A typical Rhodesian Ridgeback tops out around 24.7 mph in Fast CAT. The fastest one on record ran 33.81 mph. 2.0 mph faster than the typical dog (22.7 mph). The fastest Rhodesian Ridgebacks outrun Usain Bolt's top speed by 6.0 mph.
Ridgeback: same breed, same answer. Based on the best Fast CAT run of 1,709 Rhodesian Ridgebacks, a typical Rhodesian Ridgeback tops out at 24.7 mph, and half of them run faster than 25.5 mph. That makes the Rhodesian Ridgeback the 28th fastest of the 226 breeds that have run Fast CAT.
Only 18 Rhodesian Ridgebacks have ever broken 30 mph, and 1,006 have topped 25 mph.
Among the most popular Hound breeds, the typical Rhodesian Ridgeback is faster than 4 of 8. The Greyhound is the quickest of the bunch at 32.9 mph, and the Afghan Hound (23.9 mph) runs closest to the Rhodesian Ridgeback. Over Fast CAT's 100 yards, the 8.2 mph gap to the Greyhound is about 2.08 seconds.
Mwen-yezi's Single Malt Scotch holds the fastest consistent run by any Rhodesian Ridgeback: 33.81 mph at the Afghan Hound Club of Greater Portland in Washington on July 28, 2018. That's 100 yards in 6.05 seconds.
AKC's results also show Macha at 34.85 mph, but that dog's next-best run is 29.77 mph. A jump that big is usually a timing or typing error, so we flag it rather than crown it.
On Dash-Hound, the fastest Rhodesian Ridgeback is Tyco, with a best of 29.60 mph over 27 logged runs.
A little. The typical Rhodesian Ridgeback ran 23.5 mph in 2016 (27 dogs) and 24.8 mph in 2025 (413 dogs). As more everyday pets join in, the average moves around.
California has the most Rhodesian Ridgeback runs, 1,681 of them, followed by Florida, New Jersey, Washington. The fastest Rhodesian Ridgeback run in California is 31.04 mph.
Any AKC-registered Rhodesian Ridgeback over 12 months old can enter, and your dog runs alone down a straight 100 yards. Most dogs figure out the lure fast. Have someone your dog will run to waiting past the finish line, because a dog that stops to check on you can lose a second or two.
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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.