The legends of speed: Meet the fastest runners in 2024

• With the 2024 Summer Olympics fast approaching, we’ve decided to take a look at those athletes who stunned us by recording some unbelievable finishing time
• The title ‘fastest runner’ is usually given to the best in the 100-metre race
• Nicknamed ‘Lightning Bolt’, Usain Bolt holds the record for the fastest runner in the world

Wondering who are the fastest runners in the world? Look no more because you just came to the right place.

With the 2024 Summer Olympics fast approaching, we’ve decided to take a look at those athletes who stunned us by recording some unbelievable finishing time at various events all over the world. The title ‘fastest runner’ is usually given to the best in the 100-metre race so don’t be surprised by the absence of record breakers Kelvin Kiptum and Eliud Kipchoge on this list. With that intro, let’s get started:

1. Usain Bolt – 9.58 Seconds

Usain Bolt. Photo/ Sportscasting.

Nicknamed ‘Lightning Bolt’, Usain Bolt holds the record for the fastest runner in the world. Despite retiring from athletics in 2017, he still holds the world record in both the 100m and 200m races. He set both records in 2019 at the World Athletics championships in Berlin, Germany.

Bolt finished the 100m race in 9.58 seconds and the 200m race in 19.19 seconds. Other than those impressive numbers, the Jamaican boasts 11 World Championships titles and has won eight Olympic gold medals.

2. Tyson Gay – 9.69 Seconds 

Tyson Gay stunned the world at the 2007 Osaka World Championships when he won 3 gold medals in the 100 m, 200 m and 4 × 100 m relay. He set a championship record time of 9.69 seconds in the 100m race, which makes him rank second among the fastest runners in the world.

Gay is widely regarded as one of the best athletes of his generation, thanks to his remarkable speed and achievements. The American is a three-time World champion, one-time diamond league final winner and one- time world championship silver medalist.

3. Yohan Blake – 9.69 Seconds

Yohan Blake. Photo/ Canadian Running Magazine.

Having also finished a 100m race in 9.69 seconds, Yohan Blake is tied with Tyson Gay on the list of the fastest runners in the world. Bolt nicknamed Blake ‘The Beast’ for his prowess which was already evident during his teenage days.

Blake held the record for being the youngest sprinter to have broken the 10-second barrier and soon became the youngest ever champion at 21 years old. The Jamaican achieved his personal best of 9.69 at the IAAF meeting in Lausanne (SUI) on 23 August 2012.

4. Asafa Powell – 9.72 Seconds 

Asafa Powell held the world record for the 100m race before Usain Bolt, setting it twice between 2005 and 2008. The Jamaican was a gifted runner who dominated short races at the peak of his career and his exceptional speed and consistency has been praised over the years.

Powell set his personal best of 9.72 second in 2008 in Lausanne, Switzerland. The 41-year-old also holds the world record for the 100-yard dash with a time of 9.09 seconds

5. Justin Gatlin – 9. 74 Seconds 

Next on the list of the fastest runners in the world is Justin Gatlin. He achieved his personal best of 9.74 second in the 100 m race back in May 2015 during the Doha Diamond League meeting. Gatlin competed in the 60 meters, 100 meters, and 200 meters during his days and is the 2004 Olympic Champion in 100 m race.

Justin Gatlin. Photo/ Times of India.

By winning silver at the World Athletics Championships in 2019, Gatlin became the oldest sprinter to win a medal in the men’s 100 metres. He was at the time 37.

6. Christian Coleman – 9.76 Seconds 

Christian Coleman is one of the runners who have put the United States on the map when it comes to short races. Coleman is known for his explosive speed and was ranked the world number one runner in the men’s 100 m for the 2017, 2018 and 2019 seasons.

His personal best of 9.76 seconds achieved at the 2018 Diamond League finals makes him rank among the fastest runners in the world right now. The American didn’t compete in the 2021 Summer Olympics because he was serving a ban due to repeated missed drug tests.

7. Fred Kerley – 9.76 Seconds

American athlete Fred Kerley focused on the 400m during the early years of his career. He then shifted to shorter races and has since achieved success, including winning silver in the 100m race at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The 29-year-old achieved his personal best of 9.76 seconds in 2022.

Fred Kerley. Photo/ NBC Sports.

8. Trayvon Bromell – 9.76 Seconds 

Trayvon Bromell made a name for himself in track and field events while still young. In May 2014, he became the first junior athlete to break the 10-second barrier in the 100m race when he ran a time of 9.77 at the Big 12 Championships.

In 2021, Bromell joined the list of the fastest runners when he finished a 100-metre race in 9.76 seconds. His only challenge over the years has been injuries.