tubechallenge.com

^ Perhaps that's why you haven't won it yet...

Don't worry about it, Andy - I might yet have a team-mate. A Finnish one too.

I have a couple of queries regarding the rules, I hope this justifies the double post.

Firstly, what happens if a station closes during the challenge, allowing trains to pass through but not stop? Would a pass-through be acceptable, or would you have to go back and try again later on (or just wait)? I think a pass-through should be acceptable.

Secondly, what was the final outcome of the starting time/train debate that took place last year? I'm referring to the situation which could arise if Euston or Earl's Court is drawn - in the case of the latter, if the first eastbound District line train is terminating at High Street Kensington, but you'd like to get a train all the way to Edgware Road, could you wait? I think the Euston situation is easier to rule on - you should be able to wait for either southbound branch of the Northern line, because the next stop is not the same for both branches so they are clearly going in different directions. However, this isn't the case at Earl's Court, where both eastbound trains start in the same direction. I think waiting for the Edgware Road train should be acceptable.

What's the consensus, or if there isn't one, what do the organising team think?

I believe we've had occasions where a station has closed mid-challenge and a pass-through has been acceptable (although obviously not for clock stopping purposes)

Re: If the starting station is closed when we get there: Seeing as pretty much everybody travels from the meeting point to the starting station together, I don't think it would be too difficult to get the message out to everyone. I suppose we would either re-draw or start from the nearest available station. In a worst case scenario we could leave Neil or someone else at the station to tell people

I don't think a rule needs to be made about this; it would essentially be down to the organiser to decide what to do in this unlikely scenario.

The rules will not be discussed. We, the organisers, will provide them on this forum well before the event. There will be no real surprises in relation to earlier years and the general ideas of the Guinness rules will apply (but with very limited demands on documentation, i.e. no witness statements, no compulsory log book, no train numbers etc.) All that's needed is a credible description on the route taken and a down to the second accurate total time.

But as I said, we will publish, not debate, the rules well before the day. However, we'll be more than willing to reply to any questions regarding these rules - once they are published!

I promise to take into account the possibility of station closures in the rules.

Thanks for making that clear, HÃ¥kan.

Can i come in fancy dress Hakan seeing as i havent a hope of winning.

Now Andi (is that how you prefer your name to be spelled?), if you approach the event with that mindset, you won't even have a chance... it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. At least be open to the possibility of winning - you are apparently a good runner, and from that route you posted of the full network challenge, you seem to have some grasp of how to plan a good route, so there really isn't any reason why you can't win. Heck, even people who can't or won't run (the Swedes) or those who just can't plan a route (er... I shan't name any names!) have won in the past!

Having said that, I would find it very amusing if you did come dressed as a giant chicken or something.

On the subject of the rules: I have already made this point to HÃ¥kan, but I will make an abbreviated version of it here: I was just starting a discussion about the rules because I wanted to include them in this "press release" I am going to distribute, and wasn't sure about particular particulars. I very much agree with the organiser dictating the rules.

It's certainly can be very unpredictable about winners and losers, take 2005 and 2006 where in 2005 Hakan and co came 1st and in 2006 they came last due to problems on the Victoria line which scuppered quite a few people, especially those finishing at Vauxhall. So there is always the chance for anyone to win!

I confidently predict that the winner will come from a Western European, Scandinavian or Nordic country, which is more than can be said for a certain event taking place 4 days earlier than the Zone 1 Challenge.

May 26th... The French Open?

I could win if i was doing it myself but my run speeds will be severly hampered by dragging the missus along no sense of direction Sara (sorry hun) hence why not have a laugh and do it in fancy dress and besides not knowing the starting station and never having done a zone 1 i wouls say my chances of winning were 1 in how ever many teams they are.

Soup Dragon wrote:I confidently predict that the winner will come from a Western European, Scandinavian or Nordic country, which is more than can be said for a certain event taking place 4 days earlier than the Zone 1 Challenge.

Don't you mean 6 days earlier?

I assume Hakan is not referring to the England v New Zealand Test Match at Old Trafford?!

Ah yes the big event is actually 6 days prior to Z1C 2008, maths was never my strong point