Tube Olympics - DLR Challenge - 22nd July

[Soup Dragon]

UPDATE.....21st JULY 18:55......
The DLR Will now commence between 18:30 and 19:00
Start at whatever station you like and meet afterwards at the Capt Kidd in Wapping, I don't plan on staying there much later than 21:30-21:45 so if you are planning on coming please let me know.

Event 5 is happening next Tuesday, and will probably be the easiest event for winning medals with only myself and Tangy currently planning to enter. This challenge will incorporate DLR 21, which is the annual DLR birthday celebration. Same rules to apply as last year....
You can start at whichever station you like but must depart in the window between 19:00 and 19:30. After the event we will probably head for the Capt. Kidd in Wapping but will confirm this on Monday.

[Starkey7]

This is the challenge that everyone's denying all knowledge of but the one that everyone's attending in secret.

[tubeguru]

If only two people are attending what happens to the bronze medal?

[Soup Dragon]

I'll award the bronze to Tubeguru in that case

[tubeguru]

Sounds like a plan to me.

[Soup Dragon]

Please see update above.... The DLR is now moved to start between 18:30-19:00, there will be no meeting point before the challenge, you can start wherever you like. The meet afterwards is at the Capt. Kidd in Wapping. I don't plan on staying at the pub much later than 21:30-21:45 so if you plan to attend please let me know. Thanks Antony

[tubeguru]

Am I still on for the bronze medal?

[Soup Dragon]

Yes Neil, you are still on for bronze. Will you be venturing to the pub to claim your bronze? Actually it's a virtual medal (in form of certificate) as has been the case for all medals awarded so far.

[tubeguru]

Sadly, I won't be able to make it for the presentation ceremony but maybe you can post it to me ...

[palkanetoijala31]

why should neil get it i think a random drawing if not 3 teams turn up its just not fair.

[Soup Dragon]

I am confident that at least 20 people will now turn up to the DLR, just to avoid Neil getting a medal!

[Soup Dragon]

The results are in and due to a complete lack of apathy Neil Blake has won bronze. That will teach you all a lesson for being so lazy. You all missed a real treat because it was a lovely evening to be running around the DLR. My route was fantastic up to a point:

I departed Lewsham at 18:34:50.... already nearly 2 minutes up on schedule.
A nice cross platform at Island Gardens only took me 46 seconds.
At West India Quay I ran to Poplar and the train was on it's way in 2m9s.
Stratford DLR Jubilee in just 1m15s.
Canning Town Jubilee DLR in 58 seconds, this was for a Beckton train which is exactly what I needed!
Now's when the fun stopped, I arrived at Beckton and the train waiting to depart closed it's doors as soon as we stopped, there was no way I could get across platform, so I dashed outside to see a 474 just pulling away, I sprinted after it to the next bus stop but this was to no avail. Having arrived at Beckton at 19:29:44 it was annoying not to get away until 19:40:05 (had the previous train departed a minute late I'd have been laughing).
I got to Gallions Reach at 19:41:40 knowing the the KGV train was due to leave at 19:50.
I bust a gut to make the run, it was really painful and I did it with 30 seconds to spare, only to have the disappointment of a 3 minute wait for the train to arrive and then depart.
I eventually arrived at Bank in a time of 1h43m55s, good enough for GOLD and a new WORLD RECORD!!!

Results video is available on the Tube Olympics Channel and the updated medals table on Tube Olympics Website

[Root]

Neil's not on the medals table, I notice...

I've said this before, but I'll say it again: although the DLR is really nice, clean and efficient, and although you can get some great views by sitting at the front, the network is very simple and so there really aren't a lot of different routes, which leads to people getting bored easily. I've done it twice and I'm in no hurry to do it again.

Or maybe everyone was just saving themselves for the big one.

[Soup Dragon]

I think with the limited service last night there were several route options and within the DLR Challenge there are several gambles you can take (such as my run last night from West India Quay to Poplar). When both Bank & Tower Gateway are open you can gamble on going to Bank first and hope for a quick double back to Shadwell, also at Beckton you can try for the bus to KGV or double back to Gallions Reach. The run KGV to Gallions Reach can be done either way and depending on your running ability you can have anywhere between 7-15 minutes to make the connection.

The turnout was a bit poor last night, compared to 11 that did the DLR challenge last year, I think when Woolwich Arsenal opens and Tower Gateway reopens the challenge will become a lot more interesting and hopefully more people will do it.

[Soup Dragon]

Neil's not on the medals table, I notice...

Table updated....