Ahh, the London Underground. That loveable labyrinth of colourful lines and an outrageous amount of Clapham stations. There’s nothing quite like it, is there?
A lot of Londoners claim to know the tube map like the back of their hand, always keen to show off their knowledge, and look in-the-know to their out-of-town friends by dipping down shortcuts and hidden routes. But did you know that there’s an actual competition to see who can traverse the entire London Underground network (and every single station within it) the fastest?
The London Tube Challenge is a mission of efficiency, endurance, and endlessly hoping that you don’t get held at a red signal. So, don your speedy-pants, folks, it’s time to race across the world city.
What is the London Tube Challenge?
In a nutshell, the London Tube Challenge is a competition to visit every single London Underground station in the fastest possible time. The first recorded attempt took place in 1959, and the challenge has been tracked as an official Guinness World Record since 1960.
The challenge has changed and evolved since the first attempt was made, but the aim of the game has remained the same at its core: visit every tube station, and do it as quickly as you possibly can. It’s a task of skill, speed, scrupulous planning, and – let’s be honest – sheer luck.
In the early days of the Tube Challenge, contenders were allowed to use private forms of transport to reach the stations, but Guinness changed the rules and banned any use of cars, bikes and other private transport modes. Participants can, however, travel on foot and on any other forms of public transport. Challengers do not have to travel across the Elizabeth Line, the DLR, or the London Overground (as these lines aren’t classified as part of the London Underground), and the goal is to visit every station, not necessarily every line.
The challenge began with 275 stations, but the East London Line was closed in 2007, removing seven stations from the challenge. In 2008, Wood Lane and Heathrow Terminal 5 stations opened, bumping the challenge number up to 270. And since the recent Northern Line extension, Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms are now included in the challenge, making the total number of stations challengers must visit 272. The train must stop at every station on the underground, but challengers don’t have to actually exit the train to tick the station off their list.
Who currently holds the record?
Well, I’m so glad you asked. In October 2023, eight school friends undertook the mighty task of the tube challenge. And only went and broke the world record, completing the challenge in 18 hours, 8 minutes, and 13 seconds.
Self-named the ‘Amersham Ambushers‘, the teenagers had already attempted (and failed) the challenge twice before, but changed their journey strategy and managed to smash the challenge out of the park, with almost two hours to spare at the end. Proof that if at first you don’t succeed; you should completely change your game plan. Oh, and try again, of course.
So, do you think you’ve got what it takes to complete the London Tube Challenge? On your marks, get set, GO.