If it wasn't for the FKT Route that Dave Stock created in 2018, we may never have made a "side trip" to Little Cayman. It turned out to be a grand adventure and we got to experience this remote sister island in addition to its the larger and more commercialized Grand Cayman. Maybe someday we will make it to Cayman Brac to complete the triple. Based on our research, the Little Cayman loop is currently the only Cayman Islands FKT on the site.
Check out our blog post for all of the details and more photos.
Debbie and I debated doing the route independently, but we are glad we stuck together and did it as a team. We had fun seeing the island (and the iguanas!) together.
This was a tough loop. It's dead flat and the combination of asphalt, gravel, and sand roads aren't difficult, but as Dave noted when he created and ran this route, the heat and humidity are off the charts. It's one thing to run a route like this when there are aid stations stocked with copious fluids and lots of ice, but when you carry your own stuff, another level of preparation is required. A slight headwind on the first leg heading east required some extra effort.
The island is really neat, so part of doing this FKT is the overall experience. We spent two nights. We flew in on a Wednesday afternoon. We did the run on Thursday morning, and we flew out on Friday morning.
As we described in our report, it was really hot and humid. We started the loop near where we stayed, so it was about a mile before Dave's start. Since it is a loop, you can start where you want. We opted to go counter-clockwise, like Dave. We saw on his .gpx that there was a little out and back on the eastern tip. Now that we did it, we assume he had friends and stopped for water because it is a private residence. We tried to reach him through social media channels (prior to our trip), but couldn't track him down. From the looks of his route, we weren't sure if he was headed to the ocean to cool off or if it was a nice viewpoint. It was likely for water at the residence, but we may never know. The detour was only a few hundred feet, so no big deal. Chances are, this route isn't going to turn into a "premier route" on the FKT site.
A few times, we went out and back to the ocean to splash water on our bodies, so if you look at our .gpx, that's what we were doing when we veered off of the main road.
We also stopped at the CCMI and that's probably a good option if you need water and you are passing by during the daytime.
It's warm nearly year round on Little Cayman and usually 24/7. I'm sure you can find a time when it's not quite as hot, but our trip came about because we had a conference to attend on Grand Cayman. This was an add-on adventure, and a very good one!