real World: New York Runner-up Theo Gantt The Real World: Chicago Episode 14 Irulan Wilson The Real World: Las Vegas Episode 13 Rachel Braband The Real World: Back to New York Episode 10 Trishelle Cannatella The Real World: Las Vegas Episode 9 Elka Walker The Real World: Boston Episode 7 Matt Smith The Real World: New Orleans Episode 6 Tonya Cooley The Real World: Chicago Episode 3 Montana McGlynn The Real World: Boston Episode 2 David Broom The Real World: New Orleans Episode 1

Road Rules team Player Original season Finish Adam Larson Road Rules: The Quest Winner Cara Zavaleta Road Rules: South Pacific Winner Darrell Taylor Road Rules: Campus Crawl Winner Dave Giuntoli Road Rules: South Pacific Winner Rachel Robinson Road Rules: Campus Crawl Winner Roni Martin Road Rules: Northern Trail Winner Sarah Greyson Road Rules: Campus Crawl Winner Theo Vonkurnatowski Road Rules: Maximum Velocity Tour Winner Veronica Portillo Road Rules: Semester at Sea Winner Abram Boise Road Rules: South Pacific Episode 12 Laterrian Wallace Road Rules: Maximum Velocity Tour Episode 11 Steve Meinke Road Rules: The Quest Episode 8 Tina Barta Road Rules: South Pacific Episode 5 Katie Doyle Road Rules: The Quest Episode 4

Gameplay

Gauntlet games

• Ride 'Em Cowboy: Players have to hold on to a mechanical bull with just one hand. Whoever falls off first loses.
  • Played by: Katie vs. Montana, Rachel B. vs. Sarah, Cara vs. Theo G.
• Dead Man's Drop: Players are suspended 10 feet into the air on a pole. They have to hold on to the pole by hanging upside down with their legs.
  • Played by: David vs. Sarah, Coral vs. Tina, Matt vs. Sarah, Irulan vs. Sarah
• Hangman: Similar to Dead Man's Drop, players are still suspended 10 feet into the air, only they hang on the pole with their hands and are positioned right side up.
  • Played by: Katie vs. Rachel B.
• Perfect Fit: Players first must jump into a pool and pick up their respective puzzle pieces (which are scattered about the pool). The first player to solve the puzzle wins.
  • Played by: Steve vs. Tonya, Steve vs. Trishelle, Sarah vs. Trishelle
• Knock Your Block Off: Players joust on a beam right above a pool. Whoever gets knocked off first loses.
  • Played by: Cara vs. Elka, Abram vs. Mike
• Pole Climb: Players climb a 10-foot pole. Whoever gets to the top first pulls a lever that drops the opponent's pole into the pool.
  • Played by: Alton vs. Laterrian

Game summary

Episode		Winners	Freshlook Eyesaver		Gauntlet contestants		Gauntlet game	Gauntlet outcome
#	Challenge		Real World	Road Rules	Real World	Road Rules		Winner	Eliminated
1	Snake Soup	Real World	—		David	Sarah	Dead Man's Drop	Sarah	David
2	Masquerade	Road Rules			Montana	Katie	Ride 'Em Cowboy	Katie	Montana
3	Mud Bath	Road Rules			Tonya	Steve	Perfect Fit	Steve	Tonya
4	I Scream	Road Rules			Rachel B.	Katie	Hangman	Rachel B.	Katie
5	Holey Canoe	Road Rules			Coral	Tina	Dead Man's Drop	Coral	Tina
6	Heavyweight Hustle	Real World			Matt	Sarah	Dead Man's Drop	Sarah	Matt
7	Sink My Ship	Real World	Norman	Dave	Elka	Cara	Knock Your Block Off	Cara	Elka
8	Red Barron	Road Rules	Nathan	Adam	Trishelle	Steve	Perfect Fit	Trishelle	Steve
9	Inferno	Real World	Alton	Theo V.	Trishelle	Sarah	Perfect Fit	Sarah	Trishelle
10	Rolling On A River	Road Rules	Mike	Roni	Rachel B.	Sarah	Ride 'Em Cowboy	Sarah	Rachel B.
11	Turntable	Road Rules	Theo G.	Veronica	Alton	Laterrian	Pole Climb	Alton	Laterrian
12	All Or Nothing	Real World	Alton	Theo V.	Mike	Abram	Knock Your Block Off	Mike	Abram
13	Vertical Sweep	Real World	Alton	Adam	Irulan	Sarah	Dead Man's Drop	Sarah	Irulan
14	Dukes Of Saturn	Real World	Alton	Veronica	Theo G.	Cara	Ride 'Em Cowboy	Cara	Theo G.
15[a]	Gold Rush	Road Rules

Bank Accounts

• Real World - $60,000
  • $12,000 each
• Road Rules - $230,000
  • $25,555 each

Gauntlet progress

Contestants		Episodes
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Finale[a]
	Adam	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	SAFE	WINNER
	Cara	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	ELIM	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	ELIM	WINNER
	Darrell	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WINNER
	Dave	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WINNER
	Rachel R.	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WINNER
	Roni	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WINNER
	Sarah	ELIM	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	ELIM	SAFE	SAFE	ELIM	ELIM	SAFE	SAFE	ELIM	SAFE	WINNER
	Theo V.	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	SAFE	SAFE	WINNER
	Veronica	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	WINNER
	Alton	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	SAFE	ELIM	WIN	WIN	WIN	LOSER
	Mike	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	SAFE	ELIM	SAFE	SAFE	LOSER
	Nathan	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	LOSER
	Norman	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	LOSER
	Coral[a]	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	ELIM	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	MED
	Theo G.	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	SAFE	SAFE	OUT
	Irulan	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	OUT
	Abram	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	OUT
	Laterrian	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	OUT
	Rachel B.	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	ELIM	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	OUT
	Trishelle	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	ELIM	OUT
	Steve	SAFE	SAFE	ELIM	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	OUT
	Elka	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	OUT
	Matt	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	OUT
	Tina	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	OUT
	Katie	SAFE	ELIM	SAFE	OUT
	Tonya	SAFE	SAFE	OUT
	Montana	SAFE	OUT
	David	OUT

Teams

  The contestant is on the Real World team

  The contestant is on the Road Rules team

Competition

  The contestant won the final challenge

  The contestant lost the final challenge

  The contestant won the Freshlook Eyesaver Winner and was safe from the Gauntlet

  The contestant was not selected to go into the Gauntlet

  The contestant won the Gauntlet

  The contestant lost the Gauntlet and was eliminated

  The contestant was removed from the final challenge due to illness

Episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Original release date
73	1	"Howdy Telluride"	September 29, 2003 (2003-09-29)
74	2	"Masquerade"	October 6, 2003 (2003-10-06)
75	3	"Mud Bath"	October 13, 2003 (2003-10-13)
76	4	"I Scream"	October 20, 2003 (2003-10-20)
77	5	"Holey Canoe"	October 27, 2003 (2003-10-27)
78	6	"Heavyweight Hustle"	November 3, 2003 (2003-11-03)
79	7	"Sink My Ship"	November 10, 2003 (2003-11-10)
80	8	"Red Barron"	November 17, 2003 (2003-11-17)
81	9	"Inferno"	November 24, 2003 (2003-11-24)
82	10	"Rolling on the River"	December 1, 2003 (2003-12-01)
83	11	"Turntable"	December 8, 2003 (2003-12-08)
84	12	"All or Nothing"	December 15, 2003 (2003-12-15)
85	13	"Vertical Limit"	December 29, 2003 (2003-12-29)
86	14	"Dukes of Saturn"	January 5, 2004 (2004-01-05)
87	15	"Gold Rush Part 1"	January 12, 2004 (2004-01-12)
88	16	"Gold Rush Part 2"	January 19, 2004 (2004-01-19)

After filming

Instead of a reunion special, Battle Scars - From the Gauntlet to the Inferno, a follow-up special aired on January 26, 2004, introducing the next season, Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Inferno with commentary by few of this season's contestants.^{[citation needed]}

Notes

1. Coral was removed from the final challenge due to an allergic reaction to a spider bite that needed medical attention.