If given a 20-foot head start.

Quote from LineR32 :

From a complete stop, a human is capable of outrunning a Formula One Racecar for about 30 feet!

Had to check this one out:

An F1 car can travel 30 feet in about 1.3 seconds.

Now if the runner was allowed to reach full speed before crossing the line, the mens WR for the 100m gives a speed of 33.7 feet per second, meaning the 30 feet could be reached in 0.9 seconds. I don't know how fast a human can accelerate, but it must add on a good fraction of a second to this time if the runner must also start from stationary.

So it's very close.

in my memory of school physical education class it takes about 5 sec for a sprint runner to reach full speed.

Without the shape of the speed curve for those 5 seconds, that's not very helpful. I'll have to make HHPA now.

In any case, the dp1 reaches 30 feet in 1.15 seconds, so dp1 beats humanity.

JJ72 - that link in your sig goes to an expired domain

Quote from JJ72 :

in my memory of school physical education class it takes about 5 sec for a sprint runner to reach full speed.

Yeah, but they can reach CLOSE to full speed much faster than that. Just like any car actually...

Quote from Hankstar :

Koalas have two thumbs on each hand, which is why they're such terrible pianists.

So do Pandas

And mutants

Quote from Bob Smith :

And mutants

Yes, but mutants are actually quite good piano players for the most part...

A bin bag has better aerodynamic property's than a box.

Quote from Luke.S :

A bin bag has better aerodynamic property's than a box.

Yes but the box could outrun the bin bag for the first 30 feet in a stiff breeze...

About the Scotsman in York one...

There was a major debate about this when I was at college, the gist of it was it was only legal if it was proven he's a Scotsman, and with a longbow

/me searches for it now...

DK

And the person firing the arrow must have been born within the York city walls.
And I understand the Scotman must be acting in a threatening manner.

My girlfriend's family stay in York and so far I've avoided being shot

That was the missing bit Damjin, thanks