The fastest runners who aren’t runners

Check out our list of the fastest distance runners playing professionally in other sports

Photo by: Katie Chan

Marley Dickinson November 18, 2021

Over the weekend, professional cyclist Tom Dumoulin, who has had multiple tour victories, ran an incredible time of 32:38 at his hometown 10K race in Maastricht, Netherlands. His time has inspired us to find the top runners who just happen to be professional athletes in other sports.

Tom Dumoulin (cycling)

The three-time Tour de France stage winner tops our list of fast athletes. At the Groene Loper 10K, he averaged the speed of 3:16/km, on his way to a second-place finish (17 seconds behind the winner).

Pro cyclist and casual runner drops mind-blowing 5K in 13:25

He recently injured his wrist during the cycling season and has been running since for endurance training.

@thijszonneveld je zou een aardig lopersgroepje kunnen vormen van wielrenners. Pidcock, Yates. En Tom loopt even een 10k in Maastricht vanmiddag.. pic.twitter.com/x0N8nCyJgu

— Bram Op den Camp (@bramopdencamp) November 14, 2021

Kristin O’Neill (hockey)

O’Neill is a left-winger on Canada’s women’s hockey team that won gold at the 2021 World Hockey Championships. In 2019, she finished 17th at Toronto’s lululemon Waterfront 10K, clocking a speedy time of 39:31. The Oakville, Ont. native has a background in cross-country running, competing for her high school team St. Ignatius of Loyola for four years.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CTViImch6RH/

Daniel Sedin (hockey)

Although his brother Henrik Sedin had more points during 17 seasons in the NHL, Daniel has shown that he is the better runner. Daniel ran a 3:11 marathon at the 2019 BMO Vancouver Marathon and has a 10K PB of 37:06, which he ran at Vancouver’s Eastside 10K. In a 2018 interview, Sedin said “Running has always been part of my regimen, even while I played in the NHL. I love running – it’s a big part of our training routine in the summertime, and we’ll keep doing that.”

Grit: the key to success in endurance sports

Scott McTominay (soccer)

The Manchester United midfielder recently ran 5K in 16:01, which is the fastest time that we found recorded by a professional soccer player. He ran his time in a challenge against his United teammates. McTominay didn’t only smash his teammates by over a minute, but he negative-split the 5K, too.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMp5iNoMqu-/

Jessie Fleming (soccer)

The young Canadian soccer phenom, who helped win Olympic gold in Tokyo, happens to be an extremely speedy distance runner. Fleming ran high school track and cross country in London, Ont. alongside Canadian steeplechaser Charlotte Prouse. In Grade 9, Fleming won Ontario High School’s cross country championship (OFSAA) and has a 5K personal best time of 18:23, which she ran when she was only 15. She currently plays professionally for Chelsea FC in England’s FA Women’s National League.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CC8zSrojuye/

Lance Armstrong DNFs beer mile

Lance Armstrong (cycling)

Love him or hate him, he is still a pretty remarkable athlete. The infamous cyclist, who won seven Tour de France titles, then later admitted to cheating, has run some respectable times off the bike. At the 2019 Austin Marathon, he ran a negative split to clock a time of 3:01:34. Armstrong’s PB came at the New York Marathon in 2007, where he ran 2:46. (His first marathon was New York in 2006, where he ran 2:59, paced by Joan Benoit Samuelson.)