Urban runners from Washington to Hong Kong have started their own speed training fad that requires racing rail transport.
Remember James Hepstonstall, the infamous tube-dasher who raced the London underground from one stop to the next last summer? Turns out he’s no longer the only train commuter to successfully attempt the feat. His viral Youtube video with over 5 million views has inspired an unofficial “Race the Tube” challenge that subway commuters across the globe are attempting and documenting. Although it’s hard to compare speed and level of difficulty with each city’s subway line, the goal is simply to sprint from one stop to the next in a brief window of time (or before the train door shuts in your face). This could be the next ultimate urban obstacle race.
Washington, D.C.
According to Dcist.com, Alison Meek spent her 28th birthday racing the Washington, D.C., metro, exiting Federal Triangle station and then dashing across the National Mall to catch the train at Smithsonian station. However, she wasn’t quite successful as led to believe. Meek had boarded the following train and not the original train she had departed from at Triangle station.
Budapest
A man from Budapest, Hungary, fails the attempt once by one second, but succeeds a second time. His route is 27 meters and 56 steps longer than the Londoner’s route with only an extra 18 seconds to catch his train. You do the math. Who is faster?
Hong Kong
If only this man from Hong Kong had arrived a second faster…
London
The idea for the challenge was even used to promote improved wheelchair access in London. A week later The Free Help Guy, an anonymous blogger that takes on projects helping people for free, produced a similar video of Anthony’s attempt in a wheelchair to race the London tube from Mansion House to Cannon Street.
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