The term ‘fastest’ is a comparative title. When someone is deemed the fastest, we compare them to other athletes. Naturally, the fastest athlete and the fastest animal would never be compared. Nevertheless, it would be fascinating to discern who would come out victorious during a race between some of the fastest land animals. Let us figure out which position Usain Bolt would land when the stakes are this high.

At the 2009 IAAF World Championships, Bolt clocked in at 9.58 seconds in the 100m race, making him the fastest man on earth. Moreover, the record has proved itself capable of standing the test of time. No person has achieved this feat before, with the closest persons Tyson Gay and Yohan Blake tying in at 9:69 seconds.

Which animals can Usain Bolt outrun?

The average speed of the 8-time Olympic gold medalist was 23.35 mph in the event. Astonishingly, the athlete reached a top speed of 27.78 mph in that race. Bolt attained this speed between the 60m and 80m stretch. To put in perspective, a standard person runs at average speeds of 5-6 mph. Therefore, in 2009, Bolt attained speeds much faster than the average Joe.

In the meantime, the latest entrant to this list is the Australian Wombat. It is another animal that Bolt can outrun. As cuddly and slow as it looks, these mammals can reach speeds up to 40km/h. It is 7 km/h slower than Bolt. Hence, this is the latest entry to the list. But some other animals are way faster than Bolt.

Although not the fastest predator, the lion, with a top speed of 50 mph, would still outrun Bolt by a great deal. Even animals like the hyena, antelope, wildebeest, and quarter horse would outpace the Lightning Bolt within seconds during a race. And the mightiest land mammal, too, being slightly faster than the athlete, would leave him trailing behind.

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However, Bolt would still be faster than the black mamba, which can attain a speed of 12.5 mph. Furthermore, the Olympian would also leave the squirrel and the pig behind during a race. The sprinter would easily beat the chicken and the elusive house mouse, too, in a perfect race.

How would the results hold in real-life situations?

But the scenarios that the world presents are seldom perfect. There are multiple factors at play that decide the outcome of an event. In the wild, these factors increase manifold. Oft-times slower prey would elude a faster predator while stronger and swifter animals fall victim.

In an ideal situation, it is easy to hypothesize the outcome of a race. However, making these animals compete in a race side by side would prove challenging. Additionally, their recorded speeds were observed only during short bursts. The duration that these animals can maintain their top speed is anyone’s guess. Therefore, the unpredictable nature of Bolt’s opponents leaves some room for debate.

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