How Fast Can a Hare Run? Brown Hare Speed and Escape Tactics

How fast is a brown hare?

The figure most often quoted for the European hare is a top speed of about 70 km/h (43 mph). It is an estimate rather than a precise measurement, because wild hares are difficult to time accurately, and some sources give slightly lower or higher numbers. Over longer runs, speeds of around 50–55 km/h (31–34 mph) are more realistic.

What makes the hare special is that it combines a fast sprint with stamina. It does not need to reach a burrow within a few seconds, because it does not have one. Instead it lives in the open and must be able to keep running until a predator gives up.

What makes hares so fast?

Several features of a hare’s body work together:

• Long hind legs and big feet. The hind legs are much longer than the front legs and act like springs, pushing the hare forward in long bounds.
• Lean build. A brown hare weighs about 3–5 kg (6.6–11 lb) but carries little fat, and its body is long and slim.
• Dark, powerful muscles. The leg muscles are rich in blood vessels and suited to long periods of hard work.
• Big heart and wide nostrils. These help supply the muscles with oxygen during a long chase.
• Wide-angle vision. Eyes set high on the sides of the head give an almost all-round view, so a hare can watch a chaser while it runs.

Zigzags and escape tactics

A hare rarely runs in a straight line for long when chased. Instead it makes sudden, sharp turns, often just as the predator is about to catch up. The chaser, moving fast and in a straight line, overshoots and loses ground while the hare speeds off in a new direction.

Hares also use other tricks. They may double back on their own trail and then make a long leap to the side, which breaks the line of scent that a fox or dog is following. Before being chased at all, a hare usually relies on camouflage. It lies flat in its form, a shallow hollow in the ground, and stays still until danger is very close, then bursts away at full speed.

Hare vs rabbit: who is faster?

Hares are faster runners than rabbits. The European rabbit is smaller, with shorter legs, and is built for quick dashes to the safety of a burrow that is rarely more than a few dozen meters away. Rabbits often freeze, then sprint and zigzag over a short distance, flashing their white tails as they go.

A hare lives above ground in open fields and must outrun or outlast its enemies instead of hiding underground. That difference in lifestyle explains why the hare has longer legs, more stamina and a higher top speed. The rabbit vs hare comparison covers other differences between the two.

How hares compare with other fast animals

All of these speeds are approximate and come from a variety of field observations and estimates. The main point is that a healthy adult hare can outrun most of the predators it meets in the wild, including the red fox. Only the very fastest hunters, such as the cheetah, are in a different league. See the fastest animals list for more record holders.

Are hares fast from birth?

Young hares, called leverets, are born with fur and open eyes and can move within hours, but they are not fast runners at first. For the first weeks their main defense is staying hidden and still. As they grow, their legs lengthen and their muscles strengthen, and by the time they are a few months old they can run almost as fast as adults.

Even adult hares do not live at full speed. They walk slowly while feeding, hop when moving short distances, and save their sprints for the moments when a predator gets too close. Running flat out uses a great deal of energy, so the hare’s best strategy is to spot danger early and run only when it must.

Speed also has limits as a defense. It works best in open country, where a hare can see a predator coming and has room to run. Ambush hunters such as foxes stalking along a hedge, or birds of prey such as golden eagles and goshawks attacking from above, can catch a hare before it reaches full speed. That is why hares choose resting places with a clear view and stay so alert while they feed.