A healthy domestic pig can run faster than the average human can jog.

Domestic pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus) are surprisingly athletic despite their bulky appearance. A healthy adult pig can sustain a galloping speed of approximately 11 miles per hour, nearly double the average human jogging pace of 4 to 6 miles per hour. This capability stems from their unguligrade locomotion—they walk on the tips of their toes—which provides superior leverage and spring action.Physiologically, pigs have a low center of gravity and a high muscle-to-fat ratio in healthy individuals. Their muscular hindquarters enable explosive bursts of speed, a trait inherited from their wild boar ancestors, who needed to outrun predators like wolves and bears in dense forest environments.Research published in the Journal of Experimental Biology confirms that wild boars can reach peak speeds of 30 miles per hour. While domestication has prioritized size and meat production over speed, the fundamental skeletal structure remains capable of significant velocity. Modern farm pigs retain remarkable agility on uneven terrain, often surprising casual observers.By comparison, the average untrained human male runs at about 8 miles per hour and jogs considerably slower. Only elite sprinters—such as Usain Bolt, who achieved 27.78 miles per hour in 2009—can outrun wild boars. For most people, a determined domestic pig represents a formidable runner that is difficult to catch on foot.