A Fastest Known Time (FKT) is the speed record for a running, hiking or cycling route.[1] Unlike most endurance sports competitions such as marathon world records, FKTs are self-organized and done alone or in small groups.[2] FKTs are most popular on long trails suitable for thru-hiking or ultramarathon trail running such as the Appalachian Trail,[3] the Pennine Way,[4] and the John Muir Trail.[5]

History

Informal, unverified speed records have long existed on named trails, but the invention of handheld GPS devices, such as GPS watches or personal locator beacons, made it significantly easier and more reliable to collect and compare fastest times on a route even in the backcountry. The modern FKT movement has been cataloged on a tracking website, fastestknowntime.com, founded by outdoor enthusiasts Pete Bakwin and Buzz Burrell, who coined the term "FKT" in the year 2000.[4][6]

FKT popularity increased most recently due to trail races being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[4][7] While there is no governing body for certifying FKTs, the site acts as an informal arbiter, sometimes requiring additional certification like photographs and pre-announcing your intent to attempt a record.[5]

In March 2022, FastestKnownTime.com was sold to Outside Inc., the parent company of Outside magazine and other outdoor media companies.[8]

FKT categories

FastestKnownTime.com tracks records in three styles:[9]

  • "Unsupported" athletes must carry all of their supplies, except for water from naturally occurring sources.
  • "Self-supported" athletes are allowed any support that is equally available to all people. For example, sleeping at a hotel is allowed, but sleeping at a friend's house is not.
  • "Supported" athletes are allowed support of any kind except physical assistance in moving.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Alone In The Wild: Long-Distance Endurance Runs Gain Popularity During The Pandemic". NPR.org. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
  2. ↑ Wiederkehr, Anna (2020-07-20). "Canceled Races Aren't Stopping Endurance Athletes From Setting Wild New Records". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
  3. ↑ Jurek, Scott (2018-04-10). North: Finding My Way While Running the Appalachian Trail. Little, Brown. ISBN 978-0-316-43378-5.
  4. 1 2 3 "The race for the 'fastest known time'". Financial Times. March 3, 2021.
  5. 1 2 "A Real Adventure: Sorting Out All the F.K.T.s (Fastest Known Times)". The New York Times. August 8, 2015.
  6. ↑ "26 hours to race up Mt. Everest? It's part of a new running trend of 'Fastest Known Time.'". The Washington Post. October 21, 2017.
  7. ↑ "The Enduring Appeal of the Fastest Known Time", Outside, August 1, 2020
  8. ↑ "Outside Inc. Acquires Sports Database Fastest Known Time". Outside Online. 2022-03-16. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
  9. ↑ "FKT Guidelines". fastestknowntime.com. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
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