Watching the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships last week got me thinking further about a question that I've pondered much of my life: How do various modes of human powered transportation compare in terms of cruising speed? Personally, I've always felt that I can skate ski much faster, and longer, than I can run. Ice skating is even faster than skate-skiing, but by how much? Clearly bicycles have a huge advantage, but again, how much faster are they? I paddle and row; they always seem slow.
Last week I was impressed by Liz Stephen's 10 minute 14 second 5K freestyle leg in the World Ski Championships Women's 4 X 5K Relay. Denise Herrmann was a second faster. These times are considerably faster than the best 5,000 meter running races ever recorded (12:37). Even if the conditions were good, cross country ski courses are always very hilly. Cross country courses and snow conditions vary so much that "world records" would be meaningless and are not kept. We could assume, however, that a freestyle skier on a flat oval course with ideal snow could produce an even faster time; probably no where near as fast as a speed skater, but faster. In the 2014 Winter Olympics – Women's 4 × 5K relay Justyna Kowalczyk skied her classic leg at 13:47. Could a classic style cross country skier (woman) break 12:37 on a flat oval groomed ideally? It sounds reasonable.
I had a recumbent lay-nearly-flat-on-the-ground lowracer for a year or two. It was faster than my road bike under ideal conditions, but was lame under most conditions. It is difficult to find 5K flat course bicycle race records. There are many records for furthest distance in 1 hour. In the 2012 Summer Olympics Kristin Armstrong (USA) completed a 18 mile race in 37:34.82. That works out to 28.7 mph. This course is roughly six times longer than a 5K. I think it's fair to assume she could complete a 5K race much faster. Barbara Buatois holds the non-streamlined recumbent bicycle 1-hour record at a pace of 28.8 mph. This is nearly 10 times as long as a 5K race; I'm sure she also could complete a 5K much faster. Barbara Buatois also holds the enclosed HPV bicycle 1-hour record at a pace of 52.2 mph. By comparison this speed is way faster than the legendary Secretariat's 1.5 mile (2.5K) sprint at 2:24.
Water is a big drag and 2K is about as long a race as I could find. Rowing shells are clearly faster than kayaks, but still considerably slower than running, skiing or biking. (Single scull 2K: 7:07 Rumyana Neykova, 2002) (kayak 1K: 3:52 Rachel Cawthorn, 2010) A hydrofoil bike (Flying Fish2) may be even faster than a shell, however. Back in 1987 a man pedaled 2K on water at 12.8 mph. Swimming with fins can boost speed from 3.2 mph to 4.1 mph. (Finswim - 6K, Marina Umerenko (RUS) 54:45) (Swim 10K Éva Risztov Hungary 1:57:38)
Lois McCallin was able to pedal a HPV aircraft (Mic Lt Eagle) 9.6 miles at a rate of 15.5 mph.