The Distance Carbon Z FKT is an ultralight, high-performance mountain-running pole built for speed, efficiency, and endurance. Designed for racers and trail athletes, it features an innovative removable wrist strap for quick deployment, ensuring seamless transitions during runs, races, and fast-paced link-ups.
Inspired by our athletes who move fast and go far, these poles reset the bar for ultralight performance whether you’re racing, running or looking for fast and efficient power transfer with every step. The FKT has an innovative, ultralight mesh glove strap that allows for efficient deployment and storage. The magnetic, quick-connect glove-straps link into the poles for quick deployment and can be released easily with the press of a button. With an extended ultralight foam grip and a full carbon construction, the Distance Carbon Z FKT’s are the tip of the spear when it comes to mountain running pole technology.
Fast deployment, stowing and pole stiffness...
From clean climbing, to conservation, Black Diamond is committed to protecting the people and places we love.
We trust what we make because we use what we make....
The new Distance FKT Poles are redefining endurance and efficiency in mountain running. To dive deeper into the design process, Mountain Business Unit Director, Paul Leonard, walked us through what it took to make the next evolution of our Distance series running poles.
A light and breathable mesh glove strap that integrates with our Distance FKT poles, and are made to be worn during the duration of your adventure, whether you’re scrambling or running. The gloves integrate easily with our FKT poles, with a magnetic, self-centering connection that clicks securely into place in one motion. Reinforced with Dynex for added durability, these straps are low-profile and comfortable with a single Velcro strap closure.
But the space between, where the miles and moments become an ocean between the waves, that’s where the magic happens. The experience waits in the distance.
Overall rating: 4.75 / 5 from 8 reviews.
Review topics: ["issues","poles","attachment","light","lockers","clip"].
"Exciting new launch. The design is self-explatory, very easy to figure out the magnet attachment system, pretty slick. Took a little getting used to to dial in efficiency. I was curious if these would feel less efficient when needing to detach poles for technical scramble. Pretty easy. Only feedback is it's still easy for me to mid up Left and Right when putting on."
"I love these poles! They are super light, quick to set up and break down, small enough to stuff in my small backpack, and the hand straps are comfortable with a great magnetic mechanism for attaching."
"Great poles, I really like the clip in system. BUT they are significantly heavier than my carbon Z pair. Very noticeable while running. I’ve never felt like weight is an issue with my older carbon Z, but this new fkt model crushed me. I had to trade out for my old pair during my last 100 mile race. I would love this clip in mechanism on the standard carbon Z model."
"They’re quick to deploy, they’re crazy light, and the glove lock in mechanism is easy and intuitive to learn. Live them!"
"Been using these for a bit now and I've been really happy with them. They're light, easy to deploy, and disappear into the background while hiking, which is exactly what I want from a trekking pole. The quick-release strap system is probably my favorite feature. It feels secure when using the poles, but it's super easy to pop your hands out when you need to grab something or take a quick photo. Only funny downside so far is that the straps have given me some pretty ridiculous tan lines on my hands. Obviously not an actual issue with the poles, just something I wasn't expecting. Overall, no regrets with this purchase. They've been a great addition to my kit and I'm looking forward to putting more miles on them."
"Super light and quick click-in/out! Love them."
"These poles are super light, easy to use and pack up nicely. I really like the magnetic clip system BD has designed for the pole to glove attachment. My only issue is that the Velcro on the hand strap has inconsistent placement; I bought multiple pairs in the same size, and the one set of gloves fit me great while the others were too big because the Velcro was stitched further back on the glove, not allowing me to get a solid attachment when securing the Velcro. I will either need to inquire about getting a smaller size glove, or stitch on my own extra piece of Velcro so that I can get get a secure fit with the glove."
"I’ve used them a few times so far. Very light. The glove attachment is the best I’ve used. Big improvement over Leki’s mechanism."
| Height | Suggested Length (CM) | Glove Strap Size |
|---|---|---|
| 5'1" 155 cm | 105 | Small |
| 5'4" 162.5 cm | 110 | Small |
| 5'7" 170 cm | 115 | Medium |
| 5'10" 178 cm | 120 | Medium |
| 6'1" 185.5 cm | 125 | Large |
| 6'4" 193 cm | 130 | Large |
Pole Length:
On flat ground the top of the trekking pole handle should be at waist or hip level and your elbow at 90 degrees (see illustration).
Strap Circumference:
HOW TO: Use Your Black Diamond Z-Poles
