Longest distance travelled by train in 24 hours-world
record set by Corey Pedersen and Mike Kim
TOKYO, Japan -- Corey Pedersen
, a 24-year-old
Montana native now living in Seoul and his traveling partner,
23-year-old Mike Kim
from California, had traveled
for for 23 hours and 55 minutes, covering a total distance
of 1,803 miles (2,901.4 km) and setting the world record for
the Longest
distance travelled by train in 24 hours
. 
Photo: Americans Corey Pedersen (left)
and Mike Kim prepare to board a bullet train bound for Hakata,
Fukuoka Prefecture, at Tokyo Station on their way to breaking
the world record for greatest distance traveled by train in
24 hours. / YOSHIAKI MIURA PHOTO ( enlarge
photo
)
"It feels good," said 24-year-old Corey Pedersen,
after he stepped off the Limited Express Relay Tsubame that
delivered him and his traveling partner, 23-year-old Mike
Kim from California, to Sendai, Kagoshima Prefecture.
They broke the original record by 36.6 miles
set in 1992.
World Records regulations do not allow backtracking,
and all trains used must be open to the public.
After investigating locomotives in China,
Europe and the United States ("way too slow"), Corey Pedersen
realized that it would be possible to break the record in
Japan — and the use of a JR rail pass would put the total
cost at a not inconceivable $600.
Pedersen and Kim's journey started in
Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, when they boarded the 9:32
p.m. Limited Express Nihonkai for an overnight ride north
to Aomori.
From there they rode an express to Hachinohe,
Aomori Prefecture, then connected to a shinkansen for Tokyo.
After a 20-minute layover in the capital,
where Kim stocked up on bottled water, they boarded another
bullet train for Hakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, and the connection
to the Tsubame train.
For most of the trains they were able
to use JR Rail Passes, meaning their total outlay on train
tickets was limited to ¥65,000. 
Photo: Corey Pederson (left) and Mike Kim
disembark in Tokyo (top), the halfway point in their attempt
to break the Guinness world record for the furthest distance
traveled by train in 24 hours, and displaying their overworked
JR rail passes (above) / YOSHIAKI MIURA PHOTO - enlarge
photo
"Every train departed exactly on time and
arrived on time. I'd heard Japanese trains were so punctual
you could set your watch to them. That's why I chose to attempt
the record here," said Pedersen, who had wanted to break a
world record for about three years and had the train mark
in his sights for around a year.
Still, breaking the record proved more difficult
than expected. A similar previous attempt was frustrated when
torrential rain near Nagoya caused the train they were riding
on to stop for about 1 1/2 hours.
"This time there were just a few drops
of rain. We were much more relaxed," Pedersen said.
Did they go through any physical training
for this?
"We'd practice sitting up straight on the subways
in Seoul — feet on the floor, good posture," Kim laughed.
"Running between trains gets the blood circulating," added
Pedersen.
A spokesman for East Japan Railway Co
.,
which operates some of the trains used in the record, said
the carrier does not generally receive reports of such records
and they were not aware of this particular attempt.
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Most
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Longest
wheelbarrow journey-world record set by David Baird
Fastest
team travel to the South Pole-team impossible2Possible
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world record
Fastest
journey to the South Pole-world record set by Todd Carmichael
Wednesday,
February 18, 2009
