THE HYPE.

WELL, THE 'RACE' IS ON: Among the couples vying for a $1 million payday on CBS' new reality series ``The Amazing Race'' will be two twosomes from Los Angeles.

Paul Alessi and Amie Barsky are engaged and are, as most folks are in L.A., from other parts of the country: Paul, 32, a personal trainer, is originally from New York City, while Amie, 27, a receptionist, hails from nearby Atco, N.J.

Also participating are Brennan Swain, 29, a lawyer originally from Rochester, N.Y., and Rob Frisbee, 27, also a lawyer, originally from Minneapolis. The two are best friends.

The ``Race,'' which begins Sept. 5 and lasts for 13 episodes, will pit 11 couples against each other as they journey some 44,000 miles around the world to finish first and score the dough. (The actual race took 31 days, according to a source at CBS.)

Paul met Amie bartending in a Hollywood club in 1999, and they've been together ever since. They say they decided to audition for ``The Amazing Race'' because they're both competitive and love a good challenge.

Rob and Brennan became friends while working at the same law firm in Los Angeles. Brennan calls himself an outgoing ``adrenaline junkie'' with a keen sense of direction, while Rob considers himself ``organized, driven and competitive.''

Other pairs in the competition hail from such diverse locations as Landenberg, Pa.; Elkton, Md.; Rockwall, Texas; Simsbury, Conn.; and even Romania. Ages of the contestants range from 21 to 64.

Two of the competitors are from Laguna Niguel: Joseph Baldassare, 50, who is self-employed, and Bill Bartek, 47, a Realtor.

- Rodney Richey

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PAUL AND AMIE