tubechallenge.com

My route - 8:35.50

CANONS PARK - WEMBLEY PARK - MOOR PARK - NORTHWICK PARK - Kenton - STONEBRIDGE PARK - QUEENS PARK - KILBURN PARK - bus - WESTBOURNE PARK - Ladbroke Grove - bus - HOLLAND PARK - Hangar Lane - PARK ROYAL - CHISWICK PARK - RAVENCOURT PARK - Earls Court - WIMBLEDON PARK - Wimbledon - Clapham Junction - Victoria - ST JAMES'S PARK - GREEN PARK - bus - HYDE PARK CORNER - Oxford Circus - REGENTS PARK - run - WARREN STREET - BELSIZE PARK - Camden Town - TUFNELL PARK - WOODSIDE PARK - Totteridge & Whetstone - bus - Arnos Grove - FINSBURY PARK - Blackhorse Road - Leytonstone High Road - run - LEYTONSTONE - NEWBURY PARK - bus - Romford - bus - ELM PARK - UPTON PARK.

No real disasters, but this was my first attempt at the park challenge and reveals that better planning is required on my part.

Really fun in the end. I love it when it turns into cat and mouse, one competitor gets ahead and then everyone else catches them in the end. Bad luck to Steeevooo who was in front numerous times and never behind, except the three second difference in Stopwatch timing at the very end.

Ridiculousness at Westbourne Park with a 13 minute wait, and at Upton Park with at least an 8 minute wait.

really fun hearing about all the schoolboy errors, I think every single competitor made some sort of mistake!

Canons Park (snap), Wembley Park (snap), Northwick Park (snap), Moor Park (snap, thanks greatkingrat for the door hold!), Northwick Park, run to Kenton, Stonebridge Park (snap) Queen's Park (snap, back on same train), Kilburn Park (snap), bus to Westbourne Park (snap)(via a diversion, a bit slow), Wait 13 minutes, Ladbroke Grove, waited for bus to Holland Park (snap), Hanger Lane, run to Park Royal (snap), Acton Town, Chiswick Park (snap), run to Turnham Green (made it, yes!), Ravenscourt Park (snap), Earls Court, Wimbledon Park (snap), Earls Court, Hyde Park Korner (snap), run to Green Park (snap), Victoria, St James's Park (snap), Embankment, Regent's Park (snap), bus to Warren Street, Belsize Park (snap), Camden Town, Woodside Park (snap), Tufnell Park (snap), bus to Finsbury Park (snap), Highbury and Islington, LO to Stratford, Newbury Park (snap), Stratford, West Ham, Upton Park (snap), Elm Park (snap).

Stopwatch failed, had been stopped for about 13 minutes when I checked at one point. So, my best estimate of a time was 7:42:48, as I was overcautious once again taking my first photograph.

Here is my route, and my entry for the longest daily Oyster history competition

I have no idea why the balance randomly swaps between £10.90 and £18.00?

I would hate to see my Oyster history, considering the amount of interchanges I did!

The results of the 2013 Park Challenge are as follows:

1. Kevin Brown: 07:41:24 finishing at Elm Park
2. Steve Wilson: 07:41:26 finishing at Elm Park
3. Peter Smyth: 07:41:31 finishing at Elm Park
4. Andi James: 07:42:16 finishing at Elm Park
5. Andrew Chilcraft: 07:42:48 finishing at Elm Park **estimated timing**
6. Tangy: 08:23:48 finishing at Wimbledon Park
7. Andrew Baker: 08:25:50 finishing at Upton Park

The top 5 challengers all started and finished on the same trains as each other, the difference in times refers to when each individual challenger started their stopwatch outside of the first station before getting the train.

greatkingrat wrote: I have no idea why the balance randomly swaps between £10.90 and £18.00?

Could try asking MikeWH on RailUK

tangy wrote: The top 5 challengers all started and finished on the same trains as each other, the difference in times refers to when each individual challenger started their stopwatch outside of the first station before getting the train.

It's not how you finish, it's how you start

greatkingrat wrote:I have no idea why the balance randomly swaps between £10.90 and £18.00?

Looks like you get provisionally charged £7.10 when you fail to touch in/out.