Running world records — marathon, half, 10K & 5K
Road running records fall in a blur of fast times each season. Here are the ratified or current best marks for the distances most runners care about — with where and when they were set.
Marathon world records
The marathon is the headline distance. Sabastian Sawe became the first man to break two hours in a record-eligible race at the 2026 London Marathon, while Ruth Chepngetich took the women's mark below 2:10 in Chicago.
Course profiles, pacing teams and weather all matter — but these times show how far elite endurance has moved in a generation.
Half marathon world records
The half marathon sits in a sweet spot — long enough to test endurance, short enough for aggressive pacing. Jacob Kiplimo's 2026 Lisbon run lowered the men's mark under 58 minutes.
For women, Letesenbet Gidey's 1:02:52 in Valencia remains the fastest mixed-race half. Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir holds the women-only record at 1:05:16 from the 2020 World Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia.
10 km & 5 km world records
Shorter road races reward sustained speed. Rhonex Kipruto's 26:24 over 10 km in Valencia has stood since 2020; on the women's side Agnes Ngetich broke through with 28:46 in the same city in 2024.
Over 5 km, Berihu Aregawi's 12:49 in Barcelona (2021) is the men's best. Beatrice Chebet ran 13:54 at the Cursa dels Nassos in Barcelona on New Year's Eve 2024 — the first woman under 14 minutes on any surface.
Reading the numbers
Road records require legal courses, eligible pacing rules and World Athletics ratification. Exhibition races (like sub-two-hour time trials with rotating pacers) are not listed here.
For your own goals, these marks are inspiration — not targets. The gap between a 3:30 marathon and the world record is still thousands of hours of training, recovery and genetics.
FAQ
Are these records official?
We source from World Athletics all-time lists and ratified performances. Some recent marks may await final ratification — check worldathletics.org for the latest status.
Why are there two women's half marathon records?
World Athletics tracks women-only races separately from mixed fields where women run alongside men, which can affect pacing and performance.