Can any land-based animal outperform an elite human marathon runner over the full distance? If so, which ones? (Continued)
• A previous answer pointed out that the pronghorn – a creature similar to an antelope – could run a marathon in well under an hour. The answer also attributed the animal’s speed to the fact that it “has evolved to outrun the grey wolf”.
Maybe, but why is it that the pronghorn very easily outpaces wolves over long stretches, as well as the shorter distances required to escape the predator? A pronghorn’s top speed is around 90 kilometres an hour – making it second only to the cheetah – and it may be able to sustain speeds as high as 60 kilometres an hour for about 6 kilometres.
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In 1996, biologist is an . These predators may have included false cheetahs and endurance runners like the long-legged hyena. It is an appealing idea, although near impossible to confirm.
Michael Le Page, London, UK