tubechallenge.com

Welcome to the 2019/20 Random 15 Championship. I am your host (commonly known to regulars as the BERC when I am hosting Random 15 challenges). The Random 15 challenge is just that, visit 15 randomly selected stations that feature on the Tube Map (usually within zones 1-2 and using the Underground network only). There will be certain rounds within the championship that are a variation of this such as adding an extra zone or network e.g. DLR onto the challenge. So are you ready to take on the Random 15 championship?

The rules and scoring are unchanged from previous seasons but if anyone is not familiar with them, or needs a refresh, you can view them via this link

Round 4 is nearly here, so here are the details:

When: Saturday 21st March 2020 12:30 UK local time.
Pre-challenge meet up point: Holborn, High Holborn exit (turn right immediately upon reaching the top of the main escalators).
Post-challenge meet up point: Our regular haunt. The Bricklayers Arms, Gresse Street (off TCR).
Variant: Normal round with only LU stations in zones 1 & 2 but with a live bucket draw.
Time limit: 4 hours

This is a live bucket draw round, this means that challengers present at the start will pick the stations to be visited out of a bucket immediately prior to the challenge commences. Can I request challengers who are attending be at Holborn at least 15 minutes before the start time for the draw to take place and the challenge to start promptly at 12:30.

The start station was picked out of this very bucket courtesy of Neil Ansell.

Closures affecting the challenge: Correct as of time of posting.
Northern: Moorgate- Kennington via Bank.
DLR: Bank closed (diverted to/from Tower Gateway).
Metropolitan: Wembley Park- Aldgate (Circle/H&C and Jubilee unaffected).

Therefore the only station that is closed (for challenge purposes) is Borough.

Other closures to be aware of:
c2c: All trains to terminate/start from Fenchurch Street only.
Great Eastern/Crossrail: Liverpool Street- Shenfield (all lines).
Great Northern: Finsbury Park- Moorgate (diverted to/from King's Cross).
Overground/Southern: London Bridge/New X Gate- East/West Croydon.

Those who are attending please make yourself known.

Attending GU
parkrun : TBA and will NOT be anyone of my last two "Londone" of Bexley or Greenwich as is logistics nightmare for me to get into London from Ashford
depends where Mr Chilcraft decides to run but Nozza will be at Northala
Spoons: TBA subject to above

I'll turn up for the R15. Solo this time I think though!
Parkrun... Yes, but will choose a location based on where others are going.
Spoons... A necessity after Parkrun, but location dependent.

Just over a week to go and still no news from Mr C, so....

Attending GU
parkrun : Northala
Spoons: The Village Inn, Rayners Lane

Assuming I've got rid of this annoying cough

Attending GU, EAW
parkrun : Northala
Spoons: The Village Inn, Rayners Lane

What time in spoons I do either high Wycombe or st Albans parkrun

Spoons is normally starting somewhere between 10:00 and 10:30 depending on Parkrun participants and distance to travel from finish.

Who knows what we'll be able to proceed with at this stage. parkruns may be cancelled- they already are in every other Eurpoean country.

Whilst I can't make it (unless the other event I was already down to do is cancelled!), personally I don't think I'd be wanting to do a Challenge in current conditions - right now I'm happy to avoid as many people as possible!

With the government guidance issued today, would it be safe to assume this round is postponed?

I am aware of the latest news but still intending to host this as planned in our small group. I have phoned ahead and our usual pub is happy to accept us depending on the current guidelines issued by govt. (i.e. if they decide to close all pubs like Ireland has).

Workplaces and schools are still open and public transport is operating as normal plus the majority of us are not in the high risk categories mentioned by government.

If anyone has any opinions on this issue please voice them now.

Normally I would do the opposite of anything Boris suggests, but this time it's different. The advice is against any unnecessary travel especially in London, which is ahead of the rest of the country in confirmed cases. And as much as I love these events, I can't claim it's necessary. We've also cancelled our trip down to Devon next week to visit my mum.

Fraid I'll be staying home, but good luck to anyone who does take part.

I will not be attending as I have been advised to self isolate (due to being in high risk areas recently) and working from home for the foreseeable future. As much as I love the event, going down to London from Shropshire for a Random 15 is unnecessary travel in my books. In addition, I do not want to risk getting the disease from something (more likely than someone) and taking it back home with me putting vulnerable people I know at risk. My personal preference would be to postpone the event until further notice to at least assess how much longer this is likely to go on for and at what level, however I am not the deciding person in this.

If it goes ahead, it will therefore be the first R15 event I have missed since my very first one but to quote Hot Fuzz "it's for the greater good". Stay safe everyone

Count me in the whole world has gone mad still doing parkrun , spoons, R15, pub and darts

Yes, Tube Challenging is probably the most unnecessary of all unnecessary travel!