A healthy adult polar bear can sprint at about 40 km/h (around 25 mph), but only for short bursts of a few hundred meters to a couple of kilometers.

Quick Scoop: Polar bear speed

  • Top running speed: about 40 km/h (25 mph) in short sprints.
  • Typical walking speed: roughly 5–6 km/h (about 3–4 mph).
  • Younger, leaner bears run better and can keep that sprint up slightly longer than older, heavier bears.
  • They overheat and burn energy very quickly when running, so they mostly save sprinting for quick charges at prey or threats.

How that compares

  • That 40 km/h sprint is much faster than an average human, and comparable to the lower end of a galloping horse’s speed.
  • Humans typically top out around 10–24 km/h (6–15 mph), with only exceptional sprinters reaching near or slightly above polar bear speeds, and only for very short distances.

A quick “story” picture

Imagine a polar bear ambling across the ice at a relaxed walking pace—about as fast as a person on a casual stroll—then suddenly spotting a seal and exploding into a powerful charge, covering the distance at car‑in‑the-city speed for just long enough to try to grab its prey before it needs to slow down and cool off.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.