IShowSpeed narrowly loses ‘race’ against cheetah during Africa tour

https://www.dexerto.com/youtube/ishowspeed-narrowly-loses-race-against-cheetah-during-africa-tour-3300286/

Joe Pring Jan 04, 2026 · 2 mins read
IShowSpeed narrowly loses ‘race’ against cheetah during Africa tour
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Just days into his Africa tour, which kicked off on December 29, 2025, IShowSpeed has gone viral once again after taking on a cheetah in a head-to-head, but not before receiving a scratch from the animal during the race warm-up.

The streamer, known for his travel content and athletic stunts, was given the chance to line up alongside the animal. Footage from the stream showed Speed preparing for the race before immediately being left behind once the cheetah took off.

Speed vs. Cheetah

Within moments of the race beginning, the cheetah sprinted ahead, overtaking Speed. Unsurprisingly, the feline won, although a clip of the race, released on Speed’s YouTube channel, showed the two crossing the finish line within moments of each other.

While it may have appeared to be a close contest, it’s worth noting that cheetahs, the fastest land mammal on Earth, have a top speed of around 68-75 mph (100-120 kph). The fastest top speed ever recorded by a human was in 2009 by Usain Bolt, who reached 27.78 mph (44.72 kph).

Before the contest, the cheetah scratched Speed’s leg, leaving a visible wound.

Speed follows in the footsteps of Jimmy ‘MrBeast’ Donaldson, having animals, specifically cheetahs, appear in his content. In a 2024 video, MrBeast held a competition between cheetahs and humans in various activities, including a race against a high-performance vehicle.

During an X/Twitter exchange in July 2025, Donaldson asked Speed to let him know if he ever wanted the former to set him up with a race against the animal.

Speed’s Africa tour is ongoing and is scheduled to until late January 2026.