# How fast to run on water?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-to-run-on-water/746706>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 21, 2016, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-to-run-on-water/746706 "2016-02-21T17:28:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-to-run-on-water/746706/21 "2016-02-22T19:44:44Z")

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> [@AskNott](#):
>
> I guess we’ll have to wait until a human can run that fast.

The Messiah is coming… quickly.

> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#):
>
> Mythbusters tried it with college track and field athletes. It didn’t work. This was fairly fresh still water. No corn starch or whatever it is you can add to water to make it, um, that weird stuff.

A non-Newtonian fluid. Though I gather the name normally given to cornstarch and water suspension specifically is oobleck.

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**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2016, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-to-run-on-water/746706/22 "2016-02-23T12:00:41Z")

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> [@LSLGuy](#):
>
> It also works good in very shallow water, say 1/4" or so. 🙂

Or, to

[quote Bootsy Collins]  
([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0UFTxZy6tg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0UFTxZy6tg)), ‘The secret to walkin´ on water is knowing where the rocks are!’ (around 35 seconds in)

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**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2016, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-to-run-on-water/746706/23 "2016-02-23T23:55:08Z")

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[Shaolin monk running on water](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXoGo5_IB5s). I’m torn whether this is impressive or ridiculous, but I’m leaning towards impressive.

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**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2016, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-to-run-on-water/746706/24 "2016-02-24T02:08:49Z")

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> [@Greg\_Charles](#):
>
> [Shaolin monk running on water](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXoGo5_IB5s). I’m torn whether this is impressive or ridiculous, but I’m leaning towards impressive.

Not hard to believe, just like having large webbed feet. A faster runner would have done even better.

I am surprised we got no educated guesses as to the speed needed to maintain running on top of water. It would seem the flatter and faster your foot hit the water the longer the shock wave would be involving more water mass.

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