Why are women on average slower runners than men?

Randy Oldman wrote:

rsbones wrote:

Question: Are there any actions/activities that both sexes are capable of doing (i.e. not stuff like "childbirth") that women, on average, can do better than men?

Ironing.

Hacking off vile penises and force feeding them to rapists, molesters and cheaters.

dim sum wrote:

The problem with "strength" as an answer is that it is a vague term which on these very forums is used with a variety of meanings. I often see it being used to mean "stamina," which probably is not what you mean, since women narrow or close the gap at longer distances.

I presume you don't mean that top-end running speed relates to how much a person can squat or deadlift. So what do you mean when you say "strength"?

Not my post, but by "strength" in this context, I think what really matters is better described as "power". Because of the differences between male and female musculature ("on average") if you take an average man and a woman of the same height and weight the man will generate more power with each step which will therefore propel him forward at a faster speed.

"On average" body composition and hip mechanics etc probably make a difference but the main difference is in the amount of power that can be generated from the muscles.