40-yard dash calculator: your 100m, mph and top speed
Enter a 40-yard dash or 100m time to get an estimate for the other event, plus your average and top speed. Under that, the calculator lines you up against the fastest athletes on record and shows how far behind (or ahead) you'd finish.
These numbers are estimates from a sprint velocity curve fitted to Usain Bolt's official Berlin 2009 splits. A 40 is timed from first movement and often by hand, so football 40s convert to optimistic 100m times. How the estimate works
- Bo Jackson 4.13 s (claimed)Jackson wins by 7.3 yd
- Usain Bolt 4.20 s (split inside his 9.58)Bolt wins by 6.5 yd
- Xavier Worthy 4.21 s (Combine record)Worthy wins by 6.4 yd
- Tyreek Hill 4.29 s (Pro Day 2016)Hill wins by 5.5 yd
Athlete speed pages
- Usain BoltTop speed in mph and km/h, plus his 40-yard split
- Tyreek HillPro Day 40, track PRs and game speed
- Noah Lyles100m and 200m bests and a 40 estimate
- Gout GoutLegal vs. wind-assisted 100m, and the 19.67 200m
- Bo JacksonWhere the 4.12 came from, and what was timed
- IShowSpeedWhether he has a verified 100m time
Famous marks in mph
Average speed is distance divided by time. Estimated top speed comes from the same model the calculator uses, so treat it as a ballpark.
| Athlete | Mark | Avg mph | Est. top mph |
|---|---|---|---|
| Usain Bolt | 9.58 (100m world record, 2009) | 23.4 | 27.3 |
| Noah Lyles | 9.79 (100m, Paris 2024) | 22.8 | 26.6 |
| Gout Gout | 10.00 (100m, Brisbane 2026) | 22.4 | 26.0 |
| Xavier Worthy | 4.21 (40, Combine record 2024) | 19.4 | 27.2 |
| Tyreek Hill | 4.29 (40, Pro Day 2016) | 19.1 | 26.5 |
How the calculator estimates
The calculator fits one sprint velocity curve to Usain Bolt's official 10 m splits from his 9.58 world record and scales it to your time. A 40 is timed from first movement and a 100m from the gun, so estimated 100m times include a 0.15 s reaction. Hand-timed 40s and football starts make converted 100m times optimistic. Full method and limits.
Converters and records
- 40-yard dash to 100mConversion chart from 4.2 to 6.0, both directions
- 40-yard dash to mphAverage and top speed for every 40 time
- Fastest 40-yard dash everEvery Combine 40 of 4.27 or faster since 1999
- How fast can a human run?Record speeds and what limits them
- How fast is my time?Rate your 100m, 200m, 400m and 40
- Get fasterGuides on starts, acceleration and top speed
FAQ
The Sprint University app
Turn your 40 or 100m into a training plan
The Sprint University app plans your speed work from your current 40 or 100m and adjusts each session to how recovered you are that morning. The program comes from Lawrence L.O. Johnson, a 6× NCAA All-American and Team USA sprinter.
Get Sprint UniversitySources
- World Athletics: “Bolt again! 9.58 World record in Berlin” (16 Aug 2009)
- SpeedEndurance.com: “Usain Bolt splits 9.69 vs 9.58” (IAAF 20 m splits, 60–80 m in 1.61 s)
- Wanda Diamond League: Noah Lyles athlete profile (100m 9.79 Paris 2024 and New York 2026; 200m 19.31)
- Local Ipswich News: “Gout Gout dazzles with record-equalling 100m time” (10.00, +0.9, Feb 2026)
- NFL.com: “Texas WR Xavier Worthy sets NFL Scouting Combine record with 4.21-second 40-yard dash” (2024)
- DraftScout: Tyreek Hill 2016 profile (Pro Day 40: 4.29, range 4.28–4.29; 10 yd 1.50)
- ScienceDaily: “Speed limit: Humans could run 40 mph, in theory” (SMU, Jan 2010)
- Helene & Yamashita, “The force, power and energy of the 100 meter sprint,” Am. J. Phys. 78, 307 (2010): Berlin 2009 10 m splits and 0.146 s reaction (IAAF data)
- Samozino et al., “A simple method for measuring power, force, velocity properties, and mechanical effectiveness in sprint running,” Scand. J. Med. Sci. Sports 26:648–658 (2016)
- Wikipedia: 40-yard dash (36.576 m; Combine hand-start/electronic-stop timing since 1999)