Sprint Speed Calculator
Your speed over a timed sprint — a 40-yard dash, a 30 m fly or a 100 m — in metres per second, km/h and mph, with how it compares.
Speed is distance over time.
How the sprint speed calculator works
Speed is distance over time. A hand-timed sprint from a standing start includes the acceleration, so the average speed understates the top speed reached; a flying sprint (timing gates after a run-in) gives the true peak. Team-sport athletes typically average 7–8 m/s over 30–40 m; elite sprinters pass 11 m/s at top speed.
Formula: speed = distance ÷ time
Worked examples
| Inputs | Average speed | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 40 yards in 5.2 s | 7.03 m/s | 7.03 m/s |
| 30 m in 4.1 s | 7.32 m/s | 7.32 m/s |
| 100 m in 12.0 s | 8.33 m/s | 8.33 m/s, 30 km/h |
FAQFrequently asked questions
What is a good 40-yard dash time?
Under 4.5 seconds is elite (NFL combine standouts run 4.3), 4.6–4.9 is very good for a team-sport athlete, 5.0–5.5 is typical for a fit amateur. Hand timing runs about 0.2 s faster than electronic.
Why is my average speed lower than my top speed?
A sprint from a standing start spends the first 20–30 m accelerating. Over 40 m your top speed may be 15–20% higher than the average; a flying 30 m with a run-in measures the peak.
How fast is a 100 m sprinter?
The world record of 9.58 s is an average of 10.44 m/s (37.6 km/h), with a top speed near 12.3 m/s. A 12-second 100 m is 8.3 m/s.
Does the surface matter?
Yes — grass with boots is slower than a track with spikes by a few percent, and a headwind or soft ground slows it further. Compare times on the same surface.
Where these figures come from
- Riegel PS, "Athletic records and human endurance", American Scientist 1981 — T2 = T1 × (D2 ÷ D1)^1.06
- Cooper KH, "A means of assessing maximal oxygen intake", JAMA 1968 — the 12-minute run test
- Ainsworth BE et al., Compendium of Physical Activities (2024 update) — MET values by activity
- OpenPowerlifting — DOTS coefficients (Tim Konertz, 2019) — the DOTS polynomial used for scoring
- Naismith's rule (1892) as used by UK and Australian walking bodies — 1 hour per 5 km plus 1 hour per 600 m of ascent
- UK Sport — national high-performance body
Last checked: September 2026. Formulas are fixed by their published sources; the MET values come from the Compendium of Physical Activities.