Since last month, the World Cup has enthralled audiences across the globe. Even people who are not normally football fans have become obsessed with it. We all know someone who stopped work in the middle of the day to watch a game between two countries, which they may or may not see on a map. (I never did this while working at GearJunkie.)
With the tournament concluding last week, many of us now have a soccer ball-sized void in our lives. The best way to fill it, and my next big passion, is to watch elite athletes move forward Fastest Known Times (FKTs). I am not a runner, and I will never attempt to set a record in long distance running. And yet, I have become deeply invested in the human drama of FKT.
Luckily for those missing the World Cup drama, a highly competitive FKT attempt is going on right now on the Pacific Crest Trail.
How I got into FKT
GearJunkie covers FKTs frequently. I’ve written several articles about athletes setting records on major routes like the John Muir Trail or the Appalachian Trail (AT). These athletes usually have some type of tracker or device that provides live online updates not only to their team, but to the public as well.
Like any good journalist, when someone is following a major FKT, I frequently check and monitor their tracker. If they break the record, I can break the news immediately.
how to get along
The best resource to stay informed about all the news in the world of high-stakes trail running is the website fastest known time. There is a section dedicated to progressing FKTs on its homepage. Click “Track their progress” and then click on the athlete’s tracking site to follow them.
For the past few weeks, I have been Keep an eye on Aurelien Sanchez As he attempts to become the fastest person to complete the entire 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) with support. The record he’s trying to break? Fast fast of 46 days, 12 hours and 50 minutes prescribed by Karel Sabbe 2023.
Initially, I checked Sanchez’s tracker from time to time, but then I quickly became engrossed in the drama of it all. The online tracker shows the athlete’s location compared to the FKT record they are trying to break.
Sanchez has consistently messed with Sabbe’s records. One day, he’s just half an hour behind. Next, he is 6 hours ahead. A few days later, and he was a little behind the pace again. Two different colored dots dance back and forth continuously. It’s a close race to say the least, but there’s really only one athlete on the track.
As Sanchez approaches the finale, this is really turning into a nail biter. The 2,650-mile race is coming down to just the last few miles. He’s 95% of the way, and he’s barely in the lead. Whether he can break it or not, I’ll take care.
And imagine all the effort and work it took to get to this point. Sanchez covered a path in 45 days that takes most people 6 months. The stakes are high: How sad would it be for Sanchez to get so close to the FKT and then fall at the last hurdle? It’s the natural drama of the final lap of the 10,000-meter race at the Olympics, but then it’s multiplied.
It’s also interactive
Unlike other games, people at home can actually join in on the action. When? Will Peterson After joining AT FKT in April, he regularly posted updates on his Instagram. He shared his ups and downs (including a severe stomach bug infection that left him immobile for days).
When he posted that he had to quit his job, you could feel the burden of failure weighing heavily on him. Social media allows FKT athletes to truly share the struggle and fight their efforts. Even if you’re not a runner like me, her expression of vulnerability and humanity still draws you in.
And there are already signs that these efforts are appealing to a broader public. Some tracking pages allow people to comment publicly and show their support for the athlete.
When Bob Stewart was in the middle of setting up an FKT on the Benton McKay Trail (a 290-mile route in the southeastern US), his update page It was full of encouraging comments. People left comments like, “Bob is getting closer to setting a time that will be hard to surpass. Hayes, he’s on a roll.” People from all over the world can come together to cheer on someone doing the almost impossible, which is exactly what sports is.
Many athletes use their FKT efforts to raise money for nonprofits and charities that are close to their hearts. After she was attacked during a routine run, Lizzie Fowler took on the FKT of the John Muir Trail, to raise money for organizations supporting survivors of domestic violence.
I know a lot of backpackers who scoff at the idea of an FKT. For them, the whole point is to enjoy being outside and being present in nature, not just trying to go faster. However, it’s hard to argue that an athlete is pursuing a goal much bigger than himself. Even if they fail – as Fowler did – they have still succeeded by raising thousands of dollars for important causes.
FKTs truly embody all the things we love about sports: they are a public test of personal will. They force athletes to delve into the depths of their mental and physical abilities to achieve something that is nearly impossible. They connect us to each other and can serve a larger social purpose. Until the next time the world comes together to kick a soccer ball around a pitch, I’ll be getting my fix from the world of FKT.
