In Pursuit of Guinness Fame, Two Men Ride the Entire Boston Subway System in Record-Setting Time

Two intrepid commuters may have ridden the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) all the way into the Guinness World Records, according to The Boston Globe. On Friday, August 18, locals Alex Cox and Dominic DiLuzio visited every single stop in the city's subway system (more than 125 stations) in a little under 7.5 hours. The record they hope to snag—completing the journey in the fastest time possible— is both unofficial and brand-new, but the two hope to make it an official Guinness World Record category once they submit photos, videos, a log book, and other documentation.

DiLuzio conceived the stunt more than two years ago, after learning of another Beantown resident who completed the challenge in about 8 hours, simply for bragging rights. Cox, who works for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, was fair game for the project, so DiLuzio recruited him as a partner after submitting an application to Guinness.

On August 18, after months of planning, DiLuzio and Cox woke up bright and early to board a 5:24 a.m. Red Line train at Alewife Station. Amid much jostling, running, bladder-holding, and live-tweeting, the duo finished the entire Red Line in just 90 minutes, before tackling the Mattapan, Orange, Green, and Blue lines. During the final stretch of the trip, the record-seekers were joined by some MBTA officials, according to New England Cable News.

Right before 1 p.m., DiLuzio and Cox reached the Blue Line’s Wonderland stop, signaling the end of their journey. There, they celebrated the ride—which was reportedly around 15 minutes shorter than their predecessor's attempt—with friends, MBTA officials, and media.

“I think everything went incredibly smoothly. We didn’t have any major delays, any breakdowns,” Cox said, according to CBS Boston. "A couple of hiccups here and there, but we stuck exactly to our plan and I can’t believe we did it in the time that we did."

In a few months, DiLuzio and Cox will find out if their subway hustle scored them a Guinness Record, placing them among company like lawyer Matthew Ahn, who rode all 469 New York City subway stops in under 22 hours. In the meantime, the MBTA—which didn’t sponsor or help plan the effort—is cheering the duo on.

[h/t The Boston Globe]