2015 Zone 1 Challenge- 29th May 2015

[tangy]

Hello from the BOZO (Boss of Zone One for those who didn't know). I am here today to formally open proceedings for this years' Zone One challenge which will be taking place on Friday 29th May 2015.

So here are some vital statistics that you should know about:

The aim: To visit all 64 stations that are within London Underground Oyster card Zone 1 in the fastest time

Pre-challenge meet up: Liverpool Street mainline station forecourt (outside McDonalds), from the National Rail concourse take the stairs/escalator opposite the entrance to platforms 2 and 3. Please be here by 12:00 noon for a 12:15 draw of start station.

Post-challenge meet up **PUB NOW CONFIRMED** Once you have finished your challenge please head to: William IV, 816 High Road Leyton, E10 6AE (nearest stations Walthamstow Central or Leyton Midland Road). Full directions provided upon request at meet up point.
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Timetable of events:

Pre 12:00:
All challengers to start gathering at the meet up point at Liverpool Street. Here you can decide who to form a team with (or go solo). Each team will be given an "entry card" and a copy of the Z1 challenge diagram, which you fill out during your challenge.

12:15:
Draw of the start station. Once this is announced make your way to this starting station.

12:55:
All challengers to meet up outside the starting station (street side of the ticket barriers), details will be given where exactly to meet once the start station is announced.

13:00:
You can start the challenge on the first train in your chosen direction AFTER 13:00:00 (use the next train board clock for this if there is one). You have four hours to complete.

Once you have completed the challenge please make your way to the post challenge meet up location by 17:45. Please hand your completed entry card and Z1 diagram (showing route taken) to me (Tangy).

Once the majority of challengers are present, a pub style quiz will begin (again you can team up with other challengers or go solo). Several small teams please as there maybe a "Pointless" style round and/or "spot prize" rounds of which will work best with the more teams there are.

18:00 (or when all teams have declared their result):
Zone 1 Results read out and prizes/certificates given to the podium positions (plus best team name).

18:15 (or immediately after the results announcement):
Quiz answers (with prizes). Once quiz is finished (should be by 19:00), the rest of the evening is for darts (for those that wish to play, no darting experience needed).
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Even though this is an open event, it would be helpful if you are participating (even if you are a maybe at this stage) to contact me so I know who I am expecting. You can PM me, email me via Explorer Ticket website or simply write a message below.

Tangy
The BOZO

[tangy]

The rules for the annual Zone 1 Challenge Cup, please read carefully as there are differences to the generic zone 1 challenge rules, as can be read on the Top Times/Explorer Ticket website.

General rules:

1.1: The aim is to visit all 64 London Underground stations that form Oyster card zone 1 in the fastest time. The current time to beat is 2 hours, 40 minutes and 34 seconds. **also see rule 2.1.

1.2: To "visit" a station means to arrive at or depart from (or both) all 64 Zone 1 stations on a LU train. You are NOT required to get off at every station but you can of course alight at any station to change lines or transfer to a nearby station. If a station is temporarily closed (to all lines) for any reason e.g. security alert, rebuilding etc. then a "pass through" of the station is accepted. **also see rule 2.2.

1.3: Transfers between stations must only be undertaken on scheduled public transport (i.e. bus or NR trains) or on foot.

1.4: Challengers are required to give basic evidence of their route taken and finishing station plus the time they completed the challenge in. A stopwatch is useful for recording your overall time.

1.5: Challengers may compete in the zone 1 challenge as an individual (solo) or in small teams up to 5 people. Each team must be required to think of a team name for themselves- there will be a best team name prize, so the wittier the better.

1.6: All challengers are requested to be at the specified meeting point by 12:15 on the day of the challenge. A starting station will then be drawn at random (from all 64 Z1 stations) excluding those stations that have been start stations in previous years. Since Covent Garden is exit only this year, we will not be starting from there either.

1.7: The challenge will begin at the station that was picked out at random on the first train AFTER 13:00:00 hours. When I officially start the challenge you MUST take the FIRST train in the direction you wish to head. If a second train is described on the board going to the same destination as your team, you cannot wait for it and take that instead. ** see also rule 2.6 for more details.

1.8: Your time starts when the doors firmly close on the first train you board at the start station and the challenge ends when the first member of your team physically sets foot on the platform at your finishing station. Timings must be noted down in hours, minutes and seconds. You have four hours to complete the challenge.

1.9: Once you have started your stopwatch and departed you may NOT return to the start and reset the stopwatch. Should two or more teams start and finish on the same trains (at the same station) they are ranked equal regardless of the exact measured time.

1.10: If you finish by running/transferring to or departing from your last required station, or if your last required station is temporarily closed (pass through), you must keep the stopwatch going until you arrive at the NEXT station in any direction. If you are still going after 4 hours since the start of the challenge, stop your timing at the next station and count up how many stations you visited up to that point then head direct to the pub.

1.11: This is only a bit of fun, thus getting train numbers and/or logging of arrival and departure times at each station is not required (though you may do so if you wish). This is not the official Guinness World Record full network attempt!

1.12: By entering yourself into the Zone 1 challenge you abide by these rules. To cover the costs incurred for hosting this event there will be £2.00 VOLUNTARY fare payable to the BOZO. Any disputes will be dealt with by the BOZO whose decision is final.
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Station specific rulings:

2.1: Paddington (H&C/Circle) is separate from Paddington (Bakerloo/District) and Edgware Road (Circle/H&C) is separate from Edgware Road (Bakerloo), all four of these stations must be visited individually.

2.2: For the 2015 Challenge, Tottenham Court Road has certain platforms closed. Therefore in order to visit this station correctly, challengers must use the line/s that are still stopping at the station, a pass through on the “closed” platforms will NOT be accepted.

2.3: Should Baker Street by picked as a start station, teams wishing to travel clockwise on the Circle must try and catch the FIRST train out to their first interchange station (be it a Met or Circle) despite leaving from different platforms.

2.4: Should High Street Kensington be picked as a start station, teams wishing to travel to Earl's Court should board the FIRST train out (be it an Olympia or a Wimbledon train) despite these leaving from different platforms.

2.5: Should Edgware Road (Circle/H&C) be picked as a start station, teams wishing to travel anti-clockwise on the Circle line (via Bayswater) must try and catch the FIRST train to their first interchange station (be it Circle or District) despite leaving from different platforms. Teams wishing to travel to Paddington can choose which one they wish to visit first (remembering that Paddington is two separate stations, so both Paddington stations must be visited).

2.6: This also means e.g. for a Farringdon start, a team may decide to wait (say) for an eastbound Hammersmith & City train (for Aldgate East), a clockwise Circle for travel beyond Aldgate or any SSL train for Liverpool Street. However a team MUST NOT wait for the correct sequence (like H&C-Met-Circle and expect to make the Aldgate run to catch that Circle train!)
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General Advice:

3.1: We all know we are competing against each other (and the clock) but please take care when doing inter-station runs along corridors and escalators, other members of the public may not be as easy on their feet or know the Underground as well as we do!

3.2: Please do not hold the train doors open for an excessively amount of time, if your team mates are too far behind, let the train go and wait for them to catch up.

3.3: Don't be fooled in thinking that this is an "easy" challenge, it isn't! There will be lots of changing trains/interchanging to other lines involved which can be more intensive than on other challenges.

3.4: It is a good idea to wear light coloured comfortable fitting clothing as you can get hot very quickly on the challenge plus only bring what you really need to compete on the challenge, extra weight whilst running only slows you down!

Signed:
Tangy (The BOZO)

[The Orange One]

The time to beat is 02:39:00, not 02:40:34!! I no longer hold the moste prestigiouse Zone 1 Recorde, that honour is currently held by The Raven.

I will be there.

[Going Underground]

Attending;
Orange One
GU

[RJSRdg]

I'm a "maybe" at this stage - depending on how other things work out that week and how time off work pans out.

[GuyBarry]

I'm free that day and quite fancy attending the social. I can't see myself doing the challenge though!

[tubeguru]

Of course you can. Running is easy.

[palkanetoijala31]

Of course you can. Running is easy.

says the guy who hasnt done a full network for years and only just taken up parkrunning.

[greatkingrat]

Running is not essential anyway, as Hakan proved.

[Sam]

Exactly. You don't need to run to complete Zone One.

[tubeguru]

Of course you can. Running is easy.

says the guy who hasnt done a full network for years and only just taken up parkrunning.

Not doing a full challenge in 11 years doesn't seem to have affected my fitness though, eh?

[mrredrunner100]

Attending;
Orange One
GU
Mrredrunner100

[The Raven]

Attending;
Orange One
GU
Mrredrunner100
The Raven

[leamfarrar]

Attending;
Orange One
GU
Mrredrunner100
The Raven
leamfarrar

[tractakid]

Looks like I'll have to work until 11:15 so I'll need the starting station texted to me more than likely!

Attending;
Orange One
GU
Mrredrunner100
The Raven
leamfarrar
tractakid