3rd Full Completion (Sub 18hrs) (14/11/23)

[RJSRdg]

When I first started planning for my most recent (successful) attempt, I threw away an earlier route I had planned because adding in the BPS branch would have meant missing the first of the evening Olympias and leaving me vulnerable to the second being cancelled. However during my planning process, the timings of the evening Olympias changed and made it possible to get Battersea in before the first Olympia. So I don't think it makes a massive difference. (Of course if you've done the morning Olympias, you don't have to worry about them later on).

Yes, I think a long-standing record will probably require being a good runner, however I think the current fastest time is still within reach of a somewhat mediocre runner like myself. The only "training" I did for my attempt was running a mile once a week and my routes are planned on the basis of my running a 12 minute mile. That said, I think I set several PBs during my attempt!

For reference, the runs I did (in no particular order) were:

North Harrow-West Harrow
Northwick Park-Kenton
Gunnersbury-Chiswick Park
North Ealing-West Acton
Euston-Euston Square
Leytonstone-Leytonstone High Road
Walthamstow Queen's Road-Walthamstow Central
Aldgate East-Aldgate

Whilst better runners than I have run Roding Valley-Buckhurst Hill, Canons Park-Edgware, Snaresbrook-Walthamstow, etc, I think with a modicum of luck a good time can be achieved without those longer runs.

[Golf]

NEVER EVER throw away a route no matter how ridicilous it seems i have used in the past ideas that at the time seemed ludricous like epping to waltham cross.

[RJSRdg]

Metaphorically thrown away - I think I still have the Excel spreadsheet somewhere with it on.

Of course, timetables have changed so many times since then that it may not work now anyway.

[Bubble]

Those are all shortish runs. I did High Barnet to Cockfosters and Morden to Wimbledon too. I think I would try to get a bus/tram for the latter next time. I think the former is where the potential for a good runner to gain on bus users might lie. I am no athlete but would be confident sustaining 9 mins/mile with rucksack and Tube Challenge paraphernalia.

In preparation for my next attempt I did a lot of laborious work with the timetables on Roding Valley to Buckhurst Hill. A look at an OS map suggests this as a handy shortcut to run but I am pretty sure that I established that there is no advantage to be had by running it.

I did run Chiswick Park to Gunnersbury and was pleased with myself for it but, again, I’m not certain that there advantage there to be had.

I am toying with Nine Elms to Vauxhall. It is one of those ‘marginal’ ones …

[RJSRdg]

I agree about Roding Valley/Buckhurst Hill. Whilst there is often an uncomfortable wait at Woodford (though there is a cafe that serves decent sandwiches just outside the station), I've not found a way of being able to catch the previous Hainault train by doung the run.

Gunnersbury/Chiswick Park (or vice versa) can have some advantages, depending on how your challenge is organised. If you come west from Hammersmith, down to Richmond and catch a District line back north, with the intention of then visiting Chiswick Park and Acton Town, running from Gunnersbury to Chiswick Park doesn't really gain you anything over going back to Turnham Green and out again (assuming all trains are running to time....). However if you left Richmond on an Overground, then there may be an advantage in running to Chiswick Park. However there are other ways of visiting the RIchmond branch which can benefit from a good run to/from CP.


(In both cases this assumes everything is running to time. However a delay on the line you're changing to - e.g, Westbound District at CP, or Hainault loop at RV can mean that running gets you to the train before the one you were aiming to get).

[Golf]

Gunnersbury/Chiswick Park (or vice versa) can have some advantages, depending on how your challenge is organised. If you come west from Hammersmith, down to Richmond and catch a District line back north, with the intention of then visiting Chiswick Park and Acton Town, running from Gunnersbury to Chiswick Park doesn't really gain you anything over going back to Turnham Green and out again (assuming all trains are running to time....

or it could prevent matthew scrivins and sara wearn (huntington) from ever getting a world record time on the board

[key_cauliflower3135]

Congratulations indeed, Derry, for going sub-18.

I want to have another go; my attempt in September was intended to merely secure a completion but even with some flawed and inefficient decisions I achieved a reasonable time so have been working on a refined route ever since. I completely agree with you re the morning Olympias and my new route features an approach for that which hasn’t been tried yet. I will be as open as you (thankfully) are in your reports and will share if it works when I get round to my next attempt - probably in the spring.

Hey Bubble, thanks for the Kudos, and yep, it did need a lot of luck (I think I failed 3 attempts before I even made it past midday on a particular challenge, mostly due to the late Barons Court - West Ken - Olympia connections)

As for being open in the reports, I hold the opinion that if you are offended by me sharing a route that others may be interested in and improve on, then unfortunately that is my decision to make. Having said that, I equally do not hold anything against anyone who chooses to withhold their route from others for various different reasons, that is their decision to make. If anything, I'm happier knowing that posting my route and adventures may inspire someone to follow me and many others before me to go on and beat the record.

As for your point on the sub-17, my route (at least before the Met changed its timetables in the winter) is possible to achieve sub-17. However, it does rely on very tight transfer times and schedules. It is definitely not the most efficient, but if anyone is interested I would be happy to share that full route (essentially it is the route I used for sub-18hrs without a detour due to disruption on the network)

I have more than a suspicion that the eventual holder of a record which will stand for some time will be a runner. Being able to be at speed from the instant the doors open to the instant you reach your next train leaves those able to run fast, and manage to keep running fast when required throughout the day, will be well-placed to secure a fast time. None of the runs involved is beyond the reach of a reasonably fit parkrunner.

Looking forward to trying again.

I absolutely agree with this sentiment, I am not the best runner myself (and never have been sadly) and I would consider anything over a mile almost unrunnable (if that is even a word...) and hence Cockfosters - HB and Morden - Wimbledon cost me way too much time than is feasible for a FNC. Short runs like West Ken - Olympia and Rayners Lane - North Harrow I can tackle in 5-6 mins, but endurance is never on my side in these runs...

I will also say that due to personal reasons I have moved out of London and will hence be able to try challenges way less often than I used to, so until that next attempt (which could be in a year or so..) I wish you all the very best of luck, I do not expect my (unofficial) record to stand for very long, (nor do I want to )

I agree about Roding Valley/Buckhurst Hill. Whilst there is often an uncomfortable wait at Woodford (though there is a cafe that serves decent sandwiches just outside the station), I've not found a way of being able to catch the previous Hainault train by doung the run.

Gunnersbury/Chiswick Park (or vice versa) can have some advantages, depending on how your challenge is organised. If you come west from Hammersmith, down to Richmond and catch a District line back north, with the intention of then visiting Chiswick Park and Acton Town, running from Gunnersbury to Chiswick Park doesn't really gain you anything over going back to Turnham Green and out again (assuming all trains are running to time....). However if you left Richmond on an Overground, then there may be an advantage in running to Chiswick Park. However there are other ways of visiting the RIchmond branch which can benefit from a good run to/from CP.

About this, I think there are one or two points in the day (that I have found anyway) that you can avoid the run and a wait at Woodford by doing Hainault first (I believe this is more efficient than Epping first, for my routes anyway). However, I have found that on multiple challenges that the Central Line was so delayed on that Eastern end that any planning I did do went out the window and I relied on luck....

Chiswick Park - Gunnersbury Run is a lot more doable than people think, and depending on how the Richmond branch is done (and for a Heathrow Start this is crucial since the Picc line will skip CP but not Turnham Green, hence leaving you with an awkward station you will need to pick up (perhaps on your way to Ealing Broadway or otherwise), so that run is very valuable and does definitely save time in certain situations.

In the meantime, I'll still be around on this forum looking out for other attempts, and feel free to reach out via DM! Best of luck to all current and aspiring tube challengers, the record is there for the taking!

[Golf]

I have more than a suspicion that the eventual holder of a record which will stand for some time will be a runner. Being able to be at speed from the instant the doors open to the instant you reach your next train leaves those able to run fast, and manage to keep running fast when required throughout the day, will be well-placed to secure a fast time. None of the runs involved is beyond the reach of a reasonably fit parkrunner.

Looking forward to trying again.

hence i should get more respect by not going out on the very first day and setting a record that would have been possibly impossible for anyone to break now is the time you young whipper snappers i am not interested in record but i could be lol geton with it set those times further down and down please do get ur names recognised whomever u may be i have had 5 records im the tube king i dont need a 6th.

[tubeguru]

I have more than a suspicion that the eventual holder of a record which will stand for some time will be a runner. Being able to be at speed from the instant the doors open to the instant you reach your next train leaves those able to run fast, and manage to keep running fast when required throughout the day, will be well-placed to secure a fast time. None of the runs involved is beyond the reach of a reasonably fit parkrunner.

Looking forward to trying again.

hence i should get more respect by not going out on the very first day and setting a record that would have been possibly impossible for anyone to break now is the time you young whipper snappers i am not interested in record but i could be lol geton with it set those times further down and down please do get ur names recognised whomever u may be i have had 5 records im the tube king i dont need a 6th.

You've all heard of bad losers, folks. Andi, conversely, is a bad winner

[Golf]

that is not how it comes out neil and i think you should apologise for that remark!

i have offered help on here many times to many many tube challengers i dont hear you saying thank you

[Bubble]

But I’m not a young whippersnapper … I’m a retired 58-year-old!

[Golf]

But I’m not a young whippersnapper … I’m a retired 58-year-old!

NO offence but why did u not go out on 1st day or 2nd or even 3rd day when battersea opened adham record was slow and bad even u can see that

[RJSRdg]

At the time Adham got his time, Terminal 4 was closed (Adham had to visit it on foot under GWR rules), and various other restrictions still remained in place. So I can understand why Bubble waited a while before making his attempt.

[Alan White]

Hello again, Derry. Thanks for the mention in your earlier post, and my apologies for forgetting your name. Well done on the completions, especially the sub-18hr.

I think my route is capable of sub-18 as my last successful completion of 18:23 was marred by a couple of long delays. It will be a while before I try again though, and there's no way I could achieve the even faster times discussed here. It isn't the route: I believe that, within reason, most routes achieve the same time-on-train. The benefits come from shorter waiting times and, even more, quicker transfer times. The latter requires fast running, which is beyond my ability. I learned some time ago that for me it's quicker to stay on a train than to run.

As Derry said while we were on a District to Richmond, even if you don't achieve a completion or a good time the challenge is still a fun day out.

Good luck to all attempting in 2024 and beyond.

[key_cauliflower3135]

Hello again, Derry. Thanks for the mention in your earlier post, and my apologies for forgetting your name. Well done on the completions, especially the sub-18hr.

I think my route is capable of sub-18 as my last successful completion of 18:23 was marred by a couple of long delays. It will be a while before I try again though, and there's no way I could achieve the even faster times discussed here. It isn't the route: I believe that, within reason, most routes achieve the same time-on-train. The benefits come from shorter waiting times and, even more, quicker transfer times. The latter requires fast running, which is beyond my ability. I learned some time ago that for me it's quicker to stay on a train than to run.

As Derry said while we were on a District to Richmond, even if you don't achieve a completion or a good time the challenge is still a fun day out.

Good luck to all attempting in 2024 and beyond.

Hey Alan,

Thanks for your congrats and don't worry I'm also very bad with names

I agree with you as regards the quicker transfer times, the transfer from Cockfosters to High Barnet specifically (and perhaps Walthamstow to Leytonstone/Snaresbrook) is what sets the faster runners apart from the bus users. I can only outrun a train in very specific and short bursts, anything endurance based I cannot handle.

But that's the challenge, I know I probably won't ever hold an undefeatable record, but its still a bit of fun to travel to all corners of London (well except the south haha) in one day.