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Max speed: Collectively, can pull a sled 25 mph Average Speed for 20+ miles: 15 mphEstimated Marathon Time: 1 hour 19 minutes Each year, during the Iditarod, packs of 12 sleigh dogs travel more than 1,000 miles in 15 days. The animals working together pull the sled at speeds around 15 mph for up to six hours at a time. If running a marathon, Alaskan Huskies would cross the finish line in less than an hour and a half. Read More: How Barefoot Runners Are Shaping the Shoe Industry![Horses]()
Max Speed: 54 mphAverage Speed for 20+ miles: 10.5 mphEstimated Marathon Time: 2.5 Hours For the last 30 years, the Welsh town of Llanwrtyd Wells has hoted a 22-mile, man-versus-horse race. Humans have only won the race twice, but top runners usually only finish 10 minutes after the animals. Where horses exceed in oxygen efficiency, humans make up for in temperature regulation. In the beginning of the race the horses tend to have a 30 minute lead, but toward the end, that advantaged is cut to a couple of minutes. Read More: Why Humans Can't Walk on Water![Humans]()
Max Speed: 27.45 mph (Usain Bolt, 100 meters)Average Speed for 20+ Miles: 12.7 mph (Haile Gebrselassie)Best Marathon Time: 2:03:59 (Haile Gebrselassie, Berlin) One major difference between humans and animals is that we don't have in-born endurance; we have to train. Peter Weyand says that compared to other animals, humans have a high energy cost of running—we spend more energy in each stride relative to our size. But unlike wild animals, we can motivate ourselves to run, and through training we can increase our aerobic scope—the amount of aerobic activity one can achieve. Read More: The Animal Kingdom's Top 10 Strange Hunting Strategies![Camel]()
Max speed: 40 mphAverage speed for 20+ miles: 25 miles per hourEstimate Marathon Time: 1 hour 2 minutes An essential part of running long distance is keeping hydrated. Unlike the New York City marathon, there are no Gatorade check points in the desert. Instead, camels have evolved to store days worth of fat in their humps. Additionally, camels drop their body temperature in the morning, which prolongs their ability to run—and at 25 mph, they are sprinting by human standards—in hot sunlight. Read More: The Physics of Sports![Pronghorn Antelope]()
Max Speed: 55 mphBest/Average Speed for 20+ Miles: 30 mphEstimate Marathon Time: 45 minutes Speed and stamina do not always go together. For example, the Cheetah, the fastest animal on the planet, can only sustain its top speed of 70 mph for approximately 700 yards. Pronghorn Antelopes, on the other hand, can maintain speeds of 60 mph for miles at a time. "If the Cheetah and pronghorn were running side by side, and if the track was longer than a quarter of a mile, the pronghorn would win it, no contest," said the San Diego zoo's Carmi Penny.![Ostrich]()
Max Speed: 50 mphAverage Speed for 20+ miles: 30 mphEstimated Marathon Time: 45 minutes Ostriches' long legs are mainly tendon, which lets them maintain high speeds for longer periods of time. "Every time they land on a foot, it stretches [the tendon, which] recoils back to pop them back up into the air," said biomechanics expert Peter Weyand. The bottom line: Humans are going to need a lot more training before they can hang with an ostrich or pronghorn antelope -- the distance winners in the animal kingdom. Read More at Popular MechanicsThe Animal Kingdom's Top Marathoners
Compared to other land mammals, humans are remarkably good at running long distances. Very few other animals can sustain such distances, especially at the speeds that top human athletes perform. But there is plenty of competition Here's a look at six of the best marathoners in the animal kingdom, from slowest to fastest. By Brian Resnick for Popular Mechanics
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- The Animal Kingdom's Top Marathoners
