FKTs, A Place to Set Your Own Records
Ultramarathon runner Michael Wardian visited Panama to face a new physical challenge: breaking the record for “fastest known time” running across Panama.
By Panorama de las Américas
Photos: Panorama de las Américas
Would you like to measure your abilities without submitting to the strict schedules of the major marathons? Now you can do it on your own, choosing your own route, within your own real goals, while still competing internationally with the greats.
That’s what Michael Wardian, an ultramarathoner who holds more than twenty records, did on May 1st when he ran across Panama with a single goal: to beat the published record in an ocean-to-ocean race. And he bested the previous record time by far.
The fastestknowntime.com platform encourages runners to break speed records. The worldwide routes are proposed by professional and amateur runners known as “FKTers” (Fastest Known Timers). Competitors announce and certify at the moment they exceed a published speed record for a route.
The rules are pretty easy: the route has to have a minimum number of kilometers or height; it has to be eye-catching; and it has to be submitted to the platform for review. The idea is that, once your route is accepted and your record is official, other runners will be encouraged to break it. Some of the routes, mostly in the United States, are well known, while others have been more recently discovered by the running community. The fact is, every day more people are being encouraged to break personal records and compete with the best.
Panama is a huge draw for marathon runners, offering the possibility of running from ocean to ocean in a single day. The Run Across Panama race was first run in 2019 with the goal of touching both oceans, regardless of the exact route or direction taken. The previous record was held by amateur runner Dan Baker, with a time of 11 hours and eight minutes. Last May, Michael Wardian beat this record by making the run in nine hours.
A Professional Marathon Runner in Panama
The morning of Monday, May 1 dawned for Wardian with clear skies. Choosing a holiday was a wise decision as the streets were calmer and less crowded. Michael had prepared himself psychologically for the heat, thinking of it as a preview of his summer training. Although the Panamanian humidity would surprise him along the way, he was also captivated by the kindness of the people. It was a difficult day, but the effort was worth it. Wardian broke the mark with time to spare, beginning his race at the Panama Viejo Visitor Center—with one foot in the Pacific— and touching the Caribbean nine hours later, where he celebrated his great achievement.
Although the FKT platform has been recording times and goals for more than a decade, the trend made an exponential leap during the pandemic when the major marathons that runners trained for year after year were cancelled. FKT provided these runners with an alternative that allowed them to keep running without large crowds, and without losing the spirit of competition experienced in a marathon.
Other platforms, such as STRAVA, a social network where athletes can share their training sessions, tips, and personal goals with peers who enjoy the same sports activities, are building a global communityof athletes who, without participating in major marathons, can exchange experiences while competing with each other.
Wardian recognizes and celebrates the popularity of these types of specialized networks. In his opinion, these spaces create incentives in the community and encourage more people to train and challenge themselves. “No one had ever run a mile in less than four minutes, until someone did,,” he says. The difference is that before, you needed access to special media to remain up to date and now there is an international community that is connected. They can inform each other about what can be done and inspire one another.“There are challenges that I didn’t know existed, but someone posts them on the networks—running in Croatia or doing a mountain race in Poland—and it makes me want to do them. The platforms make the routes known and encourage you to want to achieve more goals ”.
In addition to encouraging more people to get out there, train, and take care of their physical and mental health, these platforms launch new tourist destinations. Wardian, for example, left Panama with new ideas: he wants to return to run the Camino de Cruces and participate in many other activities he discovered while in the country, a destination that, until very recently, was just a point on his great world map.
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