Second FNC completed in 18:05:19 (15/08/25) (kind of)

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mango
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Joined: 09 Jul 2024, 10:16

Second FNC completed in 18:05:19 (15/08/25) (kind of)

Post by mango »

Confession Time

Okay, cards on the table: we technically broke the rules. Instead of the District line, we hopped on the Mildmay line to Olympia - so our final time of 18:05:19 for all 272 stations is unofficial. But hey, we did touch every station, and that’s still worth sharing for anyone plotting their own Tube Challenge escapade.

The Game Plan

This was our second attempt after clocking in at 18:59:32 last year. We flipped the route: starting at Chesham and finishing at Terminal 5. Why? Because the Metropolitan line nearly broke us last time by being temperamental at the end of the day. So this time, we played it smart: first train out of Chesham at 05:16.

Of course, London had other ideas. A cheeky early departure at Watford set us back 10 minutes. Still, we cleared the Met line a full 40 minutes faster than last year - so we’ll call that a win.

Highlights
• Bus miracles: The 93 (Morden → Wimbledon), the 142 (Edgware → Stanmore), and the 384 (High Barnet → Cockfosters) all turned up just when we needed them. Public transport gods: 1, Tube challengers: also 1.
• Running in the heat: Not exactly fun, but somehow our sweaty sprints actually saved us time.
• Mill Hill East bliss: Rocking up to Moorgate and seeing a train to Mill Hill East in minutes? Pure, unfiltered joy.

Lowlights
• Olympia in the evening: Oh boy. We knew it was a risky tactic, and yep - it blew up our schedule. By the afternoon we were almost an hour behind, so catching one of the mythical District line trains to Olympia was impossible. Cue the Mildmay detour. All 272 stations still visited, but with an asterisk.
• Bakerloo betrayal: Suspended most of the morning, sluggish when it reopened, and no Lioness line to bail us out. That Harrow & Wealdstone up & back trip from Kenton cost us 15 minutes.
• The Hainault loop curse: A shuttle delay report just as we arrived? Thanks, Central line. We thought we got lucky with a waiting train at Hainault, but nope - a 15-minute wait at Woodford crushed that hope.
• The Heathrow crawl: A slow Richmond turnaround and Piccadilly line delays into T5 killed any chance of a dream time.

The Verdict

Despite the setbacks, it was still a cracking day out. We’re happy with the route and the lessons learned. Next time? Definitely on a Saturday - because starting at Chesham means Olympia in the morning is basically impossible without a mad (and inefficient) dash across London.

Mark, Emily & Dave.
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