Athletics: All track and field world records at a glance

Find out which records Usain Bolt still owns, which world records are still standing, and which are the longest surviving world records.

2 minBy Olympics.com
disciplineAthletics
GettyImages-89826641
(2009 Getty Images)

Did you know that the oldest track athletics world record is in the women’s 800m set by Jarmila Kratochvilova in 1983?

Or that the longest-standing mark in the field has belonged to hammer thrower Yuriy Sedykh since 1986?

The fastest man in history is Usain Bolt. The Jamaican became the first man to run the men's 100m in less than 9.6 seconds with his 9.58 at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.

The track legend, who dominated the sprints for almost a decade, 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.

What is the fastest marathon time?

The first two official marathons ever run under two hours were achieved at the 2026 London Marathon by Sabastian Sawe and Yomif Kejelcha, with Sawe setting the world record (pending ratification) 1:59:30 on 26 April 2026.

Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum set the previous men's marathon world record with 2:00:35 in Chicago in October 2023. Tragically, Kiptum died from injuries sustained in a car crash in February 2024. He was 24.

Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa owns the world record in a women's-only marathon, also set in London in 2026, at 2:15:41 (pending ratification). She broke her own previous mark of 2:15:50.

The outright women's world record, set in a race with male pacers, is owned by Ruth Chepng'etich who set it in the 2024 Chicago Marathon as she became the first woman to break two hours and 10 minutes.

World Records Men

Men's athletics world records
EventPerformanceAthleteNationalityDateLocationNotes
50m5.56Donovan BaileyCanada9 Feb 1996Reno (NV),  USA(i)
60m6.34Christian ColemanUSA18 Feb 2018Albuquerque (NM), USA(i)
100m9.58 (+0.9m/s wind)Usain BoltJamaica16 Aug 2009Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany 
200m19.19 (-0.3 m/s wind)Usain BoltJamaica20 Aug 2009Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany 
200m short track19.92Frankie FredericksNamibia18 Feb 1996Liévin, France(i)
400m43.03Wayde van NiekerkSouth Africa14 Aug 2016Estádio Olímpico, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilOR
400m short track44.52Khaleb McRaeUSA13 Feb 2026Fayetteville (AR), USA(i)
800m1:40.91David RudishaKenya9 Aug 2012Olympic Stadium, London, Great BritainOR
800m short track1:42.50Josh HoeyUSA24 Jan 2026Boston (MA), USA(i)
1000m2:11.83Emmanuel WanyonyiKenya10 July 2026Stade Louis II, Monaco,  
1000m short track2:14.20Ayanleh SouleimanDjibouti17 Feb 2016Globe Arena, Stockholm, Sweden(i)
1500m3:26.00Hicham El GuerroujMorocco14 Jul 1998Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy 
1500m short track3:29.63Jakob IngebrigtsenNorway13 Feb 2025Arena Stade Couvert, Liévin, France(i)
Mile3:43.13Hicham El GuerroujMorocco7 Jul 1999Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy 
Mile short track3:45.14Jakob IngebrigtsenNorway13 Feb 2025Arena Stade Couvert, Liévin, France(i)
2000m4:43.13Jakob IngebrigtsenNorway8 Sep 2023Boudewijnstadion, Brussels, Belgium 
3000m7:17.55Jakob IngebrigtsenNorway25 Aug 2024Stadion Śląski, Chorzów, Poland 
3000m short track7:22.91Grant FisherUSA8 Feb 2025Armory Track&Field Center, New York (NY), USA(i)
5000m12:35.36Joshua CheptegeiUganda14 Aug 2020Stade Louis II, Monaco 
5000m short track12:44.09Grant FisherUSA14 Feb 2025Boston University Track & Tennis Center, Boston (MA), USA(i)
10,000m26:11.00Joshua CheptegeiUganda7 Oct 2020Estadio de Atletismo del Turia, Valencia, Spain 
One hour21330Mo FarahGreat Britain4 Sep 2020Boudewijnstadion, Brussels, Belgium 
50m hurdles6.25Mark McKoyCanada5 Mar 1986Kobe, Japan(i)
60m hurdles7.27Grant HollowayUSA16 Feb 2024Convention Center, Albuquerque (NM), USA(i)
110m hurdles12.75 (+1.0m/s wind)Ja'Kobe TharpUSA10 Jun 2026Hayward Field, Eugene (OR), USA 
400m hurdles45.94Karsten WarholmNorway3 Aug 2021National Stadium, Tokyo, JapanOR
400m hurdles45.80 *Alison dos SantosBrazil27 Aug 2026Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland 
3000m steeplechase7:52.11Lamecha GirmaEthiopia9 Jun 2023Stade Charléty, Paris, France 
High jump2.45Javier SotomayorCuba27 Jul 1993Salamanca, Spain 
Pole vault6.31Armand DuplantisSweden12 March 2026IFU Arena, Uppsala, Sweden 
Long jump8.95 (+0.3m/s wind)Mike PowellUSA30 Aug 1991National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan 
Triple jump18.29 (+1.3m/s wind)Jonathan EdwardsGreat Britain7 Aug 1995Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, Sweden 
Shot put23.56Ryan CrouserUSA27 May 2023Drake Stadium, Los Angeles (CA), USA 
Discus throw75.56Mykolas AleknaLithuania13 Apr 2025Millican Field, Ramona (OK), USA 
Hammer throw86.74Yuriy SedykhSoviet Union30 Aug 1986Neckarstadion, Stuttgart, Germany 
Javelin throw98.48Jan ŽeleznýCzechia25 May 1996Jena, Germany 
Mile road3:51.3hElliot GilesGreat Britain1 Sep 2024Düsseldorf, Germany 
5km road12:49Berihu AregawiEthiopia31 Dec 2021Barcelona, Spain 
10km road26:31Yomif KejelchaEthiopia16 Feb 2025Castellón, Spain 
Half marathon57:20Jacob KiplimoUganda8 March 2026Lisbon, Portugal 
Half marathon56:51*Yomif KejelchaEthiopia23 Aug 2026Buenos Aires, Argentina 
Marathon1:59:30Sabastian SaweKenya26 Apr 2026London, Great Britain 
50km road2:38:43CJ AlbertsonUSA8 Oct 2022San Francisco (CA), USA 
100km road6:05:35Aleksandr SorokinLithuania14 May 2023Vilnius, Lithuania 
5000m race walk short track18:07.08Mikhail ShchennikovRussia14 Feb 1995Moscow, Russia(i)
5000m race walk short track17:54.58*Francesco FortunatoItaly28 Feb 2026Palaindoor Ancona, Italy(i)
20,000m race walk1:17:25.6hBernardo SeguraMexico7 May 1994Fana, Norway 
20km race walk1:16.10Yamanishi ToshikazuJapan16 Feb 2025Rokko Island University, Kobe, Japan 
Half marathon race walk1:20:34Yamanishi ToshikazuJapan15 Feb 2026Rokko Island University, Kobe, Japan 
30,000m race walk2:01:44.1hMaurizio DamilanoItaly3 Oct 1992Cuneo, Italy 
35km race walk2:20:43Massimo StanoItaly18 May 2025Podebrady, Czechia 
50,000m race walk3:35:27.2hYohann DinizFrance12 Mar 2011Reims, France 
50km race walk3:32:33Yohann DinizFrance15 Aug 2014Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland 
Decathlon9126Kevin MayerFrance16 Sep 2018Stade Pierre Paul Bernard, Talence, France 
Heptathlon short track6670Simon EhammerSwitzerland21 Mar 2026Kujawsko-Pomorska Arena, Toruń, Poland(i)
4x100m relay36.84Jamaica 11 Aug 2012Olympic Stadium, London, Great BritainOR
4x200m relay1:18.63Jamaica 24 May 2014T. Robinson Stadium, Nassau, Bahamas 
4x200m relay short track1:22.11Great Britain & NI 3 Mar 1991Glasgow, Great Britain(i)
4x400m relay2:54.29United States 22 Aug 1993Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion, Stuttgart, Germany 
4x400m relay short track3:01.51HoustonUSA9 Feb 2019Clemson University, Clemson (SC), USA(i)
4x800m relay7:02.43Kenya 25 Aug 2006Boudewijnstadion, Brussels, Belgium 
4x800m relay short track7:10.29United StatesUSA6 Feb 2026Philadelphia (PA), USA(i)
Distance medley9:15.50United States 3 May 2015T. Robinson Stadium, Nassau, Bahamas 
Distance medley9:14.58*Brooks BeastUSA19 Apr 2024Hayward Field, Eugene (OR), USA 
4x1500m relay14:22.22Kenya 25 May 2014T. Robinson Stadium, Nassau, Bahamas 
Road relay1:57:06Kenya 23 Nov 2005Chiba, Japan 

Key - *: Pending ratification; (i): set indoors; h: hand-timed; OR: set at Olympic Games and also stands as the Olympic Record.

World Records Women

Women's athletics world records
EventPerformanceAthleteNationalityDateLocationNotes

*: Pending ratification; Mx: mixed gender race; Wo: women only race; (i): set indoors; h: hand-timed; OR: set at Olympic Games and also stands as the Olympic Record.

World Records Mixed

Mixed athletics world records
EventPerformanceAthleteNationalityDateLocationNotes
Mixed 4x100m relay39.62*Jamaica 3 May 2026National Stadium, Gaborone, Botswana 
Mixed 4x400m relay3:07.41United States 2 Aug 2024Stade de France, Paris, FranceOR

*: Pending ratification; (i): set indoors; h: hand-timed; OR: set at Olympic Games and also stands as the Olympic Record.

Related content

More from
Usain BOLT
Joshua Kiprui CHEPTEGEI
Karsten WARHOLM
Yulimar ROJAS
Armand DUPLANTIS
Genzebe DIBABA
Hicham EL GUERROUJ
Eliud KIPCHOGE
Sydney MCLAUGHLIN-LEVRONE
Letesenbet GIDEY
Aries MERRITT
Kendra HARRISON
Yelena ISINBAEVA
Jonathan EDWARDS
Ryan CROUSER
Kevin MAYER
Florence GRIFFITH-JOYNER
disciplineAthletics