# How fast can the Incredible Hulk run? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 7, 2011, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-the-incredible-hulk-run/591875 "2011-08-07T22:45:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-the-incredible-hulk-run/591875/1 "2011-08-07T22:45:33Z")
let’s say he was at the bonneville salt flats and he had the motivation to run as fast as he can. we know that the likes of blue flame and budweiser rocket can touch the speed of sound while remaining earth-bound. how fast can a biped go, assuming his strength far exceeds any constraint in his weight, ground friction, and air resistance? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-the-incredible-hulk-run/591875/2 "2011-08-07T23:06:32Z")
While I have little factual information to offer, I CAN move this to Cafe Society, where users more attuned than I can answer your question. **samclem** , Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-the-incredible-hulk-run/591875/3 "2011-08-08T00:57:15Z")
I don’t know, but I’ll think on it… The fastest land animals are skinny, lightweight things. Cheetahs are faster than tigers or leopards. Antelopes are faster than musk ox. So that goes against a speedy Hulk. OTOH, the Hulk has a better strength to weight ratio than a tiger or pretty much anything apart from a Thunder God. But in a conventional running mode he’d be limited by how fast he can move his legs and how much friction he can generate each time a foot touches down. Anyway, my guess is faster than a normal human, maybe 50 miles an hour and it would look a lot like little leaps (kinda like skipping). In a non-leaping mode maybe 30. These are numbers I just arbitrarily settled on. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-the-incredible-hulk-run/591875/4 "2011-08-08T01:03:23Z")
Fast enough to run around the world backwards and turn back time. I think. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-the-incredible-hulk-run/591875/5 "2011-08-08T01:24:44Z")
> [@mac\_bolan00](#): > > let’s say he was at the bonneville salt flats and he had the motivation to run as fast as he can. we know that the likes of blue flame and budweiser rocket can touch the speed of sound while remaining earth-bound. how fast can a biped go, assuming his strength far exceeds any constraint in his weight, ground friction, and air resistance? Hulks usual MO for getting around is leaping via big jumps. I don’t think him “running real fast” has ever been presented as a story scenario for a use of his strength. He can catch jet airplanes in flight with his leaps, so his jumping speed would be hundreds to thousands of miles an hour. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-the-incredible-hulk-run/591875/6 "2011-08-08T01:38:40Z")
Bow to my Google-Fu! [215 mph](http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/5151/08022007001jm6.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-the-incredible-hulk-run/591875/7 "2011-08-08T02:02:07Z")
can’t access your 215mph. if he’s too fast, he’d be flying (or taking very long floating strides.) he has to run in such a way as to hit the ground as often as possible. rocket/jet cars have fins and spoilers to make sure the wheels are mashing the ground. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-the-incredible-hulk-run/591875/8 "2011-08-08T02:10:29Z")
He can bound further and faster than an apache helicopter. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-the-incredible-hulk-run/591875/9 "2011-08-08T02:18:53Z")
> [@mac\_bolan00](#): > > can’t access your 215mph. if he’s too fast, he’d be flying (or taking very long floating strides.) he has to run in such a way as to hit the ground as often as possible. rocket/jet cars have fins and spoilers to make sure the wheels are mashing the ground. The link is to a jpg scan of a comic that has a helicopter pilot say “The good doctor is a mile and a half southwest, Hawkeye. Ground speed of two hundred and fifteen miles an hour..” As to the physics how, it’s a comic book. The writers can just handwave and babble something about “the speed force” like DC does with The Flash. For real world physics, the fastest extant biped is the ostrich at 31 mph, and the fastest extinct biped was the [Dromiceiomimus](http://dinosaurs.about.com/od/carnivorousdinosaurs/p/dromiceiomimus.htm) which could do 45-50 mph. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-the-incredible-hulk-run/591875/10 "2011-08-08T02:30:26Z")
> [@mac\_bolan00](#): > > if he’s too fast, he’d be flying (or taking very long floating strides.) he has to run in such a way as to hit the ground as often as possible. rocket/jet cars have fins and spoilers to make sure the wheels are mashing the ground. Well, for a silly image he could keep doing that thunderclap thing with his palms over his head as he runs, to drive himself downwards and retain ground contact. Just picture him running about while frantically clapping his hands over his head. ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-the-incredible-hulk-run/591875/11 "2011-08-08T02:32:04Z")
i think relativity will come into play there, depending on whether he’s coming towards you or away from. ---
**Author:** ![OneMissedPost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e7dd6/32.png) [@OneMissedPost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneMissedPost)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-the-incredible-hulk-run/591875/12 "2011-08-08T02:33:31Z")
Why would the Hulk need to run? ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-the-incredible-hulk-run/591875/13 "2011-08-08T02:41:50Z")
underground? ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-the-incredible-hulk-run/591875/14 "2011-08-08T02:44:52Z")
Or maybe with his arms out and his palms angled towards the ground, they’re so big, they ought generate some downforce, he’s a scientist, he can figure it out. While he’s at it, he can make BBbbbbbb sounds with his mouth, too. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![J-P\_L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/j-p_l/32/3156_2.png) [@J-P\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J-P_L)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-the-incredible-hulk-run/591875/15 "2011-08-08T16:40:43Z")
He can run as fast as the movie director needs him to run. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-the-incredible-hulk-run/591875/16 "2011-08-08T16:57:12Z")
> [@Doctor\_Who](#): > > Fast enough to run around the world backwards and turn back time. I think. He doesn’t run around the world-he gets angry at time and smacks it backwards. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-the-incredible-hulk-run/591875/17 "2011-08-08T19:48:41Z")
I bet he can run petty fast if he has an emergency trip to the bathroom. If he even uses one! ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-the-incredible-hulk-run/591875/18 "2011-08-09T00:53:28Z")
> [@jake](#): > > i bet he can run petty fast if he has an emergency trip to the bathroom. If he even uses one! HULK SMASH PUNY TOILET (all caps, damnit) ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-the-incredible-hulk-run/591875/19 "2011-08-09T01:01:08Z")
> [@OneMissedPost](#): > > Why would the Hulk need to run? Obviously he’s either angry at James Howlett or horny for Jennifer Walters. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-the-incredible-hulk-run/591875/20 "2011-08-09T01:15:58Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > HULK SMASH PUNY TOILET) Well, with his superhuman bowel muscles, he probably does. “What’s that crater from?” “Hulk poop.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-the-incredible-hulk-run/591875.md?page=2)