Routes through OoT

Finding the most efficient route through The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is harder than it might first appear. While the game expects you to take one specific route through each of the necessary items, it is possible to complete many areas out of turn. Depending on the locations of these areas and the seconds needed to travel between them, completing areas out of turn may be quicker or slower than the game-expected route.

As child Link there is a single obvious route through the game. Barriers which can only be passed with certain items force you to take this route; for example, the rocks blocking Zora's River require the Bomb Bag from Dodongo's Cavern before you can pass them. However, for adult Link the matter becomes much more complicated because of the following alterations you can make to the game-suggested route:

You can do the Ice Cavern at ANY time before the Water Temple. You can even do it before getting the Hookshot.
It is possible to beat the Fire Temple before the Forest Temple.
It is possible to beat the Spirit Temple before the Shadow Temple.
You do NOT have to do the Shadow Temple straight after collecting the Nocturne Of Shadow.
You do NOT have to do the Spirit Temple all in one chunk.
You do NOT have to do the child section of the Spirit Temple straight after collecting the Requiem Of Spirit.
in theory, you can exit and re-enter any Temple at any time if this turns out to be beneficial.

As the amount of time taken WITHIN each Temple (and over certain other unavoidable parts of the game) is constant, it is the time taken to connect them all together which needs minimising.

Currently the best known adult route is

Graveyard for the Hookshot
ascend Death Mountain for the Fire Temple
Lost Woods warp to the Forest Temple
Lost Woods warp to the Ice Cavern
warp directly to the Water Temple
run to Gerudo Valley and complete this entire section to collect the Requiem Of Spirit
warp to Death Mountain Crater and descend Death Mountain to collect the Nocturne Of Shadow
go to the Temple Of Time and collect the Prelude Of Light; go back in time
Spirit Temple (young Link)
Shadow Temple
Spirit Temple (adult Link)
warp to Temple Of Time

All runs are identical beyond this point. This route was used on Mike Damiani's world record 4 hour 57 minute run.

Recent developments

It was recently discovered that

You can enter the Water Temple without the Iron Boots (and hence without necessarily doing the Ice Cavern)
You can enter the Shadow Temple without the Nocturne Of Shadow (and hence without necessarily doing the Forest, Fire or Water Temples)
The light bridge to Ganon's Castle will appear if you have just the Shadow and Spirit Medallions (again, without necessarily the Forest, Fire or Water Medallions)

It remains to be seen how these tricks (assuming they are allowable) can be best utilised.