Tube fanatic races across all 272 London Underground stations in 19 hours to raise £2,500 for charity

A dedicated Tube fanatic has raced across all 272 London Underground stations in just 19 hours and 17 minutes – raising £2,500 for cancer charity along the way.

Daniel Keeble, 43, from Ipswich, Suffolk, took on the mammoth challenge on October 10, navigating the capital's sprawling rail network despite a series of frustrating delays threatening to derail his ambitious mission.

The account manager set off from Chesham at 5.16am before finally reaching Heathrow Terminal 5 at 12.30am the following day. Known as the Tube Challenge, the gruelling test requires participants to visit every active Underground station in a single continuous journey using public transport.

Daniel's impressive time fell short of the world record of 17 hours, 46 minutes and 48 seconds, set by Robin Otter and Thomas Sheat in August 2024. But he remains proud of his achievement – and is already plotting another attempt.

"I thought maybe if the stars align, I could do it in 17 hours," Daniel said. "But it soon became apparent things would have to go pretty well, which they don't always do on the Underground."

Months of meticulous planning and practice went into the attempt, with Daniel conducting time trials to work out how best to piece together his route. The journey hit trouble around 6pm when he reached High Barnet, only to watch his connecting bus pull away as he ran towards it. A 40-minute delay followed, with further disruption to another bus threatening to leave him stranded before the final leg to Heathrow.

Daniel feared he might miss the last train – until he reached Acton Town and discovered he had around 20 minutes to spare. The relief meant he even had time to grab something to eat and use the toilet before completing his marathon mission. His favourite stations include Baker Street, Notting Hill Gate and Canary Wharf, while King's Cross St Pancras proved a navigation nightmare because of its maze-like connections.

Daniel has raised £2,500 for Cancer Research UK after losing several relatives on his father's side of the family to cancer. "The donations have been spectacular and the support has blown me away," he said. Now, he is eyeing another attempt next year, potentially incorporating the Elizabeth line to make the challenge even tougher.

Support Daniel's fundraiser at: https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/24hour-tubechallenge-2026