Speedrunning--Cool or Not?

It seems like I'm constantly reading about some person who is finishing a game in an incredibly short amount of time.  To me this seems like a travesty.  I've always been a completionist and make it my goal to explore and complete as much as I can.  I don't understand why anyone would want to rush through a game rather than sit back and enjoy the small details.  Is it for the bragging rights?  I suppose that having the fastest completion time would be something cool to brag about.  The most recent episode of PBS's GameShow explores how speedrunners are able to complete games so quickly.

Honestly, I sort of have to admire speedrunners for the amount of practice that it takes to truly master a game.  I can't imagine dedicating thousands of hours to plotting a path or looking for some game breaking glitch that is going to help them move through a game at a breakneck pace.  To me this sounds boring, but there is some satisfaction in improving on your own performance, so I can understand the drive behind beating your own records.

There's another part of me thought that thinks it's sort of silly and maybe a little bit like cheating.  They aren't really playing the whole game and are just looking for glitches to exploit.  That seems a little unfair.

I'm not going to be getting into speedrunning anytime soon, but can understand why someone might be drawn to it.  I can't help but be impressed by the amazingly fast times in which some of these huge games are completed.  Speedrunning is another case of people finding their own unique way to make gaming more enjoyable.  I might not understand it, but to each his/her own!