Too Many FKTs

For years Fastest Known Times (FKTs) held weight and was of the utmost significance in the endurance community. However, with the open nature of the route submissions there are simply too many FKTs. As a result of this, the premier FKTs that we hold near and dear to our hearts are being watered down. So this week my hiker box hot take is that FKT needs to whittle down its database of routes.

There are currently over 6,000 FKTs tracked on the website. These need to be trimmed back to let the great routes shine through. I would be willing to bet 75% of these routes have only a singular attempt on them. It seems like the acceptance decision is at the hands of FKT’s regional editors. I would suggest these individuals stop accepting uninspiring routes. Just because it is there, doesn’t mean it gets to be on the website.

Part of the blame might fall onto Outside. It seems as though their purchase of the FKT platform has fizzled out into an uninspired and questionable existence. We were promised a lot more from this takeover but it seems the inspiration (and money) has made a quick detour. I’m not even sure what Outside had to offer the FKT community in the first place.

I wouldn’t be typing up a harsh critique without providing some brilliant solutions. The numbers of FKTs per region need to be capped. After that only new routes can be accepted as stale routes are cut out. I’m (not) sorry, but if you hold an FKT with only one attempt on it and zero hype around it, that FKT should not be included on the website. The FKT page should be reserved for nationally competitive and highly regarded routes. I would suggest local running stores be the keepers of locally hot routes and times. The other solution for lower tier routes would be to use a Strava segment for record keeping.

The Fastest Known Time records and traditions have existed for long enough that it needs to enter a new phase of development. Keep the mystique and hype of our most competitive routes and ditch the elementary routes. Do you have any thoughts about how to improve FKTs? Leave a comment below and let me know!