A high school kid who does not participate in athletics would most likely be 14-15 seconds. I would add roughly two seconds for females. A fast high school track athlete runs the 100 meters in around 13 seconds. An athletic female who participates in a different sport may take 15 to 17 seconds. This means that an average 14-year-old male high school student runner can run 100 meters in around 26 seconds.
An adult male running coach estimates that an average 14-year-old boy can run 12 miles an hour (19 km/h). That's faster than the average speed of a college marathoner and about as fast as the average speed of an elite marathoner. It's also about the same speed as the world record for the 100 meter dash. So it is possible for an average teenager to be this fast!
The estimate was made based on observations of many young runners. He estimated that a 15-year-old boy could run 13 miles an hour (21 km/h), and a 20-year-old man could run 11 miles an hour (18 km/h).
He also said that an average teen girl cannot run as fast as a boy because girls' bodies are not built for speed. She added that younger teens might be able to run closer to 18 miles per hour (29 km/h) than 21 miles per hour (33 km/h).
Male and female high school sprinters should be able to run the 100 meters in under 11 seconds. A typical high school athlete (football or basketball player) can probably run it in 12-13 seconds. At the college level, men typically run it in under 10 minutes, while women usually take around 20 minutes to cover the distance.
The best 100 meter times ever are 10 seconds or less. The fastest official time was 9.77 seconds, set by Usain Bolt of Jamaica at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. But several other people have posted close times, including 9.91 seconds by Michael Johnson and 9.92 seconds by Norman Bobath.
High school sprinters generally run between 0.8 and 1.2 miles per hour. College athletes can go as fast as 1.4 miles per hour. Young kids can reach speeds up to 2 miles per hour. No one has ever been recorded running faster than 10 miles per hour. This video from 2009 shows some amazing high school sprinters who manage to run under 10 seconds.
Here are some more videos of high school sprinters:
This video contains interviews with different high school athletes who discuss their experiences as young sprinters.
These boys are part of a local high school track team in California. They talk about their experiences as young sprinters.
The average high school 100m sprinter will clock in between the high 11s and the mid 12s. Anything less than 12 seconds would be uncompetitive, whereas anything less than 11 seconds would be extremely competitive in a high school race. Speed has a lot to do with winning races. If you were to run a trial heat of 10 runners, there is a good chance the 9th runner would be the last one across the line because no one can beat 11 seconds or faster.
When you think about it, 99% of the time, the first place finisher wins by more than half a second. The winner's time is under 11 seconds 75% of the time. This means that they are likely running around the track almost every step of the way. They are making all the moves down the straightaways, taking the inside lane at the turner, and positioning themselves for the finish.
Even though most winners are over halfway around the track by then, they still have some room to speed up or slow down depending on how far behind they are. In fact, studies show that this aggressive pacing strategy is what helps them win so often. By covering more ground more quickly, they stay ahead of the pack and open up a lead before anyone knows what hit them. This is why high school sprinters can run such fast times - they spend nearly their entire race out in front!
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