Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 6

Zone 1, Alphabet, All Lines - discuss them here
User avatar
Going Underground
The Twilight Zone
Posts: 8793
Joined: 11 Apr 2006, 12:24
Location: Down in a tube station at midnight.
Contact:

Re: Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 6

Post by Going Underground »

I only realised when trying to check times to navigate back from parkrun to the start.... Very unclear....
Twice former full network GWR holder and former Zone 1 Olympic and World Record holder with The Raven and Soupie
Tube personality of the year 2009
Twice Winter Olympic Biathlon Gold Medalist with The Beer Baron
2008 All Lines Olympic Gold
User avatar
greatkingrat
All Zones
Posts: 2544
Joined: 11 Feb 2005, 00:35

Re: Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 6

Post by greatkingrat »

Looks like it must have been a bug in the journey planner data as it is will now offer the District Line to Earl's Court as an option for Saturday.
Soon to be yet another forum train driver
User avatar
tractakid
The Twilight Zone
Posts: 3320
Joined: 15 Nov 2011, 20:04
Location: Milton Keynes

Re: Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 6

Post by tractakid »

Attending; GU, Nozzacook, xcooler123, michael_churchill, A2 tractakid + 1
parkrun - Orpington; GU, Nozzacook, xcooler123, A2(?), tractakid
Spoon - Orpington; GU, Nozzacook, xcooler123, A2(?), tractakid
*insert boasting about notable tube accomplishments here*
RJSRdg
All Zones
Posts: 1227
Joined: 16 Mar 2015, 00:35

Re: Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 6

Post by RJSRdg »

From Stamford Brook, everyone travelled eastwards, with most people doing the Hammersmith change and up the pink/yellow line to the Royal Oak/Warwick Avenue run. Tangy and David got well ahead of most people here (Andrew C went via the spiral bridge instead), with me in third for quite a while, successfully blocking Clive on a narrow stretch of tree-lined pavement, but slowing to let him past as I approached the hump-backed bridge. However with Kev and Nozza gaining on me (the first time I did that run, I was following them!), I picked up the pace again to WA where Tangy, David and Clive had caught an earlier train. The rest of us caught a H&W service up to Willesden Junction (apart from Andrew C who had gone south!), but were still behind the leading three who - despite having caught a Queens Park terminator, had made a good change onto the Overground. However we all (except Andrew) found ourselves on the same eastbound Overground at Willesden (High Level). Kev, Nozza and some others bailed at Brondesbury and ran to Kilburn, I accidentally persuaded A2 that it would be less effort to change at West Hampstead. Unfortunately at WH, I tripped over a temporary cover on the platform, badly grazing my knee, and A2 was kind enough to stop and check if I was OK before racing on. On to the Jubilee we went, through St John's Wood and down to Green Park. Here Kev and Nozza went over the escalators to the Piccadilly, whilst everyone else went down the corridor... and would up on the same train! Down to Hyde Park Corner and double back up to Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden. On the way up, Clive said he assumed I would be going through to Holborn, which I hadn't thought of doing, but which instantly seemed like a good idea! So over through Chancey Lane to St Paul's and running through the streets with Kev and Nozza to Mansion House (where the guy on the ticket barriers asked why everybody was running!), then back on the District through Temple and onto the Northern at Embankment, where we were reunited with Tangy. Down to Kennington, with a bit of a wait for a change to Oval, then back up through Borough to Bank, where we lost Tangy again as he hadn't done the Central Line stations, while Kev, Nozza, David, Clive and I headed to Mile end and Bromley by Bow for a four-way tie for second place.

Thanks to Tangy for organising again this year.
272 stations in 18:30:32
The only person to have used a boat in a Random 15 Challenge!
michael_churchill
Zone 6
Posts: 821
Joined: 26 Nov 2015, 16:30
Location: Southampton
Contact:

Re: Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 6

Post by michael_churchill »

Chapter 1
Judge me if you want, I don't care...

For the weekend, I was staying near the Thames Barrier, Pontoon Dock being the closest station, and I decided I'd lose my parkrun cherry at Victoria Docks.

I thought I'd be alright, briefly, at the start. When I reached the U-turn at the end of the Excel Centre, which is about 1.5km, I suddenly realised and thought to myself, "What the hell am I doing?". I'm not fit, I don't want to be fit, I could be having a lie-in! So I walked to the front of the Excel Centre, stopped for a coffee at the convenient Starbucks on the walkway to Custom House and got back on the DLR.

There seemed to be a lot of serious runners, either in club vests or parkrun t-shirts advertising how many thousand events they had done. I don't want to look that unwell. Coincidentally I spotted a chap who I'd seen on the DLR on the way to Royal Victoria, getting back on after the run. He was so red, if the train had been full, I would have offered him my seat. Actually there were plenty of seats - he wasn't sitting, perhaps he wasn't sure he'd be able to stand up again.

So, sorry to all you parkrun enthusiasts, I don't think I'll be joining you. I like my Saturday lie-ins too much.

Chapter 2
After changing back at my hotel, I headed to Stratford for a quick nose around the shops but Westfield was evacuated due to a fire alarm. So I headed to the R15 start.

Apparently the Rugby Union final was at Twickenham on Saturday. On the Jubilee line, half a dozen Exeter fans got on the train. Oh, oh, I thought, but they were mostly quiet, just a few playful jabs at one their party who was clearly befuddled by the Underground system. At Westminster, a similar number of Saracens fans got on the District. They were all very drunk (this is before noon, remember) and very loud and obnoxious. They were doing pull-ups on the hand rails like they were 8-year-old boys. I'm pretty sure one of my fellow passengers was texting the BTP (they all had beer bottles in hand) but they got off shortly afterwards.

I suspect this is just the difference between rural and urban.

Chapter 3
I used my route calculating program again, running it before and during the first train. The calculation is now down to about 4 minutes (and my netbook is sloooow). Like everybody else (?) from Stamford Brook I headed towards Hammersmith, but my program came up with a route heading west (more on that later). Being committed to the start I'd made, I had to recalculate for starting from Hammersmith, and it came up with what was basically the winning route. The difference being I did not have good changes.

I had possibly the worst door for Hammersmith (D/P) so I was at the wrong end of the platform. I had good traffic at the crossing, but saw a train pulling away from platform 3, which I presume everybody else was on. Eventually H&C, through Royal Oak to Paddington. I really must learn the on-foot route from Royal Oak to Warwick Avenue - there was a bottleneck at the Bakerloo gate-line at Paddington.

My Bakerloo (through Warwick Avenue) was a Queen's Park terminator. On the day I forgot that due to the same rails rule, I could have got an Overground onwards. Anyway the displays showed 10 minutes until the next non-terminating Bakerloo and 11 minutes until the Overground. I was resigned to the fact that my day was screwed. Imagine my surprise when I was approached by Andrew C and Jake! Their problem had been heading south from Warwick Avenue. Eventually the Bakerloo arrived and was promptly held at a red signal, unable to join the NR tracks until the Overground had passed!

After that I had no "good" changes, mostly "average" and a couple "bad" where I got to the platform to see the train leave.

From Willesden Junction, Overground to West Hampstead, Jubilee (through St. John's Wood and Bond Street) to Green Park, Piccadilly to Hyde Park Corner then reverse (through Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden) to Holborn, Central (through Chancery Lane and St. Paul's) to Bank, Northern (through Borough) to Oval, Northern (changing at Kennington) to Embankment, District (through Temple) to Bromley-by Bow.

Chapter 4
Now the route calculated by my program. Allowing 3 minutes per line change, so no knowledge of frequency of Overground, length of Green Park corridor etc.

Start at Stamford Brook, District to Gunnersbury, Overground to Willesden Junction, Bakerloo (through Warwick Avenue) to Paddington, Hammersmith-bound to Royal Oak then reverse to Baker Street, Jubilee to St. John's Wood then reverse (through Bond Street) to Green Park.

Then as the end of my actual route... Piccadilly to Hyde Park Corner then reverse (through Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden) to Holborn, Central (through Chancery Lane and St. Paul's) to Bank, Northern (through Borough) to Oval, Northern (changing at Kennington) to Embankment, District (through Temple) to Bromley-by Bow.
User avatar
Going Underground
The Twilight Zone
Posts: 8793
Joined: 11 Apr 2006, 12:24
Location: Down in a tube station at midnight.
Contact:

Re: Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 6

Post by Going Underground »

michael_churchill wrote: 03 Jun 2019, 10:47 Chapter 1


So, sorry to all you parkrun enthusiasts, I don't think I'll be joining you. I like my Saturday lie-ins too much.

At least you gave it a go Michael and not as easy as you would think to get around 5k - I did 9 months of training runs up to 2 miles before I attempted my first parkrun
Twice former full network GWR holder and former Zone 1 Olympic and World Record holder with The Raven and Soupie
Tube personality of the year 2009
Twice Winter Olympic Biathlon Gold Medalist with The Beer Baron
2008 All Lines Olympic Gold
michael_churchill
Zone 6
Posts: 821
Joined: 26 Nov 2015, 16:30
Location: Southampton
Contact:

Re: Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 6

Post by michael_churchill »

Going Underground wrote: 03 Jun 2019, 14:33
michael_churchill wrote: 03 Jun 2019, 10:47 Chapter 1


So, sorry to all you parkrun enthusiasts, I don't think I'll be joining you. I like my Saturday lie-ins too much.

At least you gave it a go Michael and not as easy as you would think to get around 5k - I did 9 months of training runs up to 2 miles before I attempted my first parkrun
Yeah, upon further reflection... if I do happen to be near a parkrun that early on a Saturday morning, I might try walking one first!

The problem with the runs linked to R15s is that I'd either have to get a much earlier train from Southampton to London, or do a local parkrun then have to get to London afterwards. I know from the walking pace tracked by my Fitbit smartwatch that it would take me 45-50 minutes to walk 5km.

When I was much, much, much younger, in 1998 (god, that's a long time ago) I was in Barcelona to watch the NFL Europe game between the London Monarchs and the Barcelona Dragons. There was a fun run called the Cursa El Corte Ingles the same weekend. You could even sign up on the day and on a whim, I bought some running shorts, ran the race in the morning and watched the game in the evening. I think the Cursa was nearly 11km and was once the most popular run in the world - I believe they had more than 100,000 runners one year.
User avatar
tractakid
The Twilight Zone
Posts: 3320
Joined: 15 Nov 2011, 20:04
Location: Milton Keynes

Re: Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 6

Post by tractakid »

Walking a parkrun first is a great idea. At this point in time, for me, the love of the parkrun community has me in a situation where I do not miss Saturday lie-ins at all.

I completely understand you may have felt self conscious out on the course with some very good runners- but be assured there's no judgement going on. parkrun equally welcomes all ends of the scale, from olympians to walkers!
*insert boasting about notable tube accomplishments here*
User avatar
crypto
Zone 2
Posts: 85
Joined: 18 Sep 2015, 23:48

Re: Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 6

Post by crypto »

I can definitely vouch for that. After my surgery, I did a couple of walks and the only person that made me feel weird was me.
A2
Zone 4
Posts: 385
Joined: 02 Oct 2005, 01:12
Location: Stevenage

Re: Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 6

Post by A2 »

For reference this was the winning route. As we were discussing outside the starting station (and even earlier that day at Wetherspoons) sometimes you don't have to be the fastest, but have a bit of luck on your side and do something different.

Anyway...

Starting at Stamford Brook I traveled east along the District line to Hammersmith. Without rushing overly but with my ticket working in the gates (but close enough behind to hear the "what are all those people running for?" comments) I headed out of the shopping centre and across the first part of the junction without problem. The lights changed on me, but as luck would have it there were a couple of tourists on Boris Bikes coming along the middle of the road and so off I trotted across the road and in to Hammersmith H&C to join the others on the train.

Up to Royal Oak, and off everyone dashed but were held up by the lights. On the way out of the station though I got chatting to a lady who had spotted the various Parkrun shirts among the group (most of the challengers) who declared "you're all a bit late for Parkrun aren't you?". It turned out that she had run that morning at Victoria Docks. Anyway... across the road we went whereupon Andrew and Jack went left towards the spiral bridge and everyone else went right.

Running, especially in the heat of the day, is an awful lot of effort, so I didn't bother much, although I did jog a bit. For reference, on the road with the rather tempting looking pub on it, I entered that road at the same time as Kevin was exiting it. However I made it to Warwick Avenue to find some of the group were still on the platform and shortly thereafter a H&W terminator Bakerloo line train rolled up.

Arriving at Willesden Junction I went straight upstairs having seen there was an Overground due. Everyone eventually congregated together with the people who had run fast to Warwick Avenue having been thwarted by a Queens Park terminator. A bit of a discussion with Richard Standing made me realise that he was utterly correct, if you're heading southbound from the overground then there's no need to run to Kilburn, however once we all got on a Jubilee line train it didn't matter as Kevin and Nozza went the other way and ended up on the same train. In the meantime, Richard S tripped over on the Overground platform (the stairs have moved due to building works), but thankfully he was OK.

Once on the Jubilee line we all continued south through St Johns Wood, Bond Street and onwards to Green Park, but still in a big group. A variety of strategies including running, tunnels, escalators, signs, and who knows what lead to all teams popping out on the Piccadilly line platforms at essentially the same time. We all continued to Hyde Park Corner and reversed.

At this point, the idea that everyone who was still together headed north/east up the Piccadilly line and there was a theory that everyone was on the same route. However, as it turns out that was not to be. Continuing through Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden we all changed seamlessly to the Central line and continued through Chancery Lane.

At the next station though, St Pauls, something odd happened...

Everyone who was left in that group (which would ultimately finished second) left the train at St Pauls and ran off towards Mansion House. Being lazy though, and sticking to the route I'd originally decided on I stuck on the train to Bank. Conveniently the exit door position at St Pauls and the Northern line interchange at Bank are basically the same door position and I nipped down an empty spiral staircase and straight on to a Northern line train.

Southbound through Borough and onwards to a quick reverse at Oval. A change of branches at Kennington took me to Embankment and the longest wait of the day with a 3-4 minute wait for a District line. Undeterred I took the intervening Circle line train via Temple as far as Monument and swapped to the District line train a minute or two behind. At that point I ate my sandwich and stayed on the train to Bromley by Bow fully expecting the teams that had exited at St Pauls to be ahead of me.
- Andrew
User avatar
greatkingrat
All Zones
Posts: 2544
Joined: 11 Feb 2005, 00:35

Re: Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 6

Post by greatkingrat »

What date was decided for R1 of next year's championship?
Soon to be yet another forum train driver
User avatar
tangy
Site Administrator
Posts: 2011
Joined: 23 Apr 2006, 22:26
Location: Walthamstow, London
Contact:

Re: Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 6

Post by tangy »

greatkingrat wrote: 13 Jun 2019, 09:36 What date was decided for R1 of next year's championship?
3rd Saturday in September, it was decided as the best date for most challengers after discussion in the pub.
Adjudicator of the Alternative Challenges and webmaster of the Tube Challenge "Top Times" website at www.explorerticket.co.uk/tubechallenge

This is a Central line train to "Woodford via Hainault"- sadly, not no more!

Tangy.
User avatar
tractakid
The Twilight Zone
Posts: 3320
Joined: 15 Nov 2011, 20:04
Location: Milton Keynes

Re: Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 6

Post by tractakid »

Any news on the posting of results, Tangy?
*insert boasting about notable tube accomplishments here*
dstock17
Zone 5
Posts: 536
Joined: 14 Jan 2017, 20:08

Re: Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 6

Post by dstock17 »

Depends on if he can pull himself away from buses
Only tube challenger to be number 1 in parkrun
User avatar
tangy
Site Administrator
Posts: 2011
Joined: 23 Apr 2006, 22:26
Location: Walthamstow, London
Contact:

Re: Random 15 Championship 2018/19: Round 6

Post by tangy »

Sorry for the severe delays, but here follows the results of Round 6 of the 2018/19 Random 15 Championship held on Saturday 1st June.

This was a "normal" round with only London Underground stations within zones 1 and 2 programmed into the generator. This gave us the following:

--Stamford Brook [Meet up/start]
--Borough
--Warwick Avenue
--Royal Oak
--Bond Street
--Hyde Park Korner
--St. Paul's
--Covent Garden
--Bromley-by-Bow
--St. John's Wood
--Chancery Lane
--Oval
--Piccadilly Circus
--Willesden Junction (low level)
--Temple

There were 14 challengers who split into 12 teams. Their finishing positions were as follows:

12th: Rob Lomas- 03:23:19 at Bromley-by-Bow
=10th: Simon Kneller- 02:54:10 at Willesden Junction
=10th: Jenny Sherman- 02:54:10 at Willesden Junction
9th: Michael Churchill- 02:50:01 at Bromley-by-Bow
8th: Andrew Chilcraft and Jake Chan- 02:43:00 at Bromley-by-Bow
7th: Peter Smyth- 02:42:35 at Willesden Junction
6th: Tangy- 02:40:25 at Bromley-by-Bow
=2nd: David Edwards- 02:19:40 at Bromley-by-Bow
=2nd: Kevin Brown and Damian Cook- 02:19:40 at Bromley-by-Bow
=2nd: Clive Burgess- 02:19:40 at Bromley-by-Bow
=2nd: Richard Standing- 02:19:40 at Bromley-by-Bow
1st: Andrew Baker- 02:15:02 at Bromley-by-Bow

Putting these scores into the leaderboard gives:

1. David Edwards: 60 points overall [6 rounds attended]
2. Clive Burgess: 53 [6]
3. Andrew Baker: 41 [6]
4=. Tangy: 39 [6]
4=. Andrew Chilcraft: 39 [5]
6. Kevin Brown: 35 [6]
7. Hugo Marrow: 30 [3]
8. Peter Smyth: 23 [6]
9=. Damian Cook: 22 [3]
9=. Alex Kneller: 22 [5]
11. Kat Hopper: 21 [3]
12. Richard Standing: 14 [5]
13. Matthew Cook: 12 [2]
14. Michael Churchill: 11 [5]
15. Mike Townley: 8 [1]
16. Samuel Mills: 6 [1]
17=. Rhys Benjamin: 5 [1]
17=. Nick Gardner: 5 [3]
17=. Simon Kneller: 5 [5]
20. Edward Moye: 4 [1]
21=. David Jay: 3 [1]
21=. Jake Chan: 3 [1]
21=. Rob Lomas: 3 [5]
24=. Jenny Sherman: 1 [1]
24=. Das Stevens: 1 [4]
26=. Felix Andrew: 0 [2]
26=. Max Shepherd: 0 [2]
26=. Andi James: 0 [1]
26=. Rhys Jackson: 0 [1]
26=. Lee Maxter: 0 [1]

However, in line with the Random 15 Championship scoring rules, those challengers who competed all six rounds will need to drop their worst score. Therefore the FINAL scores for the 2018/19 championship season are as below:

1. David Edwards: 56 (worst score of 4 deducted)
2. Clive Burgess: 48 (worst score of 5 deducted)
3. Andrew Chilcraft: 39 [5]
4. Andrew Baker: 38 (worst score of 3 deducted)
5=. Tangy: 34 (worst score of 5 deducted)
5=. Kevin Brown: 34 (worst score of 1 deducted)
7. Hugo Marrow: 30 [3]
8=. Peter Smyth: 22 (worst score of 1 deducted)
8=. Damian Cook: 22 [3]
8=. Alex Kneller: 22 [5]
11. Kat Hopper: 21 [3]
12. Richard Standing: 14 [5]
13. Matthew Cook: 12 [2]
14. Michael Churchill: 11 [5]
15. Mike Townley: 8 [1]
16. Samuel Mills: 6 [1]
17=. Rhys Benjamin: 5 [1]
17=. Nick Gardner: 5 [3]
17=. Simon Kneller: 5 (worst score of 0 deducted)
20. Edward Moye: 4 [1]
21=. David Jay: 3 [1]
21=. Jake Chan: 3 [1]
21=. Rob Lomas: 3 [5]
24=. Jenny Sherman: 1 [1]
24=. Das Stevens: 1 [4]
26=. Felix Andrew: 0 [2]
26=. Max Shepherd: 0 [2]
26=. Andi James: 0 [1]
26=. Rhys Jackson: 0 [1]
26=. Lee Maxter: 0 [1]

Thank you to all 30 challengers who attended events this season, albeit just one event or all six. We now take our summer break and will be back in September all afresh for the 2019/20 Random 15 Championship... David we await your Champion's Twist.

Tangy.
The BERC.
Adjudicator of the Alternative Challenges and webmaster of the Tube Challenge "Top Times" website at www.explorerticket.co.uk/tubechallenge

This is a Central line train to "Woodford via Hainault"- sadly, not no more!

Tangy.
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 16 guests