FKT: Christian Borg - Sandsjöbackaleden (Sweden) - 2020-10-11

Athletes
Route variation
out & back
Multi-sport
No
Gender category
Male
Style
Unsupported
Start date
Finish date
Total time
4h 55m 26s
GPS track(s)
Report

A fun run on wet trails on a typical rainy autumn day in Göteborg. 

Comments

Out of curiosity; to what extent is one allowed to deviate from the actual route and still claim the route FKT?

I see, from the above .gpx, that a ~800m shortcut is used when running south to north (https://imgur.com/Q07i1Dn). Nit-picking, maybe, but I want to understand what the rules are so I know what are appropriate shortcuts for the future. There are several places where it is quicker to deviate from the marked route and gain a hundred meter here, a hundred meter there.

In this case, in particular, the reported time is 4h 55m 26s, which is 4m 10s quicker than the previously reported FKT. Would the runner have held the same pace (7,58 min/km) and followed the route back (+800m), the end time would have been 5h 1m 30s (not a new FKT).

Good catch.  Technically, a runner should stick to the route.  If you leave the route, you should return to it where you went off course.  It does look like Christian went wrong for a ~800m section in one direction (just north of Svarttjarn).  The route he took there was about 100m shorter than then official trail, so would have saved him less than 1 min vs. running the official route.  For now I am FLAGGING Christian's FKT.  Erik's time stands as the "official" FKT, but people will likely want to know about Christian's slightly faster, though flawed, time.  Part of the FKT game is knowing the route.  Thanks!