TfL Tube: Group of 120 teenagers to walk length of the London Underground in one day

Teams of teenagers will set out to walk the entire length of the Tube network in one day.

Raising money for Lives Not Knives, 120 teenagers will split into 27 teams on Sunday (February 25) to visit all 272 London Underground stations - a total distance of almost 250 miles.

The 'Tubeathon' is the brainchild of 17-year-old Eitan Okrent, a Year 13 student at Christ’s College in Finchley.

“No one has ever tried to walk the full length of the tube map in a day, and I’m sure it sounds a bit crazy,” he said. “But I’ve always been somewhat obsessed with the London Underground.

“Last year, I tried to beat the world record for the quickest time to visit every London Underground station. I completed it in 19 hours, missing out on the world record – though we managed to raise £1,400 for Homeless Action in Barnet.”

It is estimated that the Tubeathon will take a combined 85 hours to complete.

All participants will be sponsored, and the money raised will go to support Lives Not Knives, a charity working to prevent knife crime, serious youth violence and school exclusions.

Eitan advertised the Tubeathon among people he knew until he had recruited 120 participants.

“Once I had all these people signed up, I began to plan out all the routes. I had to make sure that each one could be done in one day, and that the routes covered all of the stations at least once," he said.

“The Tube covers so much of London, which means that participants will be seeing areas of London they may never have been to before or, better yet, will have only seen underground.”

Once the teams have completed their walk, a celebration be will hosted by Christ's College and sponsored by local businesses.

Paul Bogle, education hub project manager at Lives Not Knives, said: “We at Lives Not Knives are absolutely thrilled to share this inspiring initiative. The Tubeathon is a one-of-a-kind event, and participants’ enthusiasm and commitment to making a positive impact is truly commendable.

“This youth-led challenge reflects the power and potential of young individuals in our community. Their support enables us to continue our work, from after-school clubs to mentoring programmes and workshops, all aimed at positively impacting young lives.

“To Eitan and the participants: you are not just walking the distance; you are paving the way for a brighter future for many young people.”