In the Marvel Universe, Spider-Man is one of the most agile heroes, as he's able to traverse quickly through cities with his web-slinging and acrobatic skills. But is Spider-Man quick enough to be considered a speedster? And how fast can he really go on foot? There have been a few answers to how fast Spider-Man can go without any webs and just his legs throughout Marvel Comics history.
Most readers know of the usual speedsters in comics, such as Quicksilver and the many versions of the Flash. However, some characters, such as Captain America, can reach record-breaking speeds. However, Steve Rogers doesn't want to take the spotlight away from his team, so he doesn't record his amazing accomplishments. On the other hand, Spider-Man has always been considering one of Marvel's quicker heroes, with most of that honor coming from his web-slinging abilities. However, Spider-Man has never really been considered in the upper-echelon of heroes when it comes to pure foot speed. Even the MCU version of the character seems to run at a mostly normal speed.
Finding Spider-Man's true speed is a bit of a challenge, as his powers obviously don't exist in the real world. One of the most cited numbers is that he can run 2 miles in five seconds - which is absurd. His 2.5-second mile comes from a panel that shows him hopping over buildings to chase down robbers. However, he's not really running as he's using his momentum to propel himself across the top of the buildings. Plus, that would put Spider-Man well past the speed of sound.
That's not to say Spider-Man isn't ridiculously fast. On the contrary, with his spider powers, agility, and superstrength, he is an impressive physical specimen who can outrun any real-life person. Spider-Man has outrun explosions, villains and escaped death-defying situations with his speed. Online consensus suggests Spider-Man has an upper limit of 200-250 miles per hour. To put that in perspective, sprinter Usain Bolt's record is just under 28 miles per hour.
Spider-Man's speed has fluctuated over the years greatly depending on the creative team writing him. The web-slinger definitely doesn't run 1440 miles per hour like some people like to think the panel shows above - but he's no slouch either. Spider-Man is capable of keeping pace with some of the fastest superhumans on Earth. After all, spiders are fast creatures. However, he's not so fast that he would keep pace with a speedster or break the speed of sound, at least not anymore.