How Fast Can Reindeer Really Run? Unveiling Their Impressive Speeds

As the holidays approach, many people get curious about reindeer. Have you ever wondered how fast they can run? Well, they may not be able to pull a sleigh around the world in a single night, but they’re still quite fast. Here are some interesting facts about reindeer’s speed that you can wow your coworkers with at the annual holiday party!

How Fast Are Reindeer?

Reindeer can reach a running speed of almost 50 miles per hour (80 km/h), though most recorded speeds are between 25 and 35 miles per hour (40-56 km/h), which is still quite impressive. They are much faster than many other animals of their size, which is very helpful for them to escape predators. 

Reindeer can’t maintain their top speed for long. After a sprint not much longer than a minute, they inevitably slow down, but even then, they can still keep up a gallop of around 20 miles per hour for a longer distance. A sled pulled by three to six reindeer will reach about 40 miles per hour, though it will take some time for the animals to reach their full speed. Though unable to run at full speed for long, they can keep a steady pace of about 10 miles per hour for extremely long distances.

They’re accustomed to traveling great distances in search of food. The North American Reindeer, or Caribou, annually migrates, and it even holds the record for the longest migration of a land animal, with some herds traveling over 3,000 miles each spring!

Reindeer vs. Horses: Which Are Faster?

In terms of average speed, horses are definitively faster than reindeer. The fastest horse reached 44 miles per hour (71 km/h) at full gallop. Quarter horses, which are explicitly bred to run short distances, can be even faster. Reindeer, however, will have a massive advantage if we compare their speed on irregular terrains or snow-covered ground. They have flexible hooves that adapt better to mud and snow, while horses’ hooves only work well on solid ground. So, while horses may be faster than reindeer, this is only true if they compete on regular, leveled ground. Also, reindeer have much more endurance and can travel far longer distances, especially on uneven ground.

Can You Ride a Reindeer?

Humans can ride these animals, but they are smaller than horses and can’t carry as much weight. For this reason, it is very rare for an adult human to ride a reindeer, even in places like Norway, Mongolia, and the north of Russia, where domesticated species roam. Reindeer are mostly used as load animals, commonly hitched to sleds. Reindeer sledding is a popular sport in Russia. Every year, over 70 different teams from the Yamal tundra compete in a series of races that take place in Salekhard, the only city in the Arctic Circle.