{"id":376134,"date":"2025-11-13T14:47:34","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T14:47:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/376134\/"},"modified":"2025-11-13T14:47:34","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T14:47:34","slug":"3-friends-visit-every-cta-l-stop-in-9-hours-in-effort-to-set-guinness-world-record","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/376134\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Friends Visit Every\u00a0 CTA ‘L’ Stop In 9 Hours In Effort To Set Guinness World Record"},"content":{"rendered":"

CHICAGO \u2014 At 6:05 a.m. Monday, Wilmette\u2019s surprisingly desolate Linden \u201cL\u201d station held just a few people: stragglers blearily walking to their trains, a CTA worker leaning against the wall \u2014 and three enthusiastic people heading out to set a Guinness World Record.<\/p>\n

That record entailed visiting all 146 CTA train stations in less than 9 hours and 15 minutes, from the North Shore to Midway to the Loop to O\u2019Hare and all points in between, via trains, buses and running more than 4 miles between stops. The record would require the trio to get off the train and take a selfie at every \u201cL\u201d stop.<\/p>\n

The three record-seekers were optimistic, but the unseasonably early snowstorm didn\u2019t help their cause. The group was made up of West Town resident Matthew Plese, 37, who heads a Catholic education website; Joabe Barbosa, 25, a psychology grad student at Roosevelt University; and his brother James Barbosa, 19, a second-year student at Georgetown College in Kentucky, who kept time and records during the attempt.<\/p>\n

As with most world record attempts, this effort begs a singular question: Why?<\/p>\n

For starters, they want to get the word out about Chicago and combat the lazy stereotypes of it as a dangerous, impassable city, Plese said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe think Chicago is one of the best places in the whole world, and we want more people to come here and understand how easy it is to get around,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s about showing people that you can go to Little India on the North Side, Little Village on the Southwest Side and anywhere in between on the CTA.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"On Monday, Nov. 10, a team of 3 people \u2014 James Barbosa, Matthew Plese and Joabe Barbosa \u2014 attempted to set a new Guinness World Record for the fastest time to visit every station on the CTA \u2018L\u2019 train system. Credit: Victor Hilitski\/Block Club Chicago<\/p>\n

And the 9 hour, 15-minute deadline? \u201cThat\u2019s the figure Guinness gave us,\u201d Joabe Barbosa said with a shrug.<\/p>\n

Surrounded by a few friends and helpers \u2014 one of whom responded to a volunteer request on Instagram \u2014 the three stepped under the Linden station\u2019s fluorescent light.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m nervous because I don\u2019t have control here \u2014 I run marathons, and that\u2019s in my control,\u201d Barbosa said. \u201cBut here, I don\u2019t have that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a very anxious guy,\u201d James Barbosa chimed in.<\/p>\n

Then, with everything else set, the three coordinated their stopwatches, adjusted their backpacks stuffed with ham-and-cheese sandwiches and energy drinks and \u2014 most importantly \u2014 tied their Chicago flags around their necks.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got to represent!\u201d Joabe Barbosa said.<\/p>\n

At 7:22 a.m., they set off running to get onto the train, their capes trailing behind them.<\/p>\n

\"\"On Monday, Nov 10, a team of 3 people \u2014 James Barbosa, Matthew Plese, and Joabe Barbosa \u2014 attempted to set a new Guinness World Record for the fastest time to visit every station on the CTA \u201cL\u201d system. Credit: Victor Hilitski\/Block Club Chicago<\/p>\n

A Dream Realized<\/p>\n

The initial idea for the world-record odyssey sprang from a dream the older Barbosa had in September, when he dreamt that he and running partner Plese ran to all of Chicago\u2019s 77 community areas.<\/p>\n

Joabe Barbosa told Plese about his dream the next morning, and Plese asked, \u201c\u2018What about the CTA? Why don\u2019t we run to every CTA station?\u2019\u201d Joabe Barbosa recalled. \u201cAnd we were like, \u2018Well, what the hell \u2014 that would be difficult. Let\u2019s do it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Similar records have been established in New York<\/a> and London<\/a>, which is one of the main reasons Plese wanted to accomplish it in Chicago.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they can do it there, why not here?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

But this being an official world record attempt, the process must be meticulously documented to meet the notoriously strict Guinness standards. Records must include:<\/p>\n