When it comes to speed, humans are often thought to be much slower than many animals. Cheetahs can run over 60 mph, horses can gallop up to 55 mph, and greyhounds can hit speeds of 45 mph. Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest human, topped out at just under 28 mph. So it may seem obvious that animals have the advantage when it comes to raw speed.
Do any animals beat humans in long distance running?
However, when looking at endurance over long distances, the results can be quite different. There are some animals that can outpace humans over short bursts, but struggle to keep up over many miles. This is because humans have a unique capability for endurance running.
There are a few key advantages humans have for distance running compared to other mammals:
- More sweat glands – Humans have a higher number of sweat glands which allows better cooling over long distances
- Bipedal stride – Our two-legged motion is more efficient for covering ground efficiently than four-legged galloping
- Body hair – Lack of fur allows better heat dissipation
- Fat storage – Humans can store fat in a way that provides energy for long distances
These adaptations allow humans to effectively run marathons and ultra-marathons of 50 or 100 miles. Very few mammals can match this feat of endurance. When it comes to running far, humans truly shine.
Persistence hunting by ancient humans
Scientists believe early humans used persistence hunting as a technique to chase down prey over long distances. By jogging at a steady pace, they could pursue animals like antelope or deer for many hours under the heat of the sun. Eventually the prey would collapse from heat exhaustion and the humans could move in for the kill. The fact that humans could run extreme distances allowed us to persistently hunt in this fashion.
How do humans compare to different animals in long distance running?
Let’s take a look at how humans stack up for long distance running compared to some animal kingdom champions known for speed and endurance.
Horses
Horses have incredible speed and strong endurance capabilities. Over short distances up to about 10 miles, horses can easily outpace even elite human runners. However, when it comes to ultra distances, horses begin to fatigue. The farthest a horse has been recorded running is about 100 miles over 24 hours. Elite humans can surpass 100 miles and can run for days at a time over varied terrain. So while horses beat humans over short distances, our endurance capabilities surpass them over ultramarathons.
Dogs
Our canine companions can make great running partners. Some athletic dogs like huskies can trot long distances with humans without tiring. But most dogs cannot match the stamina of humans over ultramarathon distances. The longest run by a dog was just over 300 miles over 3 days. Elite human runners can go much farther over multiple days and weeks.
Ostriches
Ostriches are built for running with powerful thick legs and running speeds over 40 mph. They can run fairly long distances around 20 miles, but do not have the endurance for ultradistances. Humans can outlast ostriches for very long distance runs.
Antelope
Antelope like pronghorn are adapted to sprint away from predators over miles of open terrain. But when it comes to jogging huge distances, they lack the stamina of human runners. Antelope do not have the same heat regulation, walking stride, or stored fat that allows humans to trot for dozens or hundreds of miles.
How far can the best human ultra runners go?
When looking at the upper limits of human running capability, the results are truly astonishing. Let’s look at some records of the farthest distances covered by remarkable human runners.
| Runner | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Yiannis Kouros | 303.506 miles | 2 days, 10 hours, 30 minutes, 36 seconds |
| Dean Karnazes | 350 miles | 80 hours, 34 minutes |
| Scott Jurek | 165.7 miles | 24 hours |
These ultra running records are astonishing displays of human endurance and consistency over massive distances. Very few if any mammals on the planet could achieve such feats. These capabilities highlight why humans developed into such effective persistence hunters in our early history.
Key advantages of human ultra runners
What allows human runners like Yiannis Kouros to jog continuously for over 2 days covering hundreds of miles? Here are some of the key advantages.
- Efficient heat loss – Sweating and lack of fur allows regulating of body temperature
- Energy storage – Body fat provides energy for very long distances
- Muscle endurance – Slow twitch muscle fibers resist fatigue over many miles
- Mental focus – Ability to ignore pain and maintain motivation
The mental focus to push beyond pain and fatigue allows humans to tap into an incredible capacity for endurance unmatched by other mammals over multi-day ultra distances.
Conclusion
When it comes to short sprints and bursts of speed, humans are certainly slower than many swift animals like cheetahs, horses, and antelope. But for long distance endurance tests, humans stand apart from almost all other mammals. Factors like efficient cooling, walking stride, fat storage, and mental stamina give humans the edge in ultradistance running. Records over hundreds of miles show that no other land animal can match humans for very long distance jogging or walking. So while a cheetah is much faster, a committed human can run it into the ground over a long enough distance. Our unique capabilities is why persistence hunting was so effective for ancient humans, and why we remain the ultramarathon champions of the animal kingdom today.