Though the fox runs the chicken hath wings.

A pursuer’s speed does not ensure success when the intended victim has a different and effective way to get away. The saying contrasts the fox’s running with the chicken’s ability to take flight.

It can encourage confidence in an apparently weaker person who possesses an overlooked advantage. More broadly, it warns against judging a contest solely by one side’s obvious strength, without promising that the weaker party will always prevail.

Use it when someone seems likely to be caught or overcome, yet has a practical advantage that may change the outcome. It suits comments on evasion, competition, or unequal struggles where mobility, skill, or opportunity offsets apparent superiority, rather than as a guarantee of success.