Walk exactly one furlong in exactly 10 minutes was a task featured on Series 18 of Taskmaster, as the second task in The cockle children. The task was won by Babátúndé Aléshé.
Setup[]
| Location | Taskmaster House |
|---|---|
| Equipment | Top hat with pedometer |
| Measurement | Closest to a furlong and 10 minutes |
Summary[]
The task was presented on a plinth next to a top hat. The contestants had to walk exactly one furlong as close to 10 minutes as possible whilst wearing the top hat, which has a pedometer attached to it. Throughout the task they were not allowed to use technology, but could use their phones to make three phone calls that are up to five seconds long. A furlong is 220 yards or approximately 201 metres.
Performance[]
Andy Zaltzman: Andy used his cricket knowledge to compare a furlong with 10 cricket runs, and so he created a make-shift cricket pitch in the garden and did 9 runs of it, hoping the distance he walked beforehand would make up the tenth. He walked 167 yards and 8 minutes and 45 seconds, receiving 4 points.
Babátúndé Aléshé: Baba tried to call other comedians, including Mo Gilligan. Eventually he was told how long a furlong was, and walked back and forth on the stage until he felt he walked the right amount. He walked 243 yards in 9 minutes and 57 seconds, receiving 5 points.
Emma Sidi: Emma called her mother, who estimated it was eight miles (instead of one-eighth of a mile), which Emma rebuked. So she instead walked a distance she thought was right. She, however, used her watch to measure 10 minutes, which she did incorrectly. She walked 262 yards in exactly 11 minutes, receiving 3 points.
Jack Dee: Jack tried calling his agent but she didn't answer so he instead called his son Miles. After three calls, Miles phoned him back and was allowed to be longer than 5 seconds as Jack wasn't the one phoning him. Miles told Jack how long a furlong was roughly and Jack walked accordingly without measuring his steps. He walked 180 yards in 8 minutes and 10 seconds, receiving 2 points.
Rosie Jones: Rosie didn't know what a furlong was, but figured there was a connection with it and horses. So she did what she called a "good horsey gallop" and counted seconds out loud in the middle of the garden. She was 24 steps ("about one furlong less than a furlong") in 10 minutes 25 seconds, receiving 1 point.
Trivia[]
Controversies[]
- Both Emma and Jack used technology during their attempts: Emma using her watch and Jack answering his son's call, however neither were disqualified.