Can you outrun the world’s FASTEST ANIMALS?
Are you a fast runner? We bet you’re not as fast as these record-breaking animals…
Around the world, creatures big and small have broken amazing speed records – from the lightning-fast cheetah on land to the speedy sea lion in the ocean and the soaring peregrine falcon in the sky.
Let’s take a look at some of nature’s most amazing athletes – and, if you want the full list, check out our latest book, Guinness World Records 2026!
Fastest short-distance mammal
Starting with an easy one – you may have heard before about the cheetah’s incredible speed.
Native to Africa and Iran, cheetahs’ (Acinonyx jubatus) bodies are tuned for speed, including long limbs, a flexible spine and muscles packed with fast-twitch fibres.
So exactly how fast are they?
They’re able to sprint up to 28.7 metres per second (103.5 km/h; 64.3 mph) over short distances – that’s definitely faster than most cars on the road!
What’s more, a cheetah's tail acts like a steering wheel, helping them make sharp turns while running as fast as they can.
Fastest long-distance mammal
So, the cheetah may be super-fast, but only for short distances…
When it comes to longer-haul journeys, the title goes to antelope-like pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) of North America.
With a speed of 72 kilometres per hour for a distance of 2 kilometres, the pronghorn runs faster than a racehorse, a go-kart and even an Olympic cyclist!
Fastest pinniped
And when it comes to marine mammals, no pinniped can beat the California sea lion (Zalophus Californianus)!
With evolved flippers and a streamlined body to cut through water, this seal is the swiftest swimmer, able to swim at about 40 kilometres per hour.
This is similar to the top speed of the great white shark – wow!
Fastest flying insect
The Australian dragonfly (Austrophlebia costalis) is one of nature’s most fascinating tiny speedsters – it can fly at 58 kilometres per hour, making it faster than any other flying insect!
Not only that, but dragonflies are also amongst the most agile flyers in the insect world. They can hover, fly backwards, and even sideways like tiny helicopters!
Fastest snake
This is the black mamba (Dendroaspis Polylepis), a super-fast – and super dangerous – snake…
Mambas are able to move with up to one third of their upper body standing up, which reduces friction with the ground helping them move a lot quicker.
Are you scared of snakes, or do you think they’re cool?
Fastest bird
The peregrine (Falco peregrinus) can be found in Antarctica and it is the fastest bird in the world, with a speed that can reach up to 389 kilometres per hour…
So, in other words, if a cheetah is a race car, the falcon is a jet plane – zooming past everything on the ground from the sky!
It is quite fitting that peregrine means ‘wanderer’ or ‘traveller’ then, right?