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slang.fyi

splits

/splɪts/

Uncommon

Segment times tracked during a speedrun, showing how fast each section was compared to a reference like a personal best or world record.

Gold splits are the best time ever recorded for each segment. When a runner says 'I have gold on a split', it means they personally hit their all-time best time for that section on this attempt.

Real-world examples4 examples
#ExampleWhat it meansSource
01gold splits through the first half but then fumbled the palace and lost everythingThe runner had their best times on every early segment but made a big mistake later.twitch, 2024
02i set up my splits wrong and the timer wasn't tracking the right checkpoints. had to redo the whole layoutThe segment configuration in the timer software was incorrect and had to be rebuilt.reddit
03he was 30 seconds ahead on splits going into the final boss and still lost the pbThe runner had a huge time advantage late in the run but lost it at the end.x, 2023
04just got gold on the water temple split for the first time ever. that segment has ruined so many runsThe runner finally got their best-ever time on a notoriously difficult section.twitch, 2024

Use it when

  • Referring to the segment times displayed during a speedrun.
  • Comparing current run progress against a past best time at specific checkpoints.
  • Discussing where time was gained or lost during a run.

Do not use it when

  • You mean the overall run time.

Variations and related forms

gold splits

The personal best time for each individual segment, shown in gold on a split timer.

Origin and context

Borrowed from athletics where split times mark intervals within a longer race. Speedrunning communities adopted the term and built dedicated software like Livesplit to track segment times during runs.

First seen
pre-internet
Confidence
medium

Cite this page

Use this stable URL to reference the entry.

https://slang.fyi/splits
Updated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0

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