How long can a human run at top speed?

Answer 1

Once accelerated, sprinters can run at top speed for about 70 to 100 yards (65 to 90 m) as evidenced by NFL football players. This equates to about 8 to 10 seconds before a less strenuous pace has to be adopted.

However, as seen in competitions from 400 meters to 5000 meters, the pace set is only slightly slower than the maximum speed obtained by the first 50 yards and equalled in the final 50 yards. Long distance runners have run 5000 meters in less than 13 minutes, the equivalent of running three miles in just over 4 minutes each.