In 2024, we spent a long time investigating ways to factor unnecessary safety risks out of Fastest Known Time (FKT) attempts for Irish upland challenges. Our primary focus during these investigations was on the All-Ireland and provincial hill list challenges and the obvious risks associated with them (i.e. the temptation to exceed speed limits on Irish roads, driver fatigue, and navigating under pressure on the hills in darkness).
In the interest of personal and public safety, we have decided to completely distance ourselves from FKT attempts for Irish upland challenges. We therefore do not to encourage, publicise or acknowledge any Fastest Known Time (FKT) attempts, including successful ones. Every time a new FKT is set, it increases the safety risks for future attempts. In particular, promoting FKTs for All-Ireland and provincial challenges which involve motorised transport without having measures in place to verify speed on public roads is highly irresponsible.
Instead of undertaking FKT attempts, we encourage hillwalkers to compete in the All-Ireland Hillwalking Championships and the Specialist Award competitions. Hillwalkers compete as individuals and can represent their club, county and province in the team categories.
The people behind the third-party Fastest Known Times website have given themselves the task of maintaining an up-to-date record of FKTs across a wide variety of activity types. With this task comes the responsibility of deploying a robust verification process and promoting personal and public safety during FKT attempts. Unfortunately, from looking at some of the Irish FKTs listed on their website, it is obvious that they are unfamiliar with the details of Irish challenges and do not currently take legal speed limits on Irish roads into consideration when verifying All-Ireland and provincial hill list challenges.
In the interest of personal and public safety, we have decided to completely distance ourselves from FKT attempts for Irish upland challenges. We therefore do not to encourage, publicise or acknowledge any Fastest Known Time (FKT) attempts, including successful ones. Every time a new FKT is set, it increases the safety risks for future attempts. In particular, promoting FKTs for All-Ireland and provincial challenges which involve motorised transport without having measures in place to verify speed on public roads is highly irresponsible.
Instead of undertaking FKT attempts, we encourage hillwalkers to compete in the All-Ireland Hillwalking Championships and the Specialist Award competitions. Hillwalkers compete as individuals and can represent their club, county and province in the team categories.
The people behind the third-party Fastest Known Times website have given themselves the task of maintaining an up-to-date record of FKTs across a wide variety of activity types. With this task comes the responsibility of deploying a robust verification process and promoting personal and public safety during FKT attempts. Unfortunately, from looking at some of the Irish FKTs listed on their website, it is obvious that they are unfamiliar with the details of Irish challenges and do not currently take legal speed limits on Irish roads into consideration when verifying All-Ireland and provincial hill list challenges.
