Cheetahs running fast was a necessary evolution; they needed to hunt their primary prey of gazelle, which is also a very fast runner. Cheetahs are naturally agile as they come from the cat family. Cheetahs big cats, although they are relatively smaller than lions and tigers. Their own evolution geared them towards running more than other cats.
Cheetahs can run to up to 75 miles per hour. That is extremely fast for an animal. Cheetahs can only sustain this speed for about 1,500 feet though, but by the time they cover that distance they could have already pounced on their prey. Their acceleration is even more astounding as they can get from 0-65 mph in less than 3 seconds. That is astounding as some of the fastest cars take 3.3 seconds to get from 0-60. How fast can a cheetah run is drawn from the evolution of its body. The cheetah’s relative size of their lungs and heart to the rest of their body is larger compared to other animals. This helps to pump and circulate blood more effectively when running at high speed.
The body of a cheetah is built like a race car with a small head and a long and slender body. The head of a cheetah, though small has very large nostrils for better oxygen intake. Its legs are very strong and muscular with retractable claws for gripping onto the surface when running. The tail of the cheetah is also a very important part of its body as it uses it for balance and steering.
The downside to all the speed of a cheetah is that cheetahs can actually overheat. The speeds they run at raises their body temperature, the same experience humans feel when jogging or playing sports, and that is one of the reasons why they only run in short bursts. Cheetahs are built for speed and have evolved in such a way that they can take down their prey quickly. How fast can a cheetah run has been influenced by the prey they hunt, they hunt literally fast food so they need to run faster.