A study fitting wild cheetahs in northern Botswana with high-rate GPS and inertial collars recorded hundreds of hunting runs. Peak speeds were high, with the fastest run measured at roughly 26 metres per second, but the average hunt ran considerably slower. The striking values were in acceleration and braking: the cats gained and shed several metres per second within a single stride.
That capability rests on grip and geometry. Cheetahs have semi-retractile claws that stay partly exposed and act like sprint spikes, ridged pads, a long tail used as a counterweight, and a highly flexible spine. Manoeuvre, not raw velocity, decides the outcome once the prey begins to jink.
The familiar claim that cheetahs overheat and must abandon chases has not held up. Direct body-temperature measurement during hunts showed only modest rises during the run, with the larger increase coming afterwards, apparently linked to the stress of defending a kill rather than to the sprint itself.