The New York City "Subway Challenge" has become a highly competitive endeavor, with participants meticulously planning routes and pushing their physical limits to set a new Guinness World Record for visiting all of the city's subway stations. The subway system encompasses 472 stations across 665 miles of track and operates 24 hours a day, making the challenge a test of endurance and strategic thinking.
Kate Jones, a former New Yorker now residing in Switzerland, recently set the new record, completing the challenge in 22 hours, 14 minutes, and 10 seconds. Her accomplishment, certified by Guinness World Records in May 2023, involved providing witnesses, bodycam video, and time-stamped photos as evidence. Jones, a former performance artist, utilized the help of a Google software engineer friend to plan her optimal route, highlighting the blend of physical exertion and strategic computation required. She began her record-breaking journey on the A train at Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue and concluded on the 7 train in Queens.
Jones's achievement surpassed the previous record held by Matthew Ahn, a law professor who set and then re-broke his own record in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Ahn's records were established when the MTA system had three fewer stations than it does today. Another challenger, Daniel Wells, attempted to break the record, believing the previous one was set seven years prior, and was unaware of Jones's recent success. Wells, who meticulously planned his route and encountered unexpected delays and the need for on-the-fly adjustments, ultimately completed his attempt in 23 hours, 27 minutes, and 9 seconds, falling short of Jones's time.
The challenge involves strict Guinness World Record rules, such as taking a photo at each station, documenting the start and end of the trip on film, and having witnesses. Participants like Wells also track every transfer with video evidence and use stopwatches to monitor their overall time. The competitive nature of the challenge often requires participants to make quick decisions, like running between stops to save time, even if it doesn't always yield the desired results. Beyond New York, similar record attempts have been made in other cities, such as Joabe Barbosa's record-setting 8-hour, 58-minute, and 55-second visit to all of Chicago's transit stations, and attempts to visit all 98 D.C. Metro stops.
The record-breaking endeavors highlight not just the physical and mental demands, but also the detailed logistical planning involved, often including studying train schedules, transfer times, and adapting to unforeseen circumstances like train delays. The "Subway Challenge" has evolved over decades, with Guinness World Records recognizing the event for over 50 years, and it continues to attract new contenders seeking to push the boundaries of urban exploration and endurance.
