# How long can Usain Bolt remain fast? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 18, 2016, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-usain-bolt-remain-fast/763191 "2016-08-18T17:38:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-usain-bolt-remain-fast/763191/21 "2016-08-19T23:30:04Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Had you eaten 1-3 hours before running? Running on an empty stomach feels far better than a full one. I don’t remember. It was early evening, late afternoon, so lunch was a few hours behind me. I don’t remember if I had a snack. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2017, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-usain-bolt-remain-fast/763191/22 "2017-08-13T00:03:19Z")
Sad ending to his final race: > [@](#): > > It was a heartbreaking ending to an outstanding track and field career for Usain Bolt on Saturday at the IAAF World Championships in London. > > Running the final leg of the men’s 4×100 relay for Jamaica, Bolt failed to finish when a cramp in his left hamstring led him to pull up just after teammate Yohan Blake handed him the baton. > > Bolt collapsed on the track, as the British, American and Japanese teams soared ahead to secure their first-, second- and third-place podium spots, respectively. This is the first time since 2008 that a team other than Jamaica won the event at a major meet. > **[Usain Bolt’s illustrious career ends in tears after cramp downs him in final...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/08/12/usain-bolts-illustrious-career-ends-in-tears-after-injury-downs-him-in-final-race/)** > > Team Jamaica failed to finish the 4x100 with Great Britain winning and Team USA coming in second. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2017, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-usain-bolt-remain-fast/763191/23 "2017-08-13T10:44:33Z")
Sic transit gloria mundi I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2017, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-usain-bolt-remain-fast/763191/24 "2017-08-15T01:12:53Z")
[QUOTE=Washington Post] This is the first time since 2008 that a team other than Jamaica won the event at a major meet. [/QUOTE] That little nugget of information absolutely blows my mind. Sucks for Bolt, though. Fortunately, I doubt many will remember how his career ended, given the incredible feats he has accomplished. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2017, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-usain-bolt-remain-fast/763191/25 "2017-08-15T13:55:50Z")
I just took a look at the US Masters swimming records for 75-79. The top 6-7 50 meter long course, swims would beat most swimmers. They would get me by a couple of seconds and I’m an above average swimmer. I’d think that any average person who tried to race any one like Bolt, even in his 70s would just think, WTF was that as they get left in the dust. ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-usain-bolt-remain-fast/763191/26 "2017-08-16T09:55:01Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > He complained about the shoes and then ran, and it was like watching a master at work. Lightning fast, an absolutely perfect run. He expends not a tiny bit of energy on anything except running fast. Incredible speed. His time was 11 seconds. Am I the only one who thought they did it a bit half-assed? Like they caught him at the end of a training session, gave him a pair of shoes and a standing start and asked him to give it a bash, then held up his time as if it meant anything? I didn’t get the impression of a perfect run anyway. I know it was only a bit of fun but it would have been more interesting had he practised a bit under the conditions and posted a proper time. ---
**Author:** ![Clawdio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d07c76/32.png) [@Clawdio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clawdio)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-usain-bolt-remain-fast/763191/27 "2017-08-16T18:30:07Z")
As someone who started running later in life (relatively anyway - in my late 20’s), I’m always amazed at the muscle memory of the really talented runners that trained & raced in high school and college. If I took 2 months off without running, it would be a slow slog back to fitness. Someone with abilities like Bolt’s On the other hand, I bet he could take about 7 years off, and still crank out a 100 meter run on the first try that wouldn’t win a championship, but would totally destroy your average 25 year old. I think people are also vastly underestimating how slow your average person is. Until the day he dies, Bolt will be faster than 99.999999% of the human population, the only people that would start to beat him would be college track stars and Olympians. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-usain-bolt-remain-fast/763191/28 "2017-08-17T00:09:25Z")
> [@Clawdio](#): > > I think people are also vastly underestimating how slow your average person is. Until the day he dies, Bolt will be faster than 99.999999% of the human population, the only people that would start to beat him would be college track stars and Olympians. I think this is it, too. The average high school wide receiver could probably outrun 98% of Americans in a sprint. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-usain-bolt-remain-fast/763191/29 "2017-08-17T00:14:10Z")
> [@Clawdio](#): > > As someone who started running later in life (relatively anyway - in my late 20’s), I’m always amazed at the muscle memory of the really talented runners that trained & raced in high school and college. > > If I took 2 months off without running, it would be a slow slog back to fitness. Someone with abilities like Bolt’s On the other hand,\*\* I bet he could take about 7 years off, and still crank out a 100 meter run on the first try that wouldn’t win a championship\*\*, but would totally destroy your average 25 year old. > > I think people are also vastly underestimating how slow your average person is. Until the day he dies, Bolt will be faster than 99.999999% of the human population, the only people that would start to beat him would be college track stars and Olympians. Reach world class requires your genetics to be world class to begin with. His untrained state is at a level that few athletes can reach even with training. ---
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-usain-bolt-remain-fast/763191/30 "2017-08-17T23:48:39Z")
True. Bolt could have done zero training, eaten nothing but nuggets and thick shakes his entire life, and (assuming he kept his weight reasonable), could have walked onto a track for the first time at age 22 and run sub-12. Assuming he didn’t destroy his hamstrings on Day 1, in 3 days he would have been running sub-11. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-usain-bolt-remain-fast/763191.md?page=1)