Storm Runner is a steel launched roller coaster at Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania, built by Intamin Amusement Rides and opened on May 8, 2004. Using a hydraulic launch system, it rockets riders from a standstill to 72 mph in about two seconds — one of the fastest accelerations of any coaster on the East Coast.
Reaching a height of 150 feet before an 180-foot plunge, Storm Runner was the first Accelerator Coaster model to feature inversions and the first to incorporate a dual-loading station with switch tracks. Its combination of raw launch speed and aerial acrobatics made it an instant landmark in Hersheypark’s coaster lineup.
Quick Answer
Storm Runner hits a top speed of 72 mph (116 km/h) in about two seconds via hydraulic launch, reaches 150 feet at its top hat, and requires riders to be at least 54 inches (137 cm) tall.
How Fast Does Storm Runner Go?
Storm Runner’s top speed is 72 mph (116 km/h), reached almost instantly off the launch track. Rather than climbing a lift hill, the train sits in a hydraulic launch zone where a catapult system fires it from 0 to 72 mph in roughly two seconds — the entire acceleration is over before most riders finish their first scream.
That launch speed carries the train straight up the 150-foot top hat, the vertical spike that gives Storm Runner its signature airtime moment, before the 180-foot drop back toward the ground. Because the speed is generated hydraulically rather than by gravity from a tall lift hill, Storm Runner delivers highway-speed acceleration in a footprint far smaller than most coasters with comparable top speeds.
Storm Runner Height Requirement
The height requirement for Storm Runner at Hersheypark is 54 inches (137 cm). Riders below that height are not permitted to board, in line with most launched coasters that use over-the-shoulder restraints and pull noticeable g-forces through the top hat and inversions.
Storm Runner uses over-the-shoulder restraints rather than simple lap bars — it was actually the first Intamin Accelerator Coaster model to use this restraint style — so riders should also expect a snugger, more secure fit than on family-style rides. As with all Hersheypark attractions, exact measurement policies (shoes on, standing fully upright) are enforced at a height-check station near the entrance.
The Ride Experience
Storm Runner begins with a tense pause in the launch zone before a hydraulic catapult fires the train to 72 mph in about two seconds. The train blasts up the iconic top hat element — a towering 150-foot vertical spike — where riders experience intense airtime at the crest before dropping 180 feet back toward the ground.
Beyond the top hat, the train threads through three inversions in rapid succession: a cobra loop, a heartline roll, and a flying snake dive. Each element arrives with minimal recovery time, keeping the adrenaline constant from launch to brake run. The full ride lasts under a minute — short, but relentlessly intense — with much of that time spent in the launch queue and restraint checks rather than in motion.
A Record-Setting Accelerator Coaster
When Storm Runner debuted in 2004, it broke new ground for Intamin’s Accelerator Coaster lineup. It was the first of its model to feature inversions, the first to use over-the-shoulder restraints, and the first to employ a dual-loading station with switch tracks — upgrades that boosted both ride variety and throughput to approximately 1,200 riders per hour.
Designed in part by legendary coaster engineer Werner Stengel, Storm Runner cost approximately $12.5 million and replaced Balloon Flite, a children’s ride that had operated in the same spot for over two decades. It was integrated into Hersheypark’s Pioneer Frontier section with careful attention to sight lines, so that the top hat and inversions are visible from neighboring attractions like the Dry Gulch Railroad and the park’s monorail.
Storm Runner sat out the 2020 season while the park waited on replacement parts delayed by pandemic-era supply issues, then returned for the 2021 season and has run every year since — making it one of the longer-tenured launch coasters still spinning up riders in the park’s lineup.
Stats at a Glance
Park: Hersheypark, Hershey, Pennsylvania. Manufacturer: Intamin Amusement Rides. Model: Accelerator Coaster. Opened: May 8, 2004.
Height: 150 ft (46 m). Drop: 180 ft (55 m). Top Speed: 72 mph (116 km/h), reached in about 2 seconds. Length: 2,600 ft (790 m). Inversions: 3. Height Requirement: 54 in (137 cm). Location: Pioneer Frontier.
Storm Runner height requirement and top speed FAQs
How fast does Storm Runner go at Hersheypark?
Storm Runner reaches a top speed of 72 mph (116 km/h), hit in roughly two seconds via a hydraulic launch system rather than a traditional lift hill.
What is Storm Runner’s top speed?
72 mph (116 km/h). The hydraulic launch accelerates the train from a standstill to that speed in about two seconds, carrying it straight into the 150-foot top hat.
What is the height requirement for Storm Runner?
Riders must be at least 54 inches (137 cm) tall to board Storm Runner at Hersheypark.
How many inversions does Storm Runner have?
Storm Runner features three inversions: a cobra loop, a heartline roll, and a flying snake dive.
Where is Storm Runner located in Hersheypark?
Storm Runner is located in the Pioneer Frontier section of Hersheypark, on the site of the former Balloon Flite ride.
Has Storm Runner ever been closed?
Storm Runner sat out the 2020 season while Hersheypark waited on pandemic-delayed replacement parts, then reopened for the 2021 season and has operated each year since.
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