Tube Olympics - Event 4 - R15 Challenge - Sunday 22nd July

[Soup Dragon]

I'm not going to be able to make it today guys, sorry. Have a good day

Shame, would have been nice to see you. Looks like it is going to be a hot one today for those who are taking part.

[hopeful traveller]

I just want to finish somewhere other than last.

[The Raven]

We have a problem platform 10 is closed at Stratford today.

[The Raven]

But 10a is ignore me...

[tangy]

yes, the GE fast lines 9/10 are closed, everything on slow lines i.e 5/8. Platform 10A and 11 although no trains are due to depart from these today either, are open.

[greatkingrat]

The horse and groom is closed today so we are in the champion on the corner of newman street and eastcastle street

[palkanetoijala31]

The horse and groom is closed today so we are in the champion on the corner of newman street and eastcastle street

ooh get us some pics then dartboard outside etc.

[hopeful traveller]

A challenge to forget for me!

Stations:

Stratford
Baker Street
Kilburn
Borough
Stockwell
Euston Square
Piccadilly Circus
Tower Hill
Camden Town
Aldgate
Canada Water
Clapham Common
Barons Court
East Acton
Chalk Farm

What I did was to leave Stratford (along with Tangy, Myles and Peter) on the Jubilee line to knock out Canada Water so we could change at London Bridge. In the most almighty balls-up I took a northbound when I intended to go southbound, probably because the station is right-hand running. Quick thinking meant that I re-routed around the error. I therefore ended up at Bank so I changed to a District line train (intended to be a circle) in order to knock out Tower Hill and Aldgate. No circles in sight meant I took a District line train to Aldgate East in order for me to run to Aldgate.... and promptly got lost. After a good few minutes wondering where on earth to go I spotted Glen hot-footing it out of Aldgate East so I followed him . It became a sprint to Aldgate, although Glen started way out in front of me! He won the sprint - just! Rhys is faster than you - can you confirm you understood the message?

At Aldgate he went southbound and I went northbound to knock out Euston Square. I got out at Euston Square and ran to Euston. I doubled back to Chalk Farm (changing at Camden Town twice!) and then went down to Leicester Square to change onto a Piccadilly line train to Green Park (via Piccadilly Circus) then took a Jubilee up to Kilburn, going through Baker Street.

Here's my usual comment.... That journey was so fast that I didn't have enough time to do up my backpack before I got out of the train, but luckily, there was no train there on the double back to West Hampstead for an overground (my knowledge of that area is terrible) whereupon I had to wait 6 minutes... and that was for a Richmond train. Consequentially, I got out at Acton Central and got the 266 to North Acton (Kevin, I think, ran this - how did you not die in your own sweat?) before ticking off East Acton. Right, down, right again and I ended up at Barons Court. However, this District line was VERY slow between Barons Court and Victoria but I got there in time for a good connection down to Stockwell for a double back to Clapham Common and a finish at Borough.

Final time: 3:23:16 (+00:53:12 away from the winner).

Sidebar:

All through I was estimating my finishing time by calculating the average time between the "listed" stations and multiplying it by fourteen, the results of which were as follows:

After 3 stations: 2 hrs 20 mins
After 4 stations: 2 hrs 34 mins
After 5 stations: 2 hrs 34 mins
After 6 stations: 2 hrs 20 mins
After 7 stations: 2 hrs 34 mins
After 8 stations: 2 hrs 27 mins
After 9 stations: 2 hrs 13 mins
After 10 stations: 3 hrs 24 mins
After 11 stations: 3 hrs 26 mins
After 12 stations: 3 hrs 48 mins
After 13 stations: 3 hrs 28 mins.

[Soup Dragon]

The official result is as follows:
1. 2:30:04 Peter Smyth (East Acton) (OR)
2. 2:38:14 Martin Hazel (Chalk Farm)
3. 2:55:33 Kevin & Ryan Brown (Barons Ct.)
3. 2:55:33 Antony Brown (Barons Ct)
5: 2:57:22 Myles Swain (Tower Hill)
6. 3:12:02 Glen Bryant (Chalk Farm)
7. 3:12:59 Matt Scrivin, Sam Cawley & Mike Stone (East Acton)
8. 3:23:16 Rhys Benjamin (Borough)

A good event with a nice spread of stations, it was a hot one and certainly made my first attempt at running Wills Jct to North Acton a bit of a sweaty afternoon.

Four events down = Four new OR's

[tractakid]

Does the OR for this challenge have much merit considering the variance in the stations used?

[Soup Dragon]

Does the OR for this challenge have much merit considering the variance in the stations used?

Of course each R15 is unique so of course you are correct, some are more easier than others. However we do have a list of top times for the R15, so it seems only fair to have an OR up for grabs as well.

[The Raven]

My Route

Stratford Canada Water Whitechapel Aldgate East Aldgate Monument Bank Clapham Common Stockwell Green Park Piccadilly Circus Hammersmith Wood Street White City East Acton White City Willesden Junction Brondesbury Kilburn Finchley Road Euston Square Euston Camden Town Chalk Farm

Nice to see that the weather has turned good. It was a bit hot and sweaty but not as bad as I feared.

Got the same Jubilee and ELL as Sam, Matthew and Mike, but then split from them at Aldgate East. Don't worry Ryles, everyone, (including me) has got lost between the Aldgate's! After meeting up with Kevin, Ryan and Tangy on the Northern going down to Clapham Common and getting a fantastic change there it was time to go back north. After losing Kev and Ryan at Piccadilly Circus it was just me and Tangy heading down the Hammersmith.

At East Acton I thought I'd try doubling back to Shepherd Bush for the Overground. Checked my phone at East Acton and thought "Excellent, there's a Overground due in 7 minutes. I can make that" However, got back to White City, and everything went wrong. The driver announced "We will now be discharging traction current". Oh great, so I jumped out of the station and waited for a bus. Got on a 220 to Willesden Junction, annoyingly the bus made no announcements of what the next stop was. This meant that I missed the stop I needed for Willesden Junction and then while running on the footpath to the station I saw the Overground go past. I latter found out that Tangy was on that train. Oh well, live and learn.

[MylesHSG]

Another good R15 for me, just missing out on a medal.

My route was.

Stratford London Bridge Clapham Common Elephant and Castle Piccadilly Circus Hammersmith Wood Lane White City East Acton Bond Street Kilburn Baker Street Kings Cross Chalk Farm Camden Town Moorgate Tower Hill

Started off on the same Jub as Rhys, Tangy, Peter and Rhys. Tangy Jumped off as West Ham, and at London Bridge Peter must have got the train before me and Rhys got on the Nothbound that I saw depart! Got to Clapham Common and had a perfect double back. Up again to either change at Kennington or Elephant and Castle up towards Piccadilly Circus. Pulled into Kennington and saw a Charing Cross Branch pull up and open its doors. I decided to stay on to Elephant and Castle as I couldn't rememeber which station is good for changing from Northern to Bakerloo. Anyway, a decent Piccadilly Circus (very quiet station yesterday) change and off to Hammersmith I went. A 30 decond wait at Hammersmith for an Eastbound train was swell, perfect (would almost decribe them as sexy!) changes at White City and East Acton meant I was off to Bond Street in no time at all. I was avoiding the LO all day I was not sure on train frequency on a Sunday and didnt fancy a 20 minute wait somewhere. At Kilburn I missed a double back and had to wait 3 minutes. Back towards Baker Street (looked at the DMI at Finchley Road and an Aldgte was 4 minutes away so decided to try my luck at Baker Street, but eventully ended up getting that one. Off to Euston Square I headed, and deciding to be the lazt bugger I am stayed on to Kings Cross to get the Northern. My lazyness was rewarded with a Edgware Brach pulling in as I got to the platform. A 1 minute double back to Camden I headed (I hindsight maybe staying on to Embankment and the getting a circle towards Tower Hill might have been quicker) forgetting again which end of the platford the nice quiet tunnels are! and a 2 minute was for a bank branch. Off to Moorgate and BUGGER a circle line leaving as I get to the platform. A 10 minute wait later and finish at an extremly crowed Tower Hill!

[Going Underground]

Consequentially, I got out at Acton Central and got the 266 to North Acton (Kevin, I think, ran this - how did you not die in your own sweat?)

I almost did

Also ran by Antony and Ryan and we han no choice as no 266 in sight and we didn't get passed by one either....
Not the easiest of runs starts over the bridge then downhill for a while then a few little ups and downs before a lovely downhill path to the station....
We were a train behind Antony but were lucky to catch him at Wood Lane....

[Going Underground]

Well here is my route, it all started swimmingly when I planned to get The Central Line to Liverpool Street but the TOSA had decreed we could leave by any mode of transport and a Greater Anglia pulled in which I believe is the first time used on an R15

After Liverpool Street Aldgate Tower Hill Tower Gateway (To get the DLR in this one as well ) Shadwell Canada Water (where we met Tangy) London Bridge (where we met Glen) Clapham Common Stockwell Green Park Leics Sq (losing Tangy and Glen at Picc Circus) Chalk Farm Camden Town Kings X Baker Street (6 mins wait for Jub line ) Kilburn run to Brondesbury (where Soup Dragon arrived on the Overground) Willesden Junction long nasty sweaty run to North Acton (SD now a train ahead) White City run as fast as possible to Wood Lane (SD now reeled in again ) Hammersmith run across to Picc/District tweaking calf muscle in SD's slipstream Barons Court

I was hopeful that it might be enough for Bronze and was just the case....

Interesting stations and a good turn out and some cold beers went down a treat afterwards