Speedrunning is the modern day high score list. I imagine a number of members here often frequented arcades during their prime, besting for that coveted top spot or even settling somewhere further down the column in the top 10. So, that there is a fair bit of animosity toward speedrunning is unexpected. While I'm not a part of the speedrunning community nor know of its particulars, I do know that there are all sorts of speedrun types, such as any % completion and 100% completion. While I'm sure there are plenty of records which were obtained by utilizing certain glitches or exploits to the player's advantage, I'm also sure there are many arcade-style games with a high score list which have its record holders using those same types of tactics. Both traditional high score holders and more modern speedrunning record holders, in many cases, use their expertise of a game to reach the same end goal.
That said, speedrunning in some form has long existed. Any sort of racing game is most obvious. At the same time, plenty of older 2D Mario games have a countdown which encourages swift, yet precise, gameplay, which continues to be a feature in modern games. Fighting games such as Street Fighter are another example, such as how quickly one can finish its campaign mode. Then there is the simple practice of seeing how how long one credit or player life can last. In the end, all these instances aim for the same objective: being the best by some metric.
