Decide if you're going to do a new game or alternate mode run (ie. with unlockable items, characters, etc.) And if there are already runs done of the game, look at those to find the tricks used.
Start off with the shortest possible path, and work off from there. Are there any items that need to be collected? Which ones are closest to the path, etc.
Skip as much as possible. This includes enemies, items, areas, cutscenes, etc. Often it takes some tricks to skip items or enemies, we'll get to that later.
Go through all the weapons, moves, combos, etc. to find the absolute most effective ones. Often some weapons or moves have characteristics that can be used for particular places to make that part faster. Get to know the characteristics or peculiarities of each particular move or weapon.
Look for speed-enhancing tricks that allow the character to travel faster by rolling, jumping, side-strafing, flying, running faster, etc. Jumping, flying, bomb-jumping, etc. are particularly good for glitching out of an area and through or over a barrier, which can save tremendous amounts of time.
Look in particular for glitches. Glitches can often let the player skip substantial portions of the game. And when one glitch has been found, look for all the places that it could be applied throughout the game.
Look for every trick you can find. Think counter-traditionally. Look for all the things that other people wouldn't consider. Remember, the idea may not make sense at first, but it's a video game, so it could still work. And often one trick can be applied in many places in the game.
Practice. There's no substitute for it. A lot of the best speed runners play a game over a thousand times. Don't reset a run just because you lost a lot of time if it's still possible to finish the run using the route you're using. Even if you lost so much time that it's too late to get a PB, finishing the run still gives you the practice as well as speeding up your learning which parts you should practice during special practice sessions that are not part of a run.
When you've gotten a good enough time, or are doing a good enough run, record it and put it on-line at http://www.speedrun.com/. Many people will like to see your speed run.
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