Road runner! Ostrich joins in with cyclists’ race in South Africa 

Road runner! Ostrich joins in with cyclists’ race in South Africa

  • Daniel Sass, who captured the video, said: ‘As we rolled through the hills and took in all the beauty we noticed a strange bird running with the peloton’
  • The ostrich ran after the lead cyclist of their group and was able to keep pace
  • Ostriches are the world’s largest bird and can sprint at speeds of 43mph

This hilarious footage shows an ostrich joining in with a cycle race in South Africa. 

Daniel Sass, who captured the video, said: ‘As we rolled through the hills and took in all the beauty we noticed a strange bird running with the peloton.

‘I then realised that an ostrich was chasing down our strongest rider, Ben, nobody can catch Ben. But, wow have you seen the quads on that ostrich!

Footage shows the enormous bird keeping pace with the cyclists’ peleton in South Africa

Daniel Sass, who took he footage, said he was enamoured by the ostrich's awkward gait

Daniel Sass, who took he footage, said he was enamoured by the ostrich’s awkward gait 

The road runner keeping pace

The road runner keeping pace

The strange creature looked at the cameraman before dashing across his path

The strange creature looked at the cameraman before dashing across his path

‘I manoeuvred my way past other riders and captured this Ben-Ostrich Showdown. As I tracked the bird with my phone with one hand on the handlebars I was in absolute awe of its awkward running style.’

The ostrich at one point cut across Sass who said he was worried that it might knock him off his bike.

But the bird eventually ran out of energy and gave up on trying to keep up with the bicycles.  

Ostriches are the world’s largest bird and can sprint up to 43mph and run over distance at 31mph.

The powerful birds typically eat plants, roots, and seeds however they will sometimes eat insects, lizards and various types of small rodents depending on their habitat.  

Daniel Sass, who captured the video, said: 'As we rolled through the hills and took in all the beauty we noticed a strange bird running with the peloton.

Daniel Sass, who captured the video, said: 'As we rolled through the hills and took in all the beauty we noticed a strange bird running with the peloton.

Daniel Sass, who captured the video, said: ‘As we rolled through the hills and took in all the beauty we noticed a strange bird running with the peloton’

The the bird eventually ran out of energy and gave up on trying to keep up with the bicycles

The the bird eventually ran out of energy and gave up on trying to keep up with the bicycles