IShowSpeed’s latest viral stunt shows the streamer sprinting side‑by‑side with a live cheetah on what appeared to be a controlled safari track in Africa, immediately sparking debate over how real the race actually was and who crossed the line first.
The big cat in the clip is a genuine cheetah, the world’s fastest land mammal, which is capable of hitting burst speeds of around 60 to 70 mph (roughly 97 to 113 kmph) over short distances. In contrast, Speed’s best recorded 40‑yard dash time is 4.49 seconds, logged during his football episode with Tom Brady and Danny Amendola, a mark comparable to NFL‑level skill players.
The cheetah race also follows his 2024 exhibition sprint against Olympic champion Noah Lyles in a 50 metre dash, where Lyles ultimately claimed the win despite Speed’s strong start.
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Did IShowSpeed really race a Cheetah on stream?
Yes, IShowSpeed really raced a Cheetah on stream. Multiple angles from social media, including Speed’s own posts and safari‑style clips, showed him and a cheetah launching from adjacent stalls and running on the same straight line.
This was indeed a real animal, although in a controlled environment. The event was a part of his Africa tour content, where the cheetah appeared to be a habituated and managed animal rather than a completely wild predator. That explained the handlers, the track, and the proximity allowed for filming the race.
Several edited clips are circulating online, and are cut between different moments and angles, which makes it look like Speed was neck‑and‑neck or even ahead of the cat at times. This might have caused confusion about whether he actually outran the cheetah.
If you check the longer versions of the video, you’ll see that when the cheetah fully accelerates, it clearly pulls in front, while Speed continues his sprint once they pass the finish area.
Who really won the race?
Undoubtedly, the cheetah won the race once it hit its stride. According to uncut footage, the animal appeared to be jogging rather than using its full top speed.
The cheetah opened a noticeable gap before the sequence cuts to Speed celebrating and yelling that he “won”. Although Speed lost, his athletic baseline is still remarkable for a creator.
Speed clocking 4.49 seconds during the 40‑yard dash in front of Tom Brady and Danny Amendola is a time that you can compare to what many NFL receivers and running backs achieve, proving he has genuine explosive speed and power beyond typical entertainment‑only personalities.
In November 2024, he raced Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles in a 50m dash arranged by MrBeast for a $100,000 prize, where Lyles clearly won but acknowledged Speed’s raw speed and suggested that with technique work, he could become significantly faster.
Why didn’t Speed flinch after being scratched by the cheetah
In a follow‑up clip shared on X, Speed explains:
Y’all know what’s crazy? After he scratched me, like, I dead*** just sat there. I didn’t freak out. I sat there, and I was cool, and I still raced him.
Speed didn’t even scream or yell when it happened. He said, “The reason why I ain’t do that is because I’m an animal person.”
“Animals freak out when you make erratic movements or do erratic sounds. So you always just got to be calm. Being feared is the worst thing you can do when you interact with an apex predator animal like that,” Speed continued.
Since he didn’t flinch or panic, his focus was locked on finishing the race and not showing fear on camera. He framed the scratch in such a way that it was a part of the risk he willingly accepted for the stunt, and had mentally prepared himself not to break stride no matter what happened.
