Humans aren't adapted to running as fast as a cheetah (or other creatures). We walk erectly, which is not conducive to great speed; we're not very streamlined. Other animals have two legs that can run faster (or better) than we can are not so vertical as we are and can throw their toes behind them. read more
Cheetahs and humans are optimized for different things. Cheetahs are designed to sprint on four legs where humans are designed to go the distance on two. We can't run sixty miles an hour and no cats can run a marathon. It is theorized that the original human hunting style was chasing a faster animal until it was exhausted. read more
A top speed of roughly 70 mph (112 kph) seems reasonable, but it is just an estimate. read more
The cheetah can accelerate from 0 – 60 mph in 3 seconds, making it the fastest land animal on the planet. Yes, even faster than Usain Bolt. Like Bolt, the cheetah is a sprinter – not a long distance runner – and can only attain high speeds in short bursts due to the tremendous drain on its energy resources. read more