In Olympic-style speed skating, athletes are moving at highway-level speeds on a thin blade of steel on ice.

Typical speeds

  • Short track skaters usually race at around 48 km/h (about 30 mph) on average.
  • Long track skaters average roughly 56 km/h (about 35 mph) in races.
  • In peak moments, short track skaters can exceed 30–35 mph in top speed bursts.

Top record-level speeds

  • Elite long-track skaters can hit around 58 mph (about 93 km/h) in record-level conditions.
  • The fastest recorded speed on skates is over 103 km/h (about 64 mph), set by Dutch skater Kjeld Nuis in 2022 in a special record attempt, more than double typical race averages.

Why they can go that fast

  • Long, low aerodynamic posture reduces drag so more of their power turns into speed.
  • Clap skates and ultra-smooth ice let them glide with very little friction while they push sideways with powerful leg drive.

How that feels in context

  • Recreational or casual skaters are often closer to 10–20 km/h, so Olympic speed skaters are going more than twice as fast as a strong hobby skater, and far faster in sprints.
  • Visually, that’s why in broadcasts they look like a blur, especially on short track where tight corners and pack racing amplify the sense of speed.

In simple terms: in real races they’re typically around 30–35 mph, and in special record runs, over 60 mph on ice.

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