Speedrunning

Explore & Discover

Speedrunning is competitive gaming taken to a science — players study games inside out to finish them as fast as humanly possible. Start by browsing Speedrun.com, the official leaderboard site for thousands of games. Pick a game you already know and look at its leaderboard: notice the categories (Any%, 100%, Glitchless) and watch the world record run. Then head to YouTube and watch a "speedrun explained" video for that game — runners usually post detailed breakdowns. Pay attention to how they memorize patterns, skip cutscenes, and exploit the game's physics. Watch at least one Games Done Quick (GDQ) highlight — this charity marathon has raised millions and features runners from around the world, including Utah locals who've competed. You're ready for the next step when you can explain what Any% means and describe two techniques you saw in a world record run.

Learn the Basics

Now understand the vocabulary and tools that every speedrunner uses. Learn what a "glitch" versus an "exploit" is — and why some categories allow them and some don't. Look up what "RNG manipulation" means and why some runs fall apart based on random luck. Download LiveSplit (free) — this is the timer software almost every speedrunner on the planet uses. Watch a YouTube tutorial on setting it up with splits for your chosen game. Learn what "splits" are and why runners break runs into sections to track individual segment times. Study the difference between real-time attack (RTA) and in-game time (IGT). Read the game's Speedrun.com guides tab — the community posts beginner routes there for free. You're ready for the next step when you've set up LiveSplit with splits for a game and can explain what RTA and IGT mean.

Build Your First Project

Run the game from start to finish with your timer running — no stopping, just go. Your first run will be slow and messy, and that is completely normal. Everyone's first run is. After you finish, look at your split times and find the two or three segments where you lost the most time. Watch the world record run again, but this time specifically focus on those sections. What are they doing differently? Practice just those sections in isolation — load a save state or restart from that point in the game. Submit your finished run time to Speedrun.com, even if it's way off the record. Every runner on those leaderboards has a first submission. You're ready for the next step when you've completed one full timed run, identified your slowest segments, and submitted or recorded your time.

Experiment & Iterate

Deepen your skills through practice and experimentation.

Advanced Techniques

Go deep on the technical side of speedrunning. Learn how game engines cause the glitches that runners exploit — watch "Pannenkoek2012" on YouTube for mind-blowing analysis of Super Mario 64's physics. Study how memory addresses work so you can use tools like Cheat Engine (for PC games) to watch in-game variables in real time and understand exactly what's happening under the hood. Learn what frame data means and how runners hit inputs on specific frames. Try learning one advanced glitch or skip that saves significant time in your game — it might take 50+ attempts before you land it cleanly. Start recording your runs with OBS (free) so you can review footage and catch mistakes you missed in the moment. You're ready for the next step when you can land an advanced skip or glitch reliably and explain why it works technically.

Final Project Showcase

Put everything together in a showcase run. Set a personal goal time that represents your real best effort — something that required everything you've learned. Record a full run with LiveSplit visible, commentary optional. Then create a written or video breakdown of your run: explain your route choices, show your split history to demonstrate improvement over time, and point out 2–3 key moments where your technique matters. Submit it to Speedrun.com if you haven't yet. Share it in the game's Discord. If you want to go further, put together a short beginner's guide for new runners in your game's community — teaching forces you to really understand what you know. You're ready for the next step when you've recorded a showcase run, documented your route and key techniques, and shared it with at least one other speedrunner for feedback.