World Record: Fastest Runner
Could a bear boost Bolt?
In 2009, Usain Bolt reached the top human running speed ever recorded, of 44.72 km/h (27.78 mph) at the World Championships in Berlin. However, he was not being chased by a bear. If he had been chased by a bear at the World Championships, we can assume his speed would have been even higher. There is science to back up this assertion. Individuals chased by bears (or other frightening predators) release adrenaline, which is a natural performance enhancing drug. In fact, artificial adrenaline is banned, because it boosts athletic performance.
The adrenaline produced by flight from bears is natural and organic, and would not result in disqualification. However, we do not advocate adding bears to athletic competitions.
Longer Distances
Usain Bolt’s speed is limited to shorter distances. Eliud Kipchoge ran the fastest marathon ever, breaking the two-hour barrier in 2019 with a time of 1:56:40. Certain organizations refused to acknowledge this record because Kipchoge broke the record running alone, and not under “race conditions.” But such a standard is arbitrary and capricious—and if applied uniformly—would eliminate most records. For example, consider the record for “most times struck by lightning.” The record holder is Roy Sullivan who was hit seven times. But should Roy be disqualified because he was never hit during a lightning-strike competition? How would such a competition even be organized? Would contestants stand on a high hill during a thunderstorm? Would they be allowed to fly kites and hold metal rods? And what if a single lightning bolt hit two contestants—would each receive 1 point, or 1/2 point? This illustration makes it clear that superlative achievements should be counted regardless of whether they occurred during competition.
