100m Sprint / Tottenham Court Road / Hello

[TheFatBuoy]

Hello. I'm Peter. Some of you might remember me.

I've just typed a load of stuff that I've lost thanks to the connection cutting off due to the phone ringing (probably due to lack of a proper ADSL filter or something0, so I'll try and remember what I just typed, and then copy and paste it into notepad before sending it again....

Just caught up on the "Has the record reached a plateau?" thread, and I reckon it pretty much has. Dunno exactly who holds it or what the record is, but I think it's around the 16:40 mark (well done to whoever that is by the way). Anyhoo, I reckon the current record's such a good time that it's increasingly unlikely (or decreasingly likely) to get beaten on any given attempt. You could almost compare it to the 100 metre sprint, in terms of how difficult it's got to beat the record. Usain Bolt's world record time in 2009 was only 0.35 seconds faster than the record held 26 years earlier. Ok, proportionally that's like knocking another 50 minutes off a 16h40m record, over the next 26 years, but my point is that there's not *much* more for that record to go - we're still the same basic human beings we were 26 years ago, and I don't think we'll ever see people doing, sub 7-second 100m sprint times, for example. Just as the 100m sprint is getting nigh-on impossible to beat, I think the Tube Challenge all stations record is as well. Oh, and for the record, the women's 100m sprint world record hasn't been beaten since 1988.

For me, it's not about the record - I've got plenty more I want to do in my life, and I'd still like to get around all the stations in a day, in a vaguely respectable time (17.5-18 hours max), but I'd love to do it having kept the mad running to very short distances i.e. within stations, or maybe short distances like between the Hammersmiths, or Bayswater to Queensway, and just briskly walking everything else or getting buses. Hopefully the difference between a run and a brisk walk for a few connections shouldn't equate to the difference between doing a decent time and not getting them all done, but I guess I'll find out!

Anyway, my reason for coming on here was to ask this question:

Does passing through Tottenham Court Road on the Northern Line count as "visiting" it (in terms of the official rules [1]), despite the fact that:

a) it's possible to stop there on the Central Line
b) it's not actually listed on the official downloadable tube map on the TfL website as a Northern Line stop at the moment

??

I'm sure I asked Geoff, Anthony,Vicki, Chris or Kate this on Thursday and the answer was yes, but I didn't take those above two factors into account, so was just wondering if that'd definitely be the case?

Cheers,

Peter
[1] Even though I've not got any real intention of going for the record, if I did get all stations done in a day, it'd be nice to do it "properly".

[greatkingrat]

No, I'm Peter!

Personally I would say it should count if you pass through TCR on the Northern line. However there is no way to know for certain until someone asks Guinness for a definitive ruling. I suspect most routes use the Central line anyway.

[Going Underground]

Welcome back Peter you have been away far too long

The current record is a quite remarkable time and I have spent hours, days, weeks, trying to figure out how how to better the time and cannot get close... Having been out on the network over the last couple of years on full networks and several alternative challenges the network has not been kind at all and I truly believe that under the current configuration the time will never be beaten and this has nothing to do with human speed and fitness.... Routes just fall apart recently in the last 2 years the system just collapses to the point where getting around even without the ELL is major achievement...
As for TCR I am sure that GWR would say that as Central Line trains are stopping then a Northern line pass through would not count...

[palkanetoijala31]

Welcome Back Peter

Well the Network certainly has been most troublesome recently with delays delays and delays leading to even the comic relief attempt not being completed and we had an hour spare to catch the last train.The record is hard but its still very possible it can be beaten hopefully by someone who has never held before in the record history well thats what i would like anyway.

Perhaps u like to try out my Lazyboy route which involves no running apart from aldgates and kenton-northwick park.

[Going Underground]

I remember chatting with Peter after the 1st Z1 I went to and we were talking about doing a full network and even had some e-mail communcations afterwards. If I recall you had a route with an Upminster finish and would have started in the top left hand corner of Met line... other than that I have no idea what runs etc were included, we never actually got around to going out and trying it

[moley]

I believe that the current record will be beaten. There are a number of people out there who have carefully planned 16hr 40 routes. They just need a day when the network works.

[Going Underground]

I have carefully planned routes and have been out I think 16 times, not once have I got past mid morning before falling behind the clock and once you start to lose time at key points you are looking at 20 minutes chunks not just a short amount of time.. Both of my GWR times were some way behind the planned schedule and in fact everyone of my attempts has never followed the planned routes, if I mention the famous Kevin logging "symbols" those that have done full networks with me will know what I mean....

[palkanetoijala31]

I believe that the current record will be beaten. There are a number of people out there who have carefully planned 16hr 40 routes. They just need a day when the network works.

well i hope it is broken by someone who has never held before like Nozza.

[Sam]

It WILL be beaten and soon if I have my way

I have a route, I just need the network to be kind to me, just as it was on 4th December 2009, the only day i've been able to follow my route EXACTLY to schedule and not change a thing on the fly. What a day!

[tubeguru]

It WILL be beaten and soon if I have my way

I've heard that somewhere before, but it wasn't on this forum ...

[Going Underground]

Best of luck to all My next attempt to get around in something like 17hrs 12mins will be on the 18th November

[moley]

No, I'm Peter!

Personally I would say it should count if you pass through TCR on the Northern line. However there is no way to know for certain until someone asks Guinness for a definitive ruling. I suspect most routes use the Central line anyway.

Guniess have in the past indicated that if one platform face is open and the other is closed then you must stop at that platform face. Therefore you would need to stop on the Central.

[Starkey7]

I have carefully planned routes and have been out I think 16 times, not once have I got past mid morning before falling behind the clock and once you start to lose time at key points you are looking at 20 minutes chunks not just a short amount of time.. Both of my GWR times were some way behind the planned schedule and in fact everyone of my attempts has never followed the planned routes, if I mention the famous Kevin logging "symbols" those that have done full networks with me will know what I mean....

But the numbers made sense, didn't they; they were all going up?

[palkanetoijala31]

Well as long as none of you beat it by Friday i be happy as i enter a exclusive club then!

[Going Underground]

Here you go then my work colleague travelled up to Hull on business yesterday and on a simple journey back on the Picc line from Kings X to Hatton X during late afternoon/early evening he had to change trains 3 times....
One of the changes he mentioned was due to the driver not being able to close the doors taking over 2 minutes at every station through Central London.. This train was taken out of service and they all had to get off and then for whatever reason they all had to get off the next train they got on as well