Speed running is like a time trial race combined with an open ended puzzle, but everyone is on the same team. People map the fastest route they can come up with and then try and execute that route as fast as possible. It’s 90% for the challenge and 10% for the personal glory (obviously this varies). Many people who are uninterested in executing routes will spend time theorycrafting new routes, learning everything they can about the game in order to find new techniques that they share with others. This creates a community in which everyone is working together to beat the game as fast as possible, encouraging and competing with each other.

Speed running only seems pointless if you’ve never challenged yourself purely for the fun of it, or taken up a hobby in order to meet people.