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The United States boasts a rich history of iconic track runners, like Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin, who have thrilled fans with their fiery speed and athletic prowess. In fact, American sprinters dominate the top ranks of the 100m, with five runners holding spots in the world's top 10 fastest finishes, and two even cracking the prestigious top 5.
Although Tyson Gay is the fastest American 100m runner, a number of athletes have pushed the limits of their abilities to set the fastest times. So, let's explore the top 5 fastest 100m American runners of all time.
#5 Fred Kerley
Fred Kerley, who hails from San Antonio, Texas, is one of the most decorated sprinters in the world. He has won three world championship titles, two Diamond League trophies, and a silver at the Tokyo Olympics.
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Kerley sits at an impressive sixth place in the world for the fastest 100m ever run, clocking a blistering 9.76 seconds at the 2022 World Athletics semi-final in Hayward Field, Eugene. He is also one of three runners in the world who have 100m sub-10, 200m sub-20, and 400m sub-44 finishes under their belts.
#4 Trayvon Bromell
Trayvon Bromell has secured a Diamond League trophy, a world indoor championship title, and two world championship bronzes in his prolonged track and field career. He is the first high school athlete to finish a 100m sprint in under 10 seconds.
The 29-year-old clocked 9.76 seconds during the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2021 to win the 100m event. With this, he became the joint sixth-fastest runner of all time and the fourth-fastest American in the discipline.
#3 Christian Coleman
Christian Coleman is one of the few runners to have defeated Jamaican legend Usain Bolt in a 100m sprint. While that is one of his career-defining performances, Coleman is a three-time world champion, a double Diamond League final winner, and a two-time world indoor champion.
The 28-year-old Georgia native won the 2019 World Championships with a blazing-fast finish of 9.76 seconds, making him the sixth fastest runner in the world and the third fastest US runner in history.
#2 Justin Gatlin
Considered one of America's all-time greats, Justin Gatlin is one of two Americans who went past Usain Bolt in a 100m faceoff. On top of that, Gatlin has added four Olympic golds, a world championship title, and two Diamond League final wins to his track-running kitty.
Gatlin ran the fifth fastest time of 9.74 seconds to win the 100m event at the Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix in May 2015. His 9.74 is the second-fastest time by an American runner.
#1 Tyson Gay
A three-time world champion and a Diamond League final winner, Tyson Gay is one of the trailblazers in American sports history. He was the first American runner to beat Usain Bolt in a 100m event.
Gay achieved the second-fastest 100m finish in the world with a time of 9.69 seconds at the 2009 Shanghai Golden Grand Prix and leveled Usain Bolt's 2008 Beijing Olympics winning time. He still holds the national record for being the fastest 100m sprinter in history.
