NC Fastest Known Times (FKTs) - 2024

NC Fastest Known Times (FKTs) - 2024

Fastest Known Times (FKTs) have exploded in popularity in recent years. But how do we find FKT routes, and whether or not there is a women’s FKT set for a given route? I’ve compiled an updated FKT list for North Carolina, with a focus on women’s FKTs.

There’s been a lot of buzz in recent years about fastest known times — or FKTs, as the lingo goes. In 2020 when the pandemic shut down the world and cancelled races, runners sought out alternative adventures, including FKTs.

What Is an FKT?

I posted last year about Fastest Known Times with info on what they are, who can submit one, and how to find FKT routes. In short, a Fastest Known Time (FKT) is, as the name suggests, the known speed record for a given route. The emphasis here is known time: there may be faster times out there in the ether, but if no one reports the time, then no one knows that time.

Trail markers for the Mountains-to-Sea Trail - Neusiok Trail segment (FKT routes exist for both of these!)

Women Who FKT and FKTs in North Carolina

But while FKT attempts grew in popularity, the majority of recorded FKTs were set by men. In 2022. The Women Who FKT project aimed to inspire and empower women to create new FKT routes and submit new women’s FKTs to level the balance, and also diversify the field of FKT setters. The group had an impressive year in 2022, and continued to support and promote women’s FKTs in 2023.

(For more information on the Women Who FKT project, please check out Zoë Rom’s Trail Runner article “Women Who FKT”)

Yours truly after I finished my FKT of the Art Loeb Trail!

But shifting my gaze more locally, there are so many FKT opportunities in North Carolina and the surrounding area. I’ve personally set three FKTs (Art Loeb SOBO - though my record has since been broken, yay!; the 50 mile Raleigh Greenway Loop; and The Priest & Three Ridges as a mixed team), and they were all fantastic adventures!

I’ll go ahead and admit: I’m not a fast runner. I hemmed and hawed over whether or not I should post my first FKT (Art Loeb Trail). I knew from the Strava segments and various rumblings online that there were women who had done the route already faster than I ever could. But at the same time, the concept here is the fastest known time. If someone had a big accomplishment but didn’t share it, then it’s not known. And while I don’t want to do anything that takes away from or minimizes anyone else’s accomplishments, I also want to encourage and empower others to just get out there and do the big scary adventures. If there’s no bar, then why not just set it? I’ll readily admit that my times are breakable. But I suppose that’s the thing, right? To break something, you first have to know it’s there.

So here it is - the list of FKT routes in North Carolina!

I’ve updated the list from last year, which includes 14 new routes, and the women’s FKTs on all the NC routes went up from 26 to 44 - an increase from 35% of the routes to 50% of the routes with women’s FKTs! Plus there were several new women’s FKTs set on routes with existing women’s FKTs resulting in a total of 26 new women’s FKTs across all the NC routes in 2023. Huge congrats to all the women who set an FKT in 2023!

Year	Number of NC FKT Routes	Number of Women's FKTs	Percentage of Routes with of Women's FKTs
2023	74	26	35%
2024	88	44	50%

You can check out the updated list of NC FKTs below. Let’s see if we can continue to chip away at routes without FKTs, and set out on grand adventures (whether aiming for an FKT or not) on these classic routes!

Criticisms of FKTs

In the spirit of fair journalism, it’s worth noting a few fair criticisms of FKT attempts (plus my thoughts).

• “Why does everything have to be a competition?”

  • Who says this is a competition? This is a record and it is data. We can make this a collaborative project rather than a competition!

• “Why can’t you just slow down and enjoy it?”

  • Who says we’re not slow and/or we’re not enjoying it? If there are no records set yet, then go whatever pace you like! And if you’re going faster, have fun out there! Also…just because someone is adventuring in the outdoors one way doesn’t mean it should affect you. Hike your own hike, run your own run, and no matter how you’re out there adventuring responsibly, just have fun!

• “You’re exploiting the land/indigenous peoples” and/or “you’re propagating a colonialist mindset of ‘conquering’ the land”

  • These are fair criticisms, but I’d also challenge anyone who is attempting an FKT to do so in the spirit that honors the land and its peoples, and embark from a place of curiosity rather than conquest. Do it for the adventure, and do it for yourself. Heck, go do a route (even if it already has an FKT recorded) just for the sake of seeing someplace amazing. No matter what, do all things with love and respect, and I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful adventure.

What do you think? Did you set a new FKT in 2023? Are there any FKT routes you’ve done before (in all or in part)? Are there any that you want to do? (Psssst the Neusiok Trail doesn’t have a women’s FKT recorded, and I’ve done it point-to-point before! Who wants in on a running version of that adventure?) Plus there are so many good routes on this list, let’s go on an adventure! Drop a comment below on which route you’d love to explore!