MySQL Forums :: Quality Assurance :: Retrieve a random row, but fast.

Or you could do it with a subselect, which is even simpler (in my humble opinion, that is...):

SELECT *
FROM myTable,
(SELECT FLOOR(MAX(myTable.id) * RAND()) AS randId FROM myTable) AS someRandId
WHERE myTable.id = someRandId.randId

The inner SELECT gives you a random id in the right range.
The outer SELECT looks for the right row in the table.