Athletics is a sport of speed and endurance. Years of hard work and dedication go into the making of an international-level athlete.
Over the decades, several athletes have gained legendary status owing to their monumental achievements. Their names have been etched in the history books of sports with golden letters.
Many athletes have set the bar high, setting new world records. Some of these records have been longstanding, reflecting the greatness of the athletes.
The track and field discipline has seen several world records with athletes pushing their limits. Usain Bolt, the fastest man in history ran the men’s 100m in 9.58 seconds at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. A record that still stands tall. The Jamaican also set the 200m world record of 19.19 at the same championships.
Another double world record holder is Florence Griffith-Joyner. The late US sprinter’s times of 10.49 in the women’s 100m and 21.34 in the 200m have stood since 1988.
Let us have a look at world records in the history of track and field:
Marathon Records
Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum set the men’s marathon world record with 2:00:35 in Chicago in October 2023, breaking compatriot Eliud Kipchoge’s mark of 2:01.09 from Berlin in September 2022.
Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa set a new women’s world record of 2:11:53. That was eclipsed just over a year later by Ruth Chepngetich in the 2024 Chicago Marathon, as she became the first woman to break two hours and 10 minutes.
Also Read: List Of Major Athletics Events In 2025
World Records Men Outdoor
| Event | Timing | Athlete | Country | Date | Location |
| 100m | 9.58 (+0.9 m/s wind) | Usain Bolt | Jamaica | 16.08.2009 | Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany |
| 200m | 19.19 (-0.3 m/s wind) | Usain Bolt | Jamaica | 20.08.2009 | Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany |
| 400m | 43.03 | Wayde van Niekerk | South Africa | 14.08.2016 | Estádio Olímpico, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| 800m | 1:40.91 | David Rudisha | Kenya | 09.08.2012 | Olympic Stadium, London |
| 1000m | 2:11.96 | Noah Ngeny | Kenya | 05.09.1999 | Rieti, Italy |
| 1500m | 3:26.00 | Hicham El Guerrouj | Morocco | 14.07.1998 | Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy |
| One Mile | 3:43.13 | Hicham El Guerrouj | Morocco | 07.07.1999 | Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy |
| One Mile Road | 3:51.3* | Elliot Giles | Great Britain | 01.09.2024 | Düsseldorf, Germany |
| 2000m | 4:43.13 | Jakob Ingebrigtsen | Norway | 08.09.2023 | King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium. |
| 3000m | 7:17.55 | Jakob Ingebrigtsen | Norway | 25.08.2024 | Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland |
| 5000m | 12:35.36 | Joshua Cheptegei | Uganda | 14.08.2020 | Stade Louis II, Monaco |
| 5 Kilometres | 12:49 | Berihu Aregawi | Ethiopia | 31.12.2021 | Barcelona, Spain |
| 10,000m | 26:11.00 | Joshua Cheptegei | Uganda | 07.10.2020 | Estadio de Atletismo del Turia, Valencia, Spain |
| 10km | 26:24 | Rhonex Kipruto | Kenya | 12.01.2020 | Valencia, Spain |
| One Hour | 21330 | Mo Farah | Great Britain | 04.09.2020 | Boudewijnstadion, Brussels, Belgium |
| Half Marathon | 56:42* | Jacob Kiplimo | Uganda | 16.0.2025 | Barcelona, Spain |
| Marathon | 2:00:35 | Kelvin Kiptum | Kenya | 08.10.2023 | Chicago, IL, USA |
| 50km | 2:38:43 | CJ Albertson | USA | 08.10.2022 | San Francisco, CA, USA |
| 100km | 6:05:35 | Aleksandr Sorokin | Lithuania | 14.05.2023 | Vilnius, Lithuania |
| 3000m Steeplechase | 7:52.11 | Lamecha Girma | Ethiopia | 09.06.2023 | Stade Sébastien Charléty, Paris, France |
| 110m Hurdles | 12.80 (+0.3 m/s wind) | Aries Merritt | USA | 07.09.2012 | Boudewijnstadion, Brussels, Belgium |
| 400m Hurdles | 45.94 | Karsten Warholm | Norway | 03.08.2021 | National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan |
| High Jump | 2.45m | Javier Sotomayor | Cuba | 27.07.1993 | Salamanca, Spain |
| Pole Vault | 6.26m | Armand Duplantis | Sweden | 25.08.2024 | Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland |
| Long Jump | 8.95m (+0.3 m/s wind) | Mike Powell | USA | 30.08.1991 | National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan |
| Triple Jump | 18.29m (+1.3 m/s wind) | Jonathan Edwards | Great Britain | 07.08.1995 | Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, Sweden |
| Shot Put | 23.56m | Ryan Crouser | USA | 27.05.2023 | UCLA Drake Stadium, Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Discus Throw | 74.35m | Mykolas Alekna | Lithuania | 15.04.2024 | Oklahoma, USA |
| Hammer Throw | 86.74m | Yuriy Sedykh | Soviet Union | 30.08.1986 | Neckarstadion, Stuttgart, Germany |
| Javelin Throw | 98.48m | Jan Železný | Czechia | 25.05.1996 | Jena, Germany |
| Decathlon | 9126 | Kevin Mayer | France | 16.09.2018 | Stade Pierre Paul Bernard, Talence, France |
| 20,000m Race Walk | 1:17:25.6 | Bernardo Segura | Mexico | 07.05.1994 | Fana, Norway |
| 20km Race Walk | 1:16:36 | Yusuke Suzuki | Japan | 15.03.2015 | Nomi, Japan |
| 30,000m Race Walk | 2:01:44.1 | Maurizio Damilano | Italy | 03.10.1992 | Cuneo, Italy |
| 50,000m Race Walk | 3:35:27.2 | Yohann Diniz | France | 12.03.2011 | Reims, France |
| 50km Race Walk | 3:32:33 | Yohann Diniz | France | 15.08.2014 | Letzigrund, Zürich, Switzerland |
| 4×100 Metres Relay | 36.84 | Jamaica | Jamaica | 11.08.2012 | Olympic Stadium, London, Great Britain |
| 4×200 Metres Relay | 1:18.63 | Jamaica | Jamaica | 24.05.2014 | T. Robinson Stadium, Nassau, Bahamas |
| 4×400 Metres Relay | 2:54.29 | USA | USA | 22.08.1993 | Gottlieb-Daimler Stadion, Stuttgart, Germany |
| 4×800 Metres Relay | 7:02.43 | Kenya | Kenya | 25.08.2006 | Boudewijnstadion, Brussels, Belgium |
| 4×1500 Metres Relay | 14:22.22 | Kenya | Kenya | 25.05.2014 | T. Robinson Stadium, Nassau, Bahamas |
| Road Relay | 1:57:06 | Kenya | Kenya | 23.11.2005 | Chiba, Japan |
| Distance Medley Relay | 9:14.58* | USA | USA | 19.04.2024 | Hayward Field, Eugene, OR, USA |
World Records Women Outdoor
| Event | Timing | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Location |
| 100m | 10.49 (0.0 m/s wind) | Florence Griffith-Joyner | USA | 16.07.1988 | Indianapolis, IN, USA |
| 200m | 21.34 (+1.3 m/s wind) | Florence Griffith-Joyner | USA | 29.11.1988 | Olympic Stadium, Jamsil, Seoul, Republic of Korea |
| 400m | 47.60 | Marita Koch | East Germany | 06.10.1985 | Bruce Stadium, Canberra, Australia |
| 800m | 1:53.28 | Jarmila Kratochvilova | Czechoslovakia | 06.10.1985 | Munich, Germany |
| 1000m | 2:28.98 | Svetlana Masterkova | Russia | 23.08.1996 | Brussels, Belgium |
| 1500m | 3:49.04 | Faith Kipyegon | Kenya | 07.07.2024 | Stade Charléty, Paris, France |
| One Mile | 4:07.64 | Faith Kipyegon | Kenya | 21.07.2023 | Stade Louis II, Monaco |
| One Mile Road (women only) | 4:20.98 | Diribe Welteji | Ethiopia | 01.10.2023 | Riga, Latvia |
| 2000m | 5:19.70 | Jessica Hull | Australia | 12.07.2024 | Stade Louis II, Monaco |
| 3000m | 8:06.11 | Junxia Wang | People’s Republic of China | 13.09.1993 | Beijing, China |
| 5000m | 14:00:21 | Gudaf Tsegay | Ethiopia | 17.09.2023 | Hayward Field, Eugene, OR, USA |
| 5km (women only) | 14:13 | Beatrice Chebet | Kenya | 31.12.2023 | Barcelona, Spain |
| 5km (mixed gender race) | 13:54* | Beatrice Chebet | Kenya | 31.12.2024 | Barcelona, Spain |
| 10,000m | 28:54.14* | Beatrice Chebet | Kenya | 25.05.2024 | Hayward Field, Eugene, OR, USA |
| 10km (women only) | 30:01 | Agnes Jebet Tirop | Kenya | 21.09.2021 | Herzogenaurach, Germany |
| 10km (mixed gender race) | 29:14 | Yalemzerf Yehualaw | Ethiopia | 27.02.2022 | Castellón, Spain |
| One hour | 18,930m | Sifan Hassan | Netherlands | 04.09.2020 | Boudewijnstadion, Bruxelles, Belgium |
| Half Marathon (women only) | 1:05:16 | Peres Jepchirchir | Kenya | 17.10.2020 | Gdynia, Poland |
| Half Marathon (mixed gender race) | 1:02:52 | Letesenbet Gidey | Ethiopia | 24.10.2021 | Valencia, Spain |
| Marathon (women only) | 2:16:16 | Peres Jepchirchir | Kenya | 21.04.2024 | London, Great Britain |
| Marathon (mixed gender race) | 2:09:57* | Ruth Chepngetich | Kenya | 13.10.2024 | Chicago, IL, USA |
| 50km (women only) | 3:00:30 | Emane Seifu | Ethiopia | 26.02.2023 | Gqeberha, South Africa |
| 50km (mixed gender race) | 2:59:54 | Desiree Linden | USA | 13.04.2021 | Dorena Lake, OR, USA |
| 100km | 6:33:11 | Tomoe Abe | Japan | 25.06.2000 | Lake Saroma, Japan |
| 3000m Steeplechase | 8:44.32 | Beatrice Chepkoech | Kenya | 20.07.2018 | Stade Louis II, Monaco |
| 100m Hurdles | 12.12 (+0.9 m/s wind) | Tobi Amusan | Nigeria | 24.07.2022 | Hayward Field, Eugene, OR, USA |
| 400m Hurdles | 50.37* | Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone | USA | 08.08.2024 | Stade de France, Paris, France |
| High Jump | 2.10m* | Yaroslava Mahuchikh | Ukraine | 07.07.2024 | Stade Charléty, Paris, France |
| Pole Vault | 5.06m | Yelena Isinbayeva | Russia | 28.08.2009 | Letzigrund, Zürich, Switzerland |
| Long Jump | 7.52m (+1.4 m/s wind) | Galina Chistyakova | Soviet Union | 11.06.1988 | Leningrad, Soviet Union |
| Triple Jump | 15.74m (i) | Yulimar Rojas | Venezuela | 20.03.2022 | Štark Arena, Belgrade, Serbia |
| Shot Put | 22.63m | Natalya Lisovskaya | Soviet Union | 07.06.1987 | Moscow, Soviet Union |
| Discus Throw | 76.80m | Gabriele Reinsch | East Germany | 09.07.1988 | Neubrandenburg, East Germany |
| Hammer Throw | 82.98m | Anita Wlodarczyk | Poland | 28.08.2016 | Stadion PGE Narodowy, Warsaw, Poland |
| Javelin Throw | 72.28m | Barbora Spotakova | Czechia | 13.09.2008 | Gottlieb-Daimler Stadion, Stuttgart, Germany |
| Heptathlon | 7291 | Jackie Joyner-Kersee | USA | 24.09.1988 | Olympic Stadium, Jamsil, Seoul, Republic of Korea |
| Decathlon | 8358 | Austra Skujyte | Lithuania | 15.04.2005 | Columbia, MO, USA |
| 10,000m Race Walk | 41:56.23 | Nadezhda Ryashkina | Soviet Union | 24.07.1990 | Seattle, WA, USA |
| 20,000m Race Walk | 1:26:52.3 | Olimpiada Ivanova | Russia | 06.09.2001 | Brisbane, Australia |
| 20km Race Walk | 1:23:49 | Jiayu Yang | People’s Republic of China | 20.03.2021 | Huangshan, China |
| 35km Race Walk | 2:37:15 | Maria Pérez | Spain | 21.05.2023 | Poděbrady, Czechia |
| 50km Race Walk | 3:59:15 | Hong Liu | People’s Republic of China | 09.03.2019 | Huangshan, China |
| 4x100m Relay | 40.82 | USA | USA | 10.08.2012 | Olympic Stadium, London, Great Britain |
| 4x200m Relay | 1:27.46 | USA Blue | USA | 29.04.2000 | Philadelphia, PA, USA |
| 4x400m Relay | 3:15.17 | Soviet Union | Soviet Union | 01.10.1988 | Olympic Stadium, Jamsil, Seoul, Republic of Korea |
| 4x800m Relay | 7:50.17 | Soviet Union | Soviet Union | 05.08.1984 | Moscow, Soviet Union |
| 4x1500m Relay | 16:27.02 | Nike/Bowerman Track Club | USA | 31.07.2020 | Jesuit High School Track, Portland, OR, USA |
| Road Relay | 2:11:41 | People’s Republic of China | People’s Republic of China | 28.02.1998 | Beijing, China |
| Distance Medley Relay | 10:36.50 | USA | USA | 02.05.2015 | T. Robinson Stadium, Nassau, Bahamas |
World Records Mixed Outdoor
| Event | Timing | Team | Country | Date | Location |
| 4x400m Relay | 3:07.41* | United States | USA | 02.08.2024 | Stade de France, Paris, France |
