Those of us who grew up watching Looney Tunes know that Wile E. Coyote is perpetually frustrated in his efforts to catch his speedy nemesis, Road Runner. Despite his many efforts to set traps, detonate bombs, or use rockets to enhance his speed, poor Mr. Coyote appears doomed to miss out on a tasty Road Runner meal.

If only there were some way he could actually catch that elusive bird….

Well, as it turns out, there is.

Although Road Runner is clearly a fast fellow, he isn’t as fast as Wile E. Coyote. The top speed of an actual roadrunner is 32 km/hour (20 mph). In contrast, a coyote can hit a top speed of 56-69 km/hour (35-43 mph).

In other words, if ol’ Wile would just stop messing around with his clever little tricks and just try to chase Road Runner on foot, he’s pretty much guaranteed to catch his lunch, as well as spare himself a lot of injuries and massive bills from Ajax and Acme.

Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, and Looney Tunes are registered trademarks of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.