Guessroo
Usain Bolt would lose to every animal on this list. His world record is 9.58 seconds for 100 meters, an average of 23.35 mph (37.58 km/h), and his top speed was about 27.8 mph (44.7 km/h). A cheetah named Sarah ran the same distance in 5.95 seconds, and a pronghorn, a greyhound, a racehorse, an ostrich, a zebra, a grizzly bear, a giraffe and even a fast house cat all have higher top speeds than Bolt.
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The race: Usain Bolt against 9 animals
Only two times in this race were actually run over 100 meters: Bolt's world record and Sarah the cheetah's run at the Cincinnati Zoo. For the other animals, we take their top speed from a zoo, park or record book and work out how long 100 meters takes at that speed. That is a best case, because no animal (or person) starts at top speed, so their real times would be a little slower. Even so, the gaps are big.
| Racer | Top speed | 100 m time | Ahead of Bolt by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheetah (Sarah) | 61 mph (98 km/h) | 5.95 s (timed) | 3.6 s |
| Pronghorn | 55 mph (89 km/h) | about 4.1 s | 5.5 s |
| Greyhound | 45 mph (72 km/h) | about 5.0 s | 4.6 s |
| Racehorse (Winning Brew) | 43.71 mph (70.35 km/h) | about 5.1 s | 4.5 s |
| Ostrich | 43 mph (70 km/h) | about 5.2 s | 4.4 s |
| Zebra | 40 mph (64 km/h) | about 5.6 s | 4.0 s |
| Grizzly bear | 35 to 40 mph (56 to 64 km/h) | about 6.4 s | 3.2 s |
| Giraffe | about 35 mph (56 km/h) | about 6.4 s | 3.2 s |
| House cat | about 30 mph (48 km/h) | about 7.5 s | 2.1 s |
| Usain Bolt | 27.8 mph (44.7 km/h) | 9.58 s (timed) | — |
The racers, one by one
Here is every racer in finishing order, with its speed, its 100-meter time and the source. The photos are free to reuse; the photographer and license are under each one.
1. Cheetah (Sarah)
Photo: Charles Barilleaux, CC BY 2.0 5.95 seconds for a real, timed 100 m, at up to 61 mph (98 km/h). Sarah the cheetah: full answer and quiz.
2. Pronghorn
Photo: Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Public domain Top speed 55 mph (89 km/h), according to National Park Service. At that speed, 100 m takes about 4.1 seconds, 5.5 seconds ahead of Bolt. Pronghorn: full answer and quiz.
3. Greyhound
Photo: Sarah Sapp, CC BY 2.0 Top speed 45 mph (72 km/h), according to Dogster. At that speed, 100 m takes about 5.0 seconds, 4.6 seconds ahead of Bolt. Greyhound: full answer and quiz.
4. Racehorse (Winning Brew)
Photo: Mark Bonica, CC BY 2.0 Top speed 43.71 mph (70.35 km/h), according to Guinness World Records. At that speed, 100 m takes about 5.1 seconds, 4.5 seconds ahead of Bolt. Racehorse: full answer and quiz.
5. Ostrich
Photo: Amaury Laporte, CC BY 2.0 Top speed 43 mph (70 km/h), according to San Diego Zoo. At that speed, 100 m takes about 5.2 seconds, 4.4 seconds ahead of Bolt. Ostrich: full answer and quiz.
6. Zebra
Photo: Stig Nygaard, CC BY 2.0 Top speed 40 mph (64 km/h), according to San Diego Zoo. At that speed, 100 m takes about 5.6 seconds, 4.0 seconds ahead of Bolt. Zebra: full answer and quiz.
7. Grizzly bear
Photo: Dave Bezaire, CC BY-SA 2.0 Top speed 35 to 40 mph (56 to 64 km/h), according to Yellowstone National Park. At that speed, 100 m takes about 6.4 seconds, 3.2 seconds ahead of Bolt. Grizzly bear: full answer and quiz.
8. Giraffe
Photo: Eric Kilby, CC BY-SA 2.0 Top speed about 35 mph (56 km/h), according to San Diego Zoo. At that speed, 100 m takes about 6.4 seconds, 3.2 seconds ahead of Bolt. Giraffe: full answer and quiz.
9. House cat
Photo: Chris Bloom, CC BY-SA 2.0 Top speed about 30 mph (48 km/h), according to Catster. At that speed, 100 m takes about 7.5 seconds, 2.1 seconds ahead of Bolt. House cat: full answer and quiz.
10. Usain Bolt
Photo: Nick Webb, CC BY 2.0 9.58 seconds, the world record, set in Berlin in 2009. His top speed in that race was about 27.8 mph (44.7 km/h), and at that pace alone 100 m would take 8.05 seconds. Bolt at top speed: full answer and quiz.
How fast is Usain Bolt, really?
Bolt set the 100-meter world record of 9.58 seconds at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. Averaged over the whole race, that is 10.44 meters a second, or 23.35 mph (37.58 km/h), as Britannica notes. But nobody runs a race at an even pace. Bolt spent the first few seconds speeding up, and his fastest stretch, from 60 to 80 meters, was run at an average of 44.72 km/h, or about 27.8 mph, according to an analysis of the official splits by sports scientists Ross Tucker and Jonathan Dugas.
That makes him the fastest person ever timed, and still slower than a house cat in a sprint. Bolt's top speed is only reached for a second or two, too, while a pronghorn can hold high speed for far longer.
Guess first: what was Usain Bolt's top speed in his world-record run?
About 27.8 mph (44.7 km/h), over his fastest 20 meters, between 60 and 80 m.
The cheetah that ran 100 meters in 5.95 seconds
On June 20, 2012, a cheetah at the Cincinnati Zoo named Sarah ran 100 meters in 5.95 seconds, the fastest 100 meters ever timed for any animal. National Geographic, which filmed the run, said she was radar-timed at up to 61 mph (98 km/h). That is almost four seconds faster than Bolt's world record, as the zoo pointed out.
Sarah died in January 2016, National Geographic reported, but her 100-meter time is still the one every animal comparison starts from.
Guess first: how long did Sarah the cheetah take to run 100 meters?
5.95 seconds, in June 2012 at the Cincinnati Zoo.
Could Usain Bolt beat any animal?
Not one of the animals on this list. The closest is the house cat, which can reach about 30 mph in a short burst according to Catster, only about 2 mph faster than Bolt at his best. A giraffe, despite looking slow and gangly, runs about 35 mph, the San Diego Zoo says. A grizzly bear runs 35 to 40 mph, Yellowstone National Park says, which is why park rangers tell visitors never to run from one.
Bolt would, of course, beat plenty of animals: a person in a race against a pig, a chicken or a tortoise would be safe. But among the animals people usually think of as fast, the world's fastest human finishes last. For more record speeds closer to home, see the 20 fastest animals in North America.
Why do animals win?
Four legs help, and so does build. A cheetah's flexible spine lets each stride stretch longer, and its claws grip like running spikes. Greyhounds and racehorses were bred for speed for centuries. Pronghorns and ostriches have long, light legs built for running across open ground. Humans are built for something else: we are slow sprinters but good long-distance runners.
Frequently asked questions
Is Usain Bolt faster than a cheetah?
No. Bolt's 100 m world record is 9.58 seconds. Sarah, a cheetah at the Cincinnati Zoo, ran 100 m in 5.95 seconds in 2012, reaching about 61 mph (98 km/h).
What was Usain Bolt's top speed?
About 27.8 mph (44.7 km/h), over his fastest 20 meters (60 to 80 m) in his 9.58-second world record in Berlin in 2009. His average over the whole race was 23.35 mph (37.58 km/h).
Is Usain Bolt faster than a house cat?
No. A house cat can sprint at about 30 mph (48 km/h), a little faster than Bolt's top speed of about 27.8 mph.
Is Usain Bolt faster than a grizzly bear?
No. Grizzly bears run 35 to 40 mph (56 to 64 km/h), according to Yellowstone National Park, well above Bolt's top speed.
Can a human outrun a horse?
Not in a sprint. The fastest racehorse speed in Guinness World Records is 43.71 mph (70.35 km/h), by Winning Brew in 2008, far above Bolt's 27.8 mph.
What is the fastest animal over 100 meters?
The cheetah. Sarah, at the Cincinnati Zoo, ran 100 m in 5.95 seconds in 2012, the fastest 100 m ever timed.
Sources
We read these pages for the numbers above. US customary units come first, metric second; conversions are rounded.
- Britannica: How fast is the world's fastest human?
- The Science of Sport (Tucker and Dugas): analysis of Bolt's 9.58 world record
- Topend Sports: speed records
- National Geographic: cheetah breaks speed record, beats Usain Bolt by seconds
- National Geographic: world's fastest cheetah dies (2016)
- Cincinnati Zoo: cheetah sets new world speed record
- National Park Service: pronghorn, racers on the Great Plains
- Dogster: how fast can a dog run?
- Guinness World Records: fastest speed for a race horse
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: ostrich
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: zebra
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: giraffe
- Yellowstone National Park: grizzly bear facts
- Catster: are cats faster than dogs?
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