The average person can usually jog around 6–8 mph and sprint about 12–15 mph if they’re untrained, with fit adults often reaching 15–20 mph in a short burst. For a quick real-world benchmark, a typical 100-meter sprint time of about 15 seconds works out to roughly 14.2 mph.

Quick Scoop

  • Casual running/jogging: about 6–8 mph.
  • Untrained sprinting: about 12–15 mph.
  • Physically active adults sprinting: about 15–20 mph.
  • Elite sprinters: can exceed 27 mph in short bursts.

What “average” means

There isn’t one exact number, because speed changes a lot by distance, fitness, age, and sex. Short sprints are much faster than long-distance running, so “average person running speed” can mean either a jogging pace or a burst sprint depending on context.

Easy way to picture it

If someone says they “run normally,” they’re often closer to a 9:00–10:00 per mile pace or 6–8 mph. If they’re sprinting hard for a short distance, 12–15 mph is a reasonable everyday estimate for an untrained person.

If you want, I can also give you the answer in km/h or compare it to walking, jogging, and sprinting in a small table.