List of the Fastest Things in the World

Oct 6, 2025, 19:00 IST

The Fastest thing in the world is Light. We have always been fascinated with measuring the speed of everything around us, whether it is running, driving, talking, moving, or more. As per Guinness World Records, here are the top 10 fastest things in the world.

Fastest things in the world: Ever since humans invented the wheel, we have been obsessed with one thing - speed. Whether it is running faster, driving faster, or even flying beyond limits, we always want to know: how fast can things really go?

Over time, humans have built machines that challenge nature itself - cars that break the sound barrier, planes that outfly bullets, and rockets that leave the atmosphere behind. But even with all our progress, there are still speeds beyond our reach, like the mind-blowing velocity of light

There are many more things that are faster than we imagine.

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Fastest Things in the World

Here is the list of the Top 10 Fastest things in the world:

Sr. No.

Category

Name

1

Fastest Human (Running)

Usain Bolt

2

Fastest Land Animal

The Cheetah

3

Fastest Rollercoaster

Formula Rossa

4

Fastest Car

Thrust SSC

5

Fastest Human (Freefall)

Felix Baumgartner

6

Fastest Aircraft

The X-15 Rocket Plane

7

Fastest Humans Ever

Apollo 10 Astronauts

8

Fastest Planet

Mercury

9

Fastest Star

S4714

10

Fastest Thing in the Universe

Light

1. Fastest Human (Running)

Usain Bolt from Jamaica still holds the title of the fastest human alive. On August 16, 2009, Bolt sprinted 100 meters in just 9.58 seconds at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin. That is an average speed of 37.58 km/h (23.35 mph).

2. Fastest Land Animal

The fastest land animal is the cheetah. These big cats can reach 64.3 mph (103.4 km/h) in just a few seconds, over double Bolt’s top speed. In 1965, a female cheetah clocked this insane speed during a 201-meter sprint. While cheetahs are built for explosive sprints, the North American pronghorn wins at long-distance running, maintaining 56 km/h for over 6 km.

3. Fastest Rollercoaster

Located in Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi, Formula Rossa is the fastest rollercoaster in the world. This rollercoaster launches riders to 149.1 mph (240 km/h) in under 5 seconds, with a track inspired by Italy’s Monza Circuit.

4. Fastest Car

The world’s fastest car is actually a jet-powered beast called Thrust SSC. Driven by Andy Green (UK) in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert in 1997, it became the first car to break the sound barrier, hitting 763 mph (1,227.9 km/h).

5. Fastest Human (Freefall)

In 2012, Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner literally jumped from space. During his Red Bull Stratos mission, he free-fell from 39 km above Earth, hitting a jaw-dropping 843.6 mph (1,357.6 km/h),  breaking the sound barrier without any engine. He even set eight world records, proving humans can fly faster than they can run.

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Conclusion

From the swift sprint of Usain Bolt to the unimaginable velocity of light, speed defines progress and our obsession with pushing limits. So, we can say that humanity has come a long way, and the zeal for mapping speed is not going to end anytime soon.

Sneha Singh
Sneha Singh

Content Writer

    Sneha Singh is a US News Content Writer at Jagran Josh, covering major developments in international policies and global affairs. She holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Amity University, Lucknow Campus. With over six months of experience as a Sub Editor at News24 Digital, Sneha brings sharp news judgment, SEO expertise and a passion for impactful storytelling.

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