tubechallenge.com

I think someone must have slipped something in my drink when I came up with this.

It's Comic Relief on 16th March, and I was looking for something unusual to do for it.

So I came up with the idea of trying to set a World record for the number of people completing the Tube Challenge on one day. I'm still waiting, after many weeks, for the Guinness people to confirm whether it will be official or not.

Anyhow, I'm only now starting to pull the thing together, and there's only a few weeks left.

I'm looking for volunteers, as you can imagine. Those of you who did Tube Relief set the bar high at 65 people. Ideally, I'd like one person for every tube station. Even better, one person to start at every tube station (which puts a lot of people out of the running for the actual record, I know, but makes for bigger stunt potential).

Co-ordination-wise, I've set up a site at mailspaces.com (http://tube.mailspaces.com) which has e-mail and wiki (to allow people to update where they are going to start, and to let me easily update the site).

So far, there is only me. I realise that it becomes a bit of a leap of faith to be the next person to put their name down, but frankly, I don't think I'm going to break any records of any description by myself!

Any help, gratefully appreciated. I have no doubt that once we get some people involved, we can get more. It's just that initial push that's always the hardest

All the best

Nigel

ncannings wrote:I think someone must have slipped something in my drink when I came up with this.

It's Comic Relief on 16th March, and I was looking for something unusual to do for it.

So I came up with the idea of trying to set a World record for the number of people completing the Tube Challenge on one day. I'm still waiting, after many weeks, for the Guinness people to confirm whether it will be official or not.

Anyhow, I'm only now starting to pull the thing together, and there's only a few weeks left.

I'm looking for volunteers, as you can imagine. Those of you who did Tube Relief set the bar high at 65 people. Ideally, I'd like one person for every tube station. Even better, one person to start at every tube station (which puts a lot of people out of the running for the actual record, I know, but makes for bigger stunt potential).

Co-ordination-wise, I've set up a site at mailspaces.com (http://tube.mailspaces.com) which has e-mail and wiki (to allow people to update where they are going to start, and to let me easily update the site).

So far, there is only me. I realise that it becomes a bit of a leap of faith to be the next person to put their name down, but frankly, I don't think I'm going to break any records of any description by myself!

Any help, gratefully appreciated. I have no doubt that once we get some people involved, we can get more. It's just that initial push that's always the hardest

All the best

Nigel

Hi Nigel,

Thanks for telling us about this.

I would point out, though, that 65 people did not 'complete' the Tube Challenge on Tube Relief day, as most did not get round (only about 6 or 7 IIRC). I think it would be very very difficult to get 274 (or 275) people to complete it in one day, as the idea of completing one when starting at, say Pimlico, would be one with which I think even Hakan would struggle.

I wish you the best of luck with this, although due to school commitments along with various other things I will not be able to take part.

Jonny

I too will have to sound cynical (sorry) and found that for Tube Relief, the amount of people (after a LOT of plugging) who said they'd do it was about eighty or so, and that then dropped to 65 - the number quoted - but even then, I think only 50-something actually finished it.

It's a mad idea .. amusing .. but I honestly don't think you'll get 274 people, and certainly won't get people willing to start at bizarre places at 5am in the morning.

Oh, and Guinness will never ever get back to you about this.

Hi Nigel...

This is a fascinating concept but you have several factors to consider....

1) You have the logistical problem of how to get a challenger to every starting station...

2) Assuming this is possible then at least 99% would have no chance of getting a GWR and it would be pointless in them taking witness statements, photos, train times etc..... A GWR attempt takes weeks of planning and research and is only feasible from a handful of starting stations...
I would also say that at least 90% would have no chance of getting around the entire network...

3) Time is very much against you, in fact you have 2 weeks from today and to be honest I think you will be doing well to get more than 10 particpants.... For example we did a challenge for Children in Need last year. There was a topic on here and a specific website set up several months in advance... I think we ended up with about 10 challengers...

4) My advice to you would be to put this on hold until next year to allow more time for planning and a possible re-think on strategy...
Perhaps groups of people starting from some of the more obvious stations such as; Amersham, Chesham, Heathrow....etc..

Also to get anything like the number of people you suggest you are going to need to get some media publicity...........


If you do decide to go ahead this year I wish you well and keep us informed

yeah... really nice idea, but you won't get 274 people or a response from guinness in 15 days. unless you get some kind of worldwide press release or something like that.

maybe something to try again in 2009? if you started work selling it ridiculously about half a year in advance and put loads of effort in, you'd probably get somewhere.

Thanks for your thoughts everyone

Guinness are supposed to get back in three days, if you pay them, which I did. Now almost three weeks later, nothing, which is one of the reasons I held off

And a staggering lack of interest from most media outlets, after dozens of phone calls

I suspect that it will be just me, tramping round the tube dressed like a large tomato. At least that way I can establish a "First Annual" status...

It's none of it helped by the fact that I now have to spend next week in the US (in less than glamourous circumstances), which makes life even less fun.

But I shall keep you posted on how it goes. On the day, I expect to be reporting "live" through the http://tube.mailspaces.com site, armed with my camera phone, and patchy connectivity!

Hi Nigel - I'd ask for your money back from Guinness if you've paid for their premium rate service, and not got back to you. Particularly as I'm not sure they'd be interested; I'm not sure that number of people making record attempts is a record in itself. (In fact, there are currently about 6 billion people making a simultaneous attempt at the 'worlds tallest person' record.)

Good luck with your own challenge though - where are you hoping to start and finish? Hope the connections go well + look forward to reading news of how it went afterwards.

tpfkar wrote:Hi Nigel - I'd ask for your money back from Guinness if you've paid for their premium rate service, and not got back to you. Particularly as I'm not sure they'd be interested; I'm not sure that number of people making record attempts is a record in itself. (In fact, there are currently about 6 billion people making a simultaneous attempt at the 'worlds tallest person' record.)

Good luck with your own challenge though - where are you hoping to start and finish? Hope the connections go well + look forward to reading news of how it went afterwards.

Well as per the link on original post (also below) it looks like Nigel is starting at Richmond, which is going to make for an interesting route and finishing station...

Anyone have any recommendations/suggestions where the best finish would be for a Richmond start

http://tube.mailspaces.com/knowledge/en ... ations-q-w

Going Underground wrote:Anyone have any recommendations/suggestions where the best finish would be for a Richmond start

Off the top of my head, I'd say it must be Morden...

hwolge wrote:

Going Underground wrote:Anyone have any recommendations/suggestions where the best finish would be for a Richmond start

Off the top of my head, I'd say it must be Morden...

So taking this into account that will negate the Wimbledon - Morden bus, tram, train connection....
Do you think it would be possible to get around the entire network with a route;
Richmond Morden....

Hrmm, sorry I got momentarily confused... I read Wimbledon, not Richmond! I'd say Richmond is a terrible start point and, no, I don't think a Richmond - Morden route is feasible!

I'd say Amersham!

hwolge wrote:Hrmm, sorry I got momentarily confused... I read Wimbledon, not Richmond! I'd say Richmond is a terrible start point and, no, I don't think a Richmond - Morden route is feasible!

I'd say Amersham!

I guess Epping might also be feasible with the later schedule now.....