The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word CHEETAHS
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
C
H
E
E
T
A
H
S
More clues leading to the result CHEETAHS
- Wild animals: sharks, we hear?
- Are they adapted for the chase?
- Big cats, not maters for life, we’re told
- Animals involved in the chase?
- Coalition charlatans, by the sound of it?
- Natural sprinters … like Johnson and Gatlin, say?
- Fast runners chase the wind
- Told swindlers about cat family
- Bats chase the big cats
- Fast runners in the chase, disorientated
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Fast runners" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case fast runners = cheetahs.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does CHEETAHS mean?
CHEETAHS noun- A distinctive member (Acinonyx jubatus) of the cat family, slightly smaller than the leopard, but with proportionately longer limbs and a smaller head. It is native to Africa and also credited with being the fastest terrestrial animal.