London Runderground: Jonny Davies Runs The Entire Tube Network In 11 Days

“Urgh, that was the longest tube journey ever.”

If you ever say that after a lengthy commute or delay-ridden ride on the London Underground, you aren’t alone.

But would it put things in perspective if you knew that one person’s tube journey spanned 572km across 11 lines and took 11 days? That’s quite some voyage for Jonny Davies, the one person in question who has just travelled the entire London Underground network – on two feet.

Run The Line

After weeks of tough training, on Thursday 7 September Jonny Davies finally set off on his ambitious Run The Line adventure. 

The challenge? To run the complete length of all 11 London Underground lines over 11 consecutive days, covering a mammoth distance of 572km and passing 272 stations along the way. Why? (Perhaps the most pressing question.) To raise funds for mental health charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) while accomplishing something extraordinary.

Jonny set out to run one tube line per day. While in theory this seems like the most logical approach, when put into action this made for some hefty periods on the road. (That said, the Waterloo and City line must have felt like a much-needed day off.) Here’s Jonny’s full tube timetable:

• Day 1: Northern – 70km
• Day 2: Circle – 31km
• Day 3: District – 72km
• Day 4: Victoria – 23km
• Day 5: Piccadilly – 84km
• Day 6: Hammersmith and City – 30km
• Day 7: Metropolitan – 80km
• Day 8: Bakerloo – 26km
• Day 9: Jubilee – 57km
• Day 10: Waterloo and City – 3km
• Day 11: Central – 92km 

(And before you ask, the Elizabeth line is not a tube line but a regular national railway line, sparing Jonny from another eye-watering 118km of running.)

Jonny reached his final destination, Oxford Circus, at the end of his biggest day of mileage on Sunday 17 September. 

We’ve come to appreciate that tubes don’t always reach the platform on time (or indeed at all), and many things can disrupt normal service. So, for Jonny to stick to his designated departure and arrival days – and, in short, cover the full length of all lines as per the agreed schedule – makes his journey all the more applaudable. 

Taking to social media to celebrate his achievement, Jonny said: “Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t do the things in life that you want to do. You are capable of so much more than you think you are capable of. Just go out and get it 🤝”

Keeping Calm Among The Chaos 

Running 572km in less than a fortnight is, of course, no mean feat. But let’s not forget the other obstacles Jonny faced along the way – the literal obstacles of tourists, taxis, Tuk Tuks and the general madness of London traffic. No roads were closed for Jonny during his urban ultrarunning endeavour – it was him versus all corners of a living, breathing megacity. 

Thankfully, though, Jonny did not complete his staggering challenge alone. Inspired by his charitable mission, other runners joined Jonny for many parts of his journey, with thousands of others supporting him from the roadside and online. 

What Jonny accomplished with Run The Line goes beyond the matter of distance covered (which, in itself, is incredible enough). He has raised vital funds for CALM, brought communities of London runners together and advocated the positive power of active travel.

What do you think of Jonny’s achievement? Have you ever run part of the London Underground network? Let us know in the comments.

_{Image credit: jikemedia/PA}