We've been considering a change to the format of this year's Z1 challenge, and I want to give an opportunity to discuss it on here.
It's the 'finishing station' idea, which has been discussed before, particularly on <a href="http://www.tubechallenge.com/forum/view ... =202">this thread</a> and <a href="http://www.tubechallenge.com/forum/view ... =206">this thread.</a>
In detail, rather than drawing a starting station and finishing where we like, we would draw a finishing station and start where we like. We would synchronise watches together and head off to our chosen start station. (There would be ample time to get all the way across Zone 1 if desired) When the clock hits say 1pm, the challenge begins, and the timer is started. You can be on a train or a platform at this time, but you can only count a station as visited if the doors close after the timer begins. Visit all stations as before, and then race to the nominated station for the finish.
Some points to think about, I'll leave whether they are pros or cons up for discussion...you can argue most of them both ways!
1) Will there be a mass Vauxhall start? Or will people go for stations like Oxford Circus/Baker St where there are several lines within sight of each other so there is a very good chance of being away promptly at 1pm? A mass start before splitting different ways certainly seemed to work on Tube Relief. Should we ban Vauxhall as a start station?
2) Will it be more exciting racing to the finish point or will it spoil it because the winner will be clear? I don't think it will spoil it, as (unless the finishing station has multiple lines not in sight of each other) only the first two teams will know who the winner is. If everyone else keeps quiet until the official results, each finisher will have an idea of who is ahead of them, but not their order. Or we can tell people to head straight off to the pub after finishing. So just as before, everyone think's they've won until they arrive at the pub which is packed
3)Will the times be slower? Assuming that people can do their favourite routes backwards, the only delay will be in waiting for that first train at 1p.m. For record purposes, people could time when they actually departed their first station. And then moan about how well they would have done had there been that train at the start...
4)Is there a risk of cheating, with people jumping on a train before the 1pm start? Surely no greater than that of people saying that they finished a couple of minutes earlier than they did. And assuming that we don't have a guest appearance from ******** I trust everyone on this forum to be honest with their times.
5)There could be more draws between teams, as some could finish on the same train.
6)Should it be legal to arrive at your starting station by tube and then run out of it?
I like this idea myself, as I like the idea of a race to the finish, but I want to give people a space to add comments. I'd be grateful for discussion of the points above - or others I've missed - rather than just saying good idea or bad idea. I haven't included a poll as I don't want to give anyone any silly ideas about living in a democracy
but I'd be interested to hear what people think.Expect a formal launch with an opportunity to sign up for the event in the week following Easter.
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