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The 21st Annual
Negative Time Solving Contest

Tentative results for 2024 are in! Congratulations to Louis de Mendonça for placing first in 3x3x3 with -59min, 51.17sec.

Negative Time is your yearly chance to solve a cube in negative time as Daylight Saving Time (DST) ends and time falls back one hour. Negative Time falls in autumn, although the date varies greatly based on where you are:

Europe¹ Oct. 27, 2024 RSVP on Facebook
North America¹ Nov. 3, 2024 RSVP on Facebook
Elsewhere Check timeanddate.com

¹ Most locations (if observing Daylight Savings).

See timeanddate.com to check the clock change schedule in your area, and the time.is for the exact current time.

🔗 The Contest

The contest has taken place every year since 2004. This challenge statement by then-Caltech undergrad Tyson Mao explains its origin:

There is only one day of the year where one can leave the drudgery of Caltech academic life and sprint off for a chili burger, chili dog, and chili fries in a timely manner. A very timely manner indeed... so timely that one can actually return before he departs.

This is the way of the Negative-Time Tommy's run. On one day of the year, a little bit before the first 2 AM, Caltech students hop in their cars and make a dash for the original Tommy's in Beverly Hills for some items with a lot of chili. The goal is to simply return before you left…

I challenge all of you to take part in the negative time solving tradition. We will have a website with the one, yes only ONE scramble which you will use for this entire year…

See Macky's site for information about previous negative time contests.

🔗 The Rules

By submitting your time(s), you indicate that you are following these rules:

In addition:

🔗 Scramble for 3×3×3

The 3x3x3 scramble for 2024 is below. This is the only Negative Time Solving 3x3x3 speedsolve scramble for 2024. Do not use it before the real attempt:

🔗 Scrambles for other events

Scrambles for 2024 for all WCA events, as well as FTO, Kilominx, Master Tetraminx, and Redi Cube, are this ZIP file, and you can also view the scramble for a given event below. For any other challenges, use your own scrambles.

🔗 Results

Please submit your results for 2024 using this link:

Come back after November 2024 to see everyone's results. Past results are at: