"We really wanted to feel like a team"— The Amazing Race star Mark explains why he and husband Brett joined the race

In episode 10 of The Amazing Race season 37, which aired on May 7, the married couple Brett Hamby and Mark Romain faced elimination during the France leg. The elimination came after a combination of navigation errors, a penalty, and slow progress during the episodic task.

In an interview with Parade, published on May 9, the couple reflected on the story of how they ended up competing together on the show. The duo shared that they have been fans of the show since its premiere, often watching the episodes with their respective grandparents.

As huge fans of the show, they decided to apply as a couple after getting together in a relationship. However, after 10 years of being together, Mark shared that their demanding work schedules left them with little time to spend together. This lack of quality time became a key reason for them to apply for the show. They saw the opportunity to not only compete but also to reconnect as a team.

Mark emphasized that The Amazing Race provided them with the rare chance to spend focused, uninterrupted time together, strengthening their bond and allowing them to feel like true teammates.

"I think that's what's special about the race. We just really wanted some time together. We really wanted to feel like a team. And so like watching it back, seeing that we are a good team, meant a lot. And that's what we really wanted," he said.

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The Amazing Race season 37 couple Brett and Mark share their love for the race and desire to spend more time together

The Amazing Race season 37 duo Brett Hamby and Mark Romain were eliminated in episode 10 after struggling with navigation errors and a 10-minute penalty.

The married couple started the episodic challenge, initially getting lost in Strasbourg. This problem eventually slowed them down and pushed them back in the race, having to follow the lead of other teams for any directions.

Later in the challenge, Mark lost his duel against Josiah, earning their team a penalty and taking away their chance ot catch up during the water jousting Roadblock. This was then accompanied by them taking too much time during the cheese task. While they were able to complete it in their fifth attempt, it was too late, as the other Amazing Race teams were already ahead of them.

In their interview with Parade, Brett and Mark reflected on their elimination and also shared their love for the game show and how they decided to take part in it.

"We were fans for a long time. So I would watch with my grandparents, and he would watch with his grandparents before we met... We've been big fans, and we talked about that when we were dating and all that jazz," Brett shared

Mark chimed in, sharing that they had been watching the show since its premiere and had been thinking about participating as a team after 10 years in their relationship. Participating in the race, Mark noted, became a way to reconnect and strengthen their bond.

"We got to a place where we didn't have the same day off for at least the last seven or eight years besides COVID. And we were like, 'We need something to change. We need to get away,'" Mark said.

The Amazing Race season 37 contestant continued:

"We really wanted to feel like a team again, because we had been kind of dividing and conquering in life. And so the race really gave us opportunity to get away from the world and kind of remind ourselves what it looked like when we are a team."

Mark further shared that seeing themselves working together as a "good team" meant a lot to them, emphasizing that it was really what they wanted.

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The Amazing Race season 37 episodes premiered every Wednesday on CBS.