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Who is the fastest person in the world? Top 17 ranked in 2024
Kevin Omuya, Cyprine Apindi, Jackline Wangare, Peris Walubengo
updated at April 12, 2024 at 10:15 AM
The fastest person in the world has incredible stamina and speed. These abilities are vital in highly competitive and intense sprinting events. An athlete must cover the distance given at the best pace they can to break the world's record. Discover who the fastest person in the world is and what their top speed is.
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The fastest runners in the world delight fans by winning several medals in local and international competitions. This article lists the fastest people in history based on their top speeds in the 100m category. The best speed recorded by the fastest person in the world will wow you.
Overview of the fastest persons in the world
Ranking | Name | Best speed (100m sprint) |
1 | Usain Bolt | 9.58 seconds |
2 | Tyson Gay | 9.69 seconds |
3 | Yohan Blake | 9.69 seconds |
4 | Asafa Powell | 9.72 seconds |
5 | Justin Gatlin | 9.74 seconds |
6 | Christian Coleman | 9.76 seconds |
7 | Fred Kerley | 9.76 seconds |
8 | Trayvon Bromell | 9.76 seconds |
9 | Ferdinand Omanyala | 9.77 seconds |
10 | Nesta Carter | 9.78 seconds |
11 | Maurice Greene | 9.79 seconds |
12 | Steve Mullings | 9.80 seconds |
13 | Lamont Marcell Jacobs | 9.80 seconds |
14 | Richard "Torpedo" Thompson | 9.82 seconds |
15 | Ronnie Baker | 9.83 seconds |
16 | Zharnel Hughes | 9.83 seconds |
17 | Noah Lyles | 9.83 seconds |
Fastest person in the world: top 17 list
Historical statistics in short sprint races reveal that the world's fastest runners are mostly African Americans and Jamaicans. Below is a list of the top 17 fastest people in the world and their best speeds ever.
17. Noah Lyles - 9.83 seconds in 100m sprint
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Noah Lyles
- Born: 18 July 1997
- Age: 26 years (as of April 2024)
- Birthplace: Gainesville, Florida, United States
- Event(s): 100 and 200m
Noah Lyles is a professional track and field sprinter competing in the 100 and 200m categories. He is the 2020 Tokyo Olympic 200m bronze medalist and a six-time World champion. Noah Lyles' fastest speed is 9.83 seconds in a 100m sprint.
16. Zharnel Hughes - 9.83 seconds in 100m sprint
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Zharnel Hughes
- Born: 13 July 1995
- Age: 28 years (as of April 2024)
- Birthplace: Anguilla
- Event(s): 100 and 200m
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Zharnel Hughes is an Anguilla-born British sprinter who specialises in the 100 and 200m categories. He has competed internationally for Great Britain in the Olympic Games, World Athletics, and European Athletics events. Zharnel Hughes' fastest speed ever is 9.83 seconds in a 100m sprint.
15. Ronnie Baker - 9.83 seconds in 100m sprint
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Ronnie Baker
- Born: 15 October 1993
- Age: 30 years (as of April 2024)
- Birthplace: Louisville, Kentucky, United States
- Event(s): 60, 100, and 200m
In 2017, Ronnie Baker was the world's fastest man in the 60m category. He achieved a personal best of 9.83 seconds in the men's 100m semi-finals in the Olympics. Baker drew inspiration from and was influenced by prominent sports figures, including Michael Johnson, Tyson Gay, and Usain Bolt.
14. Richard "Torpedo" Thompson - 9.82 seconds in 100m sprint
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Richard Thompson
- Born: 7 June 1985
- Age: 38 years (as of April 2024)
- Birthplace: Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago
- Event(s): 60, 100, and 200m
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Track & field athlete Richard Thompson is a sprinter specialising in 100m sprints. He catapulted to popularity after coming second to Usain Bolt at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and winning a bronze medal. In 2014, Thompson was the eighth fastest sprinter in the Port of Spain. His personal best was 9.82 seconds in June 2014 in the 100m category.
13. Lamont Marcell Jacobs - 9.80 seconds in 100m sprint
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Lamont Marcell Jacobs Jr.
- Born: 26 September 1994
- Age: 29 years (as of April 2024)
- Birthplace: El Paso, Texas, United States
- Event(s): 60, 100, 200, and 4×100m relay
Lamont's impressive track record includes victories in numerous races, including the 100m gold at the 2020 Olympics, the title of 60m world champion in 2022, and becoming the European 100m champion in the same year. Lamont Marcell Jacobs made history as the first Italian to qualify for and claim victory in the men's 100m Olympic final.
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12. Steve Mullings - 9.80 seconds in 100m sprint
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Steve Mullings
- Born: 28 November 1982
- Age: 41 years (as of April 2024)
- Birthplace: St. Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica
- Event(s): 60, 100, and 200m
Jamaican Steve Mullings also makes this list of the world's fastest runners. He specialises in the 100 and 200m categories. Steve's personal best was in the 100m category, where he recorded 9.8 seconds. In 2011, he got a lifetime ban for doping.
11. Maurice Greene - 9.79 seconds in 100m sprint
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Maurice Greene
- Born: 23 July 1974
- Age: 49 years (as of April 2024)
- Birthplace: Kansas City, Kansas, United States
- Event(s): 50, 60, 100, and 200m
Former American track and field athlete Maurice Greene won five Olympic medals, two of which were gold. He held the record for six years until 2005. He was the fastest sprinter five times in his early career. He set the world record for the 100m at the time with a run of 9.79 seconds.
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10. Nesta Carter - 9.78 seconds in 100m sprint
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Nesta Carter
- Born: 11 October 1985
- Age: 38 years (as of April 2024)
- Birthplace: Manchester Parish, Jamaica
- Event(s): 100 and 200m
Former Jamaican sprinter Nesta Carter participated in the 100m race. He won gold medals and set sprinting records. His fastest time ever recorded was 9.78 seconds in the 100m category. In 2013, Carter finished third in Moscow's individual 100m world championships. Nesta is one of the best-known athletes in America.
9. Ferdinand Omanyala - 9.77 seconds in 100m sprint
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Ferdinand Omanyala Omurwa
- Born: 2 January 1996
- Age: 28 years (as of April 2024)
- Birthplace: Nairobi, Kenya
- Event(s): 60, 100, and 200m
Ferdinand Omanyala is a fast runner from Kenya. He runs in short races, including the 60, 100, and 200m categories. In 2022, he won first place in the 100m at the Commonwealth Games and the African Championships in Athletics. Ferdinand Omanyala is the best sprinter in Kenya in the 60 m category.
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8. Trayvon Bromell - 9.76 seconds in 100m sprint
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Trayvon Jaquez Bromell
- Born: 10 July 1995
- Age: 29 years (as of April 2024)
- Birthplace: St. Petersburg, Florida, United States
- Event(s): 60, 100, and 200m
Trayvon Bromell achieved a significant milestone as a junior athlete when he became the first to break the 10-second barrier in the 100m. He set a new junior world record with a remarkable time of 9.97 seconds. Trayvon Bromell showcased his exceptional skills at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, Kenya. He blazed through the race in just 9.76 seconds.
7. Fred Kerley - 9.76 seconds in 100m sprint
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Fredrick Lee Kerley
- Born: 7 May 1995
- Age: 28 years (as of April 2024)
- Birthplace: San Antonio, Texas, United States
- Event(s): 100, 200, and 400m
Fred began his professional journey by participating in the 400m. Throughout his career, he has achieved multiple accolades at the World Championships, excelling in both the 400m and the 4 × 400m relay. In the 2022 competition, Fred Kerley emerged as the gold medalist in the 100m. His personal best was 9.76s in the 100m sprint in Eugene, Oregon, in 2022
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6. Christian Coleman - 9.76 seconds in 100m sprint
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Christian Coleman
- Born: 6 March 1996
- Age: 28 years (as of April 2024)
- Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
- Event(s): 100 and 200m
Sprinter Coleman is among the fastest people in the USA. At the 2017 World Athletics Championships, Christian Coleman won two gold medals. He also runs a 4×100m relay, 4×200m relay, 60m, and 40-yard races. His personal best was 9.76 s in the 100m sprint in Doha, Qatar, in 2019.
5. Justin Gatlin - 9.74 seconds in 100m sprint
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Justin Alexander Gatlin
- Born: 10 February 1982
- Age: 42 years (as of April 2024)
- Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
- Event(s): 60, 100, and 200m
Gatlin is among the Top 10 fastest persons in the world, with a world record of 9.74 seconds in the 100m sprint. He won the Olympic 100m title in 2004 and was the world champion in both 2015 and 2017. Justin Gatlin was the 2005 World Champion in 200 m and the 2019 World Champion in the 4 x 100m relay.
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4. Asafa Powell - 9.72 seconds in 100m sprint
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Asafa Powell
- Born: 23 November 1982
- Age: 41 years (as of April 2024)
- Birthplace: Linstead, Jamaica
- Event(s): 100 and 200m
Retired Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell ranks high on the list of speedy runners. He had a history of setting the 100m world record twice, 9.77 seconds in June 2005 and 9.74 seconds in May 2008. In September 2008, Powell set a personal best record of 9.72 s in the 100m dash race in Lausanne, Switzerland.
3. Yohan Blake - 9.69 seconds in 100m sprint
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Yohan Blake
- Born: 26 December 1989
- Age: 34 years (as of April 2024)
- Birthplace: St. James Parish, Jamaica
- Event(s): 100 and 200m
Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake won gold in the 100 x 4 relay event at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. As a result, fans nicknamed him "The Beast." During the 2011 World Athletics Championships, he won gold in the 100m dash as the youngest 100m world champion ever. Blake has bagged 14 gold, four silver, and three bronze medals in his international competitions.
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2. Tyson Gay - 9.69 seconds in 100m sprint
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Tyson Gay
- Born: 9 August 1982
- Age: 41 years (as of April 2024)
- Birthplace: Lexington, Kentucky, United States
- Event(s): 100 and 200m
Tyson Gay is a retired American athlete. He is the second fastest sprinter globally. He completed a 200m race in 19.58 seconds during the 2009 Adidas Grand Prix competition. Tyson Gay also completed the 100m dash in 9.69 seconds at the 2009 Shanghai Golden Grand Prix.
1. Usain Bolt - 9.58 seconds in 100m sprint
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Usain St. Leo Bolt
- Born: 21 August 1986
- Age: 37 years (as of April 2024)
- Birthplace: Sherwood Content, Jamaica
- Event(s): 100 and 200m
Jamaica sprinter Usain Bolt, the fastest human ever, retired in 2017 with a long list of awards and records to his name. He mostly participated in the 100m race and the world regards him as the greatest 100m sprinter of all time. Fans nicknamed Usain Bolt the "Bullet". His personal best records were 9.58 s in the 100m sprint and 19.19 s in the 200m sprint in Berlin, Germany, in 2009.
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How fast is Usain Bolt?
Usain Bolt's fastest recorded speed is 9.58 seconds in the 100m category. He is the fastest man in the world with a km/h average of 37.58.
What is the world's fastest man's speed?
The fastest speed ever recorded in an 100m sprint was 9.58 seconds by Usain Bolt in 2009.
Who is the fastest woman in the world?
The late Florence Griffith Joyner is regarded as the fastest woman in the world. She registered a world record in women's 100m race after she clocked 10.49 seconds at the US Olympic Trials in July 1988.
Who is the fastest kid in the world?
Rudolph Blaze is a kid athlete who is regarded as the fastest kid in the world. He does 100m sprints and has recorded a top speed of 13.86 seconds.
Who is the fastest man ever in the world?
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Retired Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt is the fastest human in the world. In 2009, he set personal best records of 9.58 seconds in the 100m dash and 19.19 seconds in the 200m dash in Berlin, Germany.
Who is the fastest being in the world?
Usain Bolt is the fastest being in the world. In 2009, he set personal best records of 9.58 seconds in the 100m sprint and 19.19 seconds in the 200m dash in Berlin, Germany.
How fast is Usain Bolt in mph?
Bolt's top speed of 9.58 seconds in the 100m dash is equivalent to 23.35 mph. He is the fastest person in the world in mph.
Even though he is retired, Usain Bolt is regarded as the fastest person in the world today. Other athletes closely following him with their records are Tyson Gay, Yohan Blake, and Asafa Powell.
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Kevin Omuya
Kevin Omuya is a Content Writer with 4 years of experience who joined Sports Brief in 2022. In 2019 he held a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism & Digital Media from KCA University.
Cyprine Apindi
Cyprine Apindi is a content creator and reporter with over 4 years of experience based in Kenya. She holds a Diploma in Mass Communication from Kenyatta University.
Jackline Wangare
Jackline Simwa is a content writer at Sports Brief covering sports and lifestyle topics. Previously, she worked at The Campanile by Kenyatta University and as a Content Creator (Briefly.co.za, Legit.ng, Tuko.co.ke, Yen.com.gh).
Peris Walubengo
Peris Walubengo is a content creator with 4 years of experience in writing informational and entertainment articles, researching, editing, and proofreading.
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