How Fast Is the World’s Fastest Human? (2024)

How Fast Is the World’s Fastest Human? (1)

In 2009 Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt set the world record in the 100-meter sprint at 9.58 seconds. For those of us more accustomed to sitting than sprinting, to translate this feat into terms of speed is to simply underscore the stunning nature of Bolt’s performance.

Speed is the rate at which an object (or person) moves through time. It is represented mathematically as speed = d/t (in which d is distance and t is time). That means that Bolt’s speed during his world-record run was 10.44 meters per second. Since many people are more familiar with automobiles and speed limits, it might be more useful to think of this in terms of kilometers per hour or miles per hour: 37.58 or 23.35, respectively. That’s faster than the estimated average traffic speed for the U.S. cities of Boston, New York City, and San Francisco. Even more astounding is the fact that Bolt started from a speed of zero and then had to accelerate, which means that his top speed actually was faster.

In 2011 Belgian scientists used lasers to measure Bolt’s performance in the different stages of a 100-meter race held in September that year. They found that, 67.13 meters into the race, Bolt reached a top speed of 43.99 kilometers per hour (27.33 miles per hour). He finished with a time of 9.76 seconds in that race, but research has suggested that, with his body type, he probably shouldn’t even be competitive at that distance. From a biomechanical perspective, the fastest sprinters are relatively short, and their muscles are loaded with fast-twitch fibers for rapid acceleration. The elite sprinter is a compact athlete, not a tall and lean one. Given his size—literally head and shoulders above the other competitors—Bolt should be last off the blocks and last across the finish line. And yet he is the fastest man in the world.

How Fast Is the World’s Fastest Human? (2024)

FAQs

What is the fastest speed recorded by a human? ›

The record is 44.72 km/h (27.78 mph), measured between meter 60 and meter 80 of the 100 meters sprint at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics by Usain Bolt.

What is the fastest mph a human has ran? ›

To date, the fastest a human has been recorded running is Usain Bolt's 2009 record-smashing 100-meter dash. There, he briefly reached a top running speed of 27.78 mph. Sha'Carri Richardson is officially the fastest woman in the world running the 100-meter dash in 10.65 seconds.

How fast was Usain Bolt in mph? ›

2009 Usain Bolt ran the fastest 100m time ever, which still stands today. He reached a top speed of nearly 28 miles per hour.

Who is the fastest man ever lived? ›

Usain Bolt. The Jamaican sprinter is the fastest human alive, our reality's version of the Flash. He set a world record in 2009 at the 100 meter sprint at 9.58 seconds. His top speed was 27 mph.

Could a human run 30 mph? ›

So far, the fastest anyone has run is about 27½ miles per hour, a speed reached (briefly) by sprinter Usain Bolt just after the midpoint of his world-record 100-meter dash in 2009. This speed limit probably is not imposed by the strength of our bones and tendons.

Is 20 mph fast for a human? ›

There is no specific data available on the percentage of humans who can run at a speed of 20 mph. However, it is important to note that running at 20 mph is considered extremely fast and is typically achieved by highly trained and elite athletes.

Could a human run 40 mph? ›

The human frame is built to handle running speeds up to 40 miles per hour, scientists say. The only limiting factor is not how much brute force is required to push off the ground as previously thought, but how fast our muscle fibers can contract to ramp up that force.

Has a human run 40 mph? ›

Humans can run about 40 km/h, not 40 mph, at peak physical conditioning. Usain Bolt, nominally the fastest man currently alive, has a recorded speed of about 43.99 km/h (or about 27.33 mph). This was recorded by some Belgian scientists in 2011 using laser measurements.

Is 17 mph fast for a human? ›

Running 17 mph is an impressive speed for anyone, including a 13-year-old. In fact, that is very fast for someone your age. Most people, including adults, are not able to run that fast.

Is 23 mph fast for a human? ›

Highlights: Average Speed Of A Human Statistics

Humans sprint 100m at a speed of 23 mph on average. The average speed of a human swimming is 2 mph. The average cycling speed of a human is 12 to 16 mph. Humans have maximum sprint speed of 27.8 mph.

Is 12 mph fast for a human? ›

The average human sprint speed is around 12 to 15 mph. The fastest recorded sprint speed for a human is 27.8 mph, achieved by Usain Bolt. Men aged 17-33 have an average sprinting speed of around 15.9 mph. Women in the same age range (17-33) run at an average speed of 14.3 mph.

Is Mbappe faster than Usain Bolt? ›

Mbappe, one of the world's fastest footballers, recently clocked an estimated speed of 10.9 seconds over 100m, over a second slower than Bolt's world-record time of 9.58 seconds.

What Animals Can Usain Bolt outrun? ›

The untold story of Moi's adopted daughter
AnimalSpeed(mph)
Usain Bolt23.50
Black mamba snake20.00
Squirrel12.00
Pig (domestic)11.00
21 more rows
Jul 3, 2020

Has anyone ran 25 mph? ›

NFL's Robert Gill runs 25 mph on treadmill.

Can a human run 35 mph? ›

The key to doing this is increasing how fast the muscle fibers can contract to produce force. If that were possible, Weyand's team calculated that humans could theoretically run as fast as 35 or 40 miles per hour, based on our gait and the maximum forces our muscles can generate.

Can a human run 19 mph? ›

From this data, we can calculate the average human athlete sprinting speed across both sexes to be 18.23 mph (3:17.5 minutes per mile), or 29.33 kilometers per hour. Average male sprinting speed: 19.52 mph (3:04.4 minutes per mile), or 31.4 kilometers per hour.

Can a human run 14 mph? ›

The average non-athlete sprinting speed is between 10-15 mph (16km/h - 24km/h). For children aged 9-14, the average sprinting speed is about 10-14 mph (16-22.5 km/h).

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