Op-Ed: Your Fastest Known Time is Missing the Point

If you’re unfamiliar with the acronym FKT, it stands for fastest known time. It’s a common pursuit in the outdoor industry, whether it be running, climbing, mountaineering or through-hiking, to complete a route faster than anyone else has ever recorded. I know this opinion piece will likely ruffle up a few FKT feathers, so I want to get my opinion straight in the first paragraph. I’m not saying FKTs are not athletic feats; of course, they are, but they also defeat the entire purpose of being out in nature. 

It’s no secret that spending time outside has a myriad of benefits for humans. The National Institute of Health attributes exposure to nature with improved cognitive function, brain activity, blood pressure, mental health, physical activity and sleep. Studies are showing a positive correlation between time spent in nature and increased physical activity and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. So if the benefits of being in nature increase the more time you spend outdoors, why would anyone’s goal be to spend as little time as possible completing an outdoor objective? 

I also want to be clear: I say all of this as an ultra runner myself. Last summer, I dedicated my entire off-season to ultra running and that’s where I developed this opinion on FKTs. I’ve toed the start line of multiple ultra trail races in my home state of Idaho and to be honest, I had way more fun on my training runs than I ever did on race days. While race day came down to a single goal of running as fast as possible, the training runs were always more about moving through nature with friends, regardless of how long it took. Actually, the more time on our feet, the better, so we purposely stopped for snacks and selfies. I learned to identify a handful of native wildflowers like Glacier Lillies and Blue Bells and I’ve come to recognize the distinct, prehistoric bugle of a Sandhill Crane. Other than my bloody toenails, I couldn’t tell you an observation from my race days. 

I question the validity of FKTs because I realized in my own running journey that when the goal became about time, or lack thereof, experience was the trade-off. The entire reason for being out in nature has been lost to an arbitrary bragging right that reeks of white colonialism and the notion that mountains and nature exist to be conquered by man. There’s no time to stop and catch your breath in pursuit of an FKT, let alone to smell the wildflowers, recognize a birdsong, or cherish the way a summer breeze dances through your sweat-soaked t-shirt on a hot afternoon. FKTs are often single-minded objectives that leave much to be desired in how humans interact with the natural world around them. 

FKTs have become so popular, and brands have latched on to the form of athletic achievement, because it’s easily digestible. You either break and set a new record, or you don’t. As FKTs have become a viable source of sponsorship, especially for trail runners, over the last two decades, the ethical line regarding athletes' respect for nature and others' experiences has become increasingly blurred.

In 2024, professional trail runner Michelino Sunseri became the poster child of FKT controversy. An athlete for The North Face at the time, Sunseri was stripped of his FKT title just days after his attempt on the Grand Teton for illegally cutting a switchback on his descent. He was later charged with a misdemeanor by a Wyoming judge for violating National Park Service regulations by not staying on the designated trail, which can cause erosion.

Sunseri was later pardoned by President Trump in November of 2025, but the damage to the athlete’s reputation, as well as to the FKT community as a whole, had already been done. Sunseri claims that the closed trail he used on his Grand Teton FKT attempt had been used by other FKT record holders in the past, which isn’t false. World-renowned runner Killian Jornet’s Grand Teton FKT in 2012 remains controversial for the same trail-cutting reason.

But the argument that a fault shouldn’t be considered as serious because others have done it before is weak. By that logic, every trail user could justify their misuse of and on public lands. Which makes me wonder how many other FKT athletes out there have made questionable decisions for the sake of an ego trip.

By all means, run your heart out, chase those time goals. I commend the mental and physical fortitude it takes to push yourself that hard. But I also ask that your integrity remain intact as your gumption to reach the literal or proverbial finish line wanes. Respect the trails and natural landscapes you travel through, no matter the speed at which you do it. Honor and recognize that nature does not exist for us to ‘conquer’ it and that we all have the equal right to enjoy our public lands. And for the love of all things natural, don’t let your personal goals kill the vibe for everyone else out there.