Chicago Trio Sets Guinness Record Hitting All L Stops

“When I saw our plaque, I literally thought of the song ‘I’m on Top of the World’ by Imagine Dragons,” said Joabe Barbosa, 25, one of the record holders. “I felt like, ‘No one’s ever done this before. Me and two other people are the only people in the entire world who have done this.’”

The team included Barbosa, a psychology graduate student at Roosevelt University; his brother James Barbosa, 19, a Georgetown College student; and West Town resident Matthew Plese, 37, who runs a Catholic education website.

Trains broke down during their attempt amid the November weather chaos, but the group persevered through every L stop across the city’s eight rail lines.

The record-setting run was just the beginning for Barbosa. Two months later, he and Plese tackled Atlanta’s MARTA system with Roosevelt student Omar Yousaf, 20, whose parents live in Atlanta. That record awaits Guinness certification.

“Atlanta was a little bit shorter and a little bit more boring because it’s a smaller system — we didn’t do any running, so we did it in like three hours and something,” Barbosa said.

The group now eyes Denver and Los Angeles transit systems, with the ultimate goal of breaking New York’s record of 22 hours, 14 minutes and 10 seconds.

“That’s going to be tough — it’s going to be a very long commute,” Barbosa said.

Barbosa’s motivation stems from a 2024 hiking accident on New Hampshire’s Mount Washington, where he fell into a ravine during a sudden winter storm and sustained serious injuries.

“Going for world records makes life interesting rather than boring,” he said. “Sometimes I go to work and it’s mundane, but this makes me look forward to traveling and seeing new things and exploring the world.”

The psychology student pursues multiple Guinness records, including fastest half-marathon times wearing soccer gear with cleats and shin guards while holding a ball, running in slip-on sandals, and visiting all Monopoly board locations in London during a March trip.

Barbosa and Plese also work to counter Chicago’s safety reputation through their transit record and an ongoing project to run every city street — they’re 83 percent complete.

“I want to show people that you can go anywhere and feel safe — you can go to every station on the CTA and feel comfortable,” Barbosa said. “It’s a tangible way to showcase this beautiful city.”

The Chicago record may stand for years. State and Lake station construction continues until 2029, and Guinness rules require record-seekers to visit every station, even closed ones. Challengers would need to run to State and Lake on foot, adding significant time.

“Our record is probably going to hold until the Red Line extension,” Barbosa said. “There will be some new stations and our record will be null and void, so we’re going to have to do it again. We can’t not have the record.”