A typical Cirneco dell'Etna tops out around 25.2 mph in Fast CAT. The fastest one on record ran 34.85 mph. 2.5 mph faster than the typical dog (22.7 mph). The fastest Cirneco dell'Etnas outrun Usain Bolt's top speed by 7.1 mph.
Based on the best Fast CAT run of 131 Cirneco dell'Etnas, a typical Cirneco dell'Etna tops out at 25.2 mph, and half of them run faster than 26.1 mph. That makes the Cirneco dell'Etna the 17th fastest of the 226 breeds that have run Fast CAT.
Only 3 Cirneco dell'Etnas have ever broken 30 mph, and 82 have topped 25 mph.
Among the most popular Hound breeds, the typical Cirneco dell'Etna is faster than 5 of 8. The Greyhound is the quickest of the bunch at 32.9 mph, and the Rhodesian Ridgeback (24.7 mph) runs closest to the Cirneco dell'Etna. Over Fast CAT's 100 yards, the 7.7 mph gap to the Greyhound is about 1.91 seconds.
Rockinheart's Snap Dragon Of My Heart Runamok holds the fastest consistent run by any Cirneco dell'Etna: 34.85 mph at the Inland Gazehound Fanciers of Greater Spokane in Washington on May 26, 2019. That's 100 yards in 5.87 seconds.
Cirneco dell'Etnas come in more than one Fast CAT height group. 68 measured over 18 inches and averaged 25.7 mph; 63 measured 12 to 18 inches and averaged 24.6 mph. Smaller dogs earn extra points per mph toward their titles, so the shorter ones rack up titles faster.
A little. The typical Cirneco dell'Etna ran 24.7 mph in 2021 (28 dogs) and 25.7 mph in 2025 (38 dogs). As more everyday pets join in, the average moves around.
Virginia has the most Cirneco dell'Etna runs, 331 of them, followed by Washington, Idaho, Florida. The fastest Cirneco dell'Etna run in Virginia is 29.43 mph.
Cirneco dell'Etnas are sighthounds, built for exactly this: a straight sprint after a lure. Most catch on in a run or two. Any AKC-registered Cirneco dell'Etna over 12 months old can enter, and the only real training is a reliable finish: have someone your dog will run to waiting past the line.
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Speeds from AKC Fast CAT results. Photographers: spotted your work? Tell us at [email protected] and we'll credit it or take it down.