Rules of the Zone 1 Challenge Cup

Last updated: 12th May 2024

Stations to be visited:

General rules:

1. The aim is to visit all 67 London Underground stations that form Oyster card zone 1 in the fastest time. **See also Station Specific Rules below.
2. To "visit" a station means to arrive at or depart from (or both) all 67 Zone 1 stations on a LU train. You are NOT required to get off at every station but you can of course alight at any station to change lines or transfer to a nearby station. If a station is temporarily closed (to ALL lines at that station) for any reason e.g. security alert, rebuilding etc. then a "pass through" of the station is accepted. **See also Station Specific Rules below.
3. Transfers between stations must only be undertaken on scheduled, timetabled public transport (i.e. bus or NR trains) or on foot. The use of private transport such as cars, bicycles, taxis or roller skates are not permitted.
4. Challengers may compete in the zone 1 challenge as an individual (solo) or in small teams up to 5 people. Each team must be required to think of a team name for themselves- there will be a best team name prize, so the wittier the better.
5. All challengers are requested to be at the specified meeting point by 12:15 on the day of the challenge. A starting station will then be drawn at random (from all 67 Z1 stations) excluding those stations that have been start stations in previous years*.
6. The challenge will begin at the station that was picked out at random on the first train AFTER 13:00:00 hours. When I officially start the challenge you MUST take the FIRST train in your chosen direction of travel (to your first interchange). If a second train is described on the board going to the same destination as your team, you cannot wait for it and take that instead. **See also Station Specific Rules below.
7. Your time starts when the doors are firmly locked closed on the first train you board at the start station and the challenge ends when the first member of your team physically sets foot on the platform at your finishing station. Timings must be noted down in hours, minutes and seconds. Your stopwatch must be continuously counting throughout the challenge. You have four hours to complete the challenge.
8. In order to verify your attempt, challengers are requested to mainitain a journey log of thier challenge. This should contain start and finish stations, your route and interchange stations with arrival and/or departure times as appropriate. The logging of arrival and departure time at every intermediate station is not required (but can do so if you wish).
9. Once you have started your stopwatch and departed you may NOT return to the start and reset the stopwatch. Should two or more teams start and finish on the same trains (at the same station) they are ranked equal regardless of the exact measured time.
10. If you finish by running/transferring to or departing from your last required station, or if your last required station is temporarily closed (pass through), you must keep the stopwatch going until you arrive at the NEXT station in any direction. If you are still going after 4 hours since the start of the challenge, stop your timing at the next station and count up how many stations you visited up to that point then head direct to the post challenge meeting venue.
11. This is only a bit of fun, thus getting train numbers and/or photographic evidence is not required (though you may do so if you wish). This is not the official Guinness World Record full network attempt!

*The list of start stations that have already been drawn out are: Vauxhall, St. James's Park, Sloane Square, Westminster, King's Cross, Angel, Waterloo, St. Paul's, Aldgate East, Regent's Park, Lancaster Gate, London Bridge, Edgware Road (Circle), Warren Street, Chancery Lane, Mansion House, Notting Hill Gate and Battersea Power Station.

Station specific rulings:

1. Paddington (Bishop's Road) [H&C/Circle lines] is separate from Paddington (Praed Street) [Bakerloo, Circle and District lines] and Edgware Road (Circle/District/H&C) is separate from Edgware Road (Bakerloo), all four of these stations must be visited individually.
2. In the event that a station has some line/s serving that station that are open for traffic and other line/s that are "passing through" non-stop then only a visit on the lines still stopping at that station will count. A pass through on the "closed" platforms will NOT be counted as a visit.
3. Should Baker Street be picked as a start station, teams wishing to travel clockwise on the Circle must try and catch the FIRST train out to their first interchange station (be it a Met or Circle) despite leaving from different platforms.
4. Should High Street Kensington be picked as a start station, teams wishing to travel to Earl's Court should board the FIRST train out (be it an Olympia or a Wimbledon train) despite these leaving from different platforms.
5. This also means e.g. for a Farringdon start, a team may decide to wait (say) for an eastbound Hammersmith & City train (for Aldgate East), a clockwise Circle for travel beyond Aldgate, a Circle or Met to Aldgate or otherwise must take the first train towards Liverpool Street. Therefore a team MUST NOT wait for the correct sequence (like H&C-Met-Circle and expect to make the Aldgate run to catch that Circle train!)

General Advice:

1. Although this is a race against time and I know you want to do your best but please be vigilant when doing inter-station runs along corridors and escalators, other members of the public may not be as easy on their feet or know the Underground as well as we do!
2. Please do not hold the train doors open for an excessive amount of time, if your team mates are too far behind, let the train go and wait for them to catch up.
3. Challengers are respectfully reminded not to discuss their route to other teams until the official results have been announced.
4. By entering yourself into the Zone 1 Challenge Cup you abide by these rules. To cover the costs incurred for hosting this event there will be £2.00 fare payable to the Organiser. Any disputes will be dealt with by the Organiser whose decision is final.

Any questions or clarifications? If so, please email the webmaster via email.
Tangy (Organiser).