World records
Men
| Event | Athlete | Nation | Performance | Meeting | Place | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 800 m | Wilson Kipketer |  Denmark | 1:41.73 [1] |  Stockholm, Sweden | 7 July | |
| 800 m | Wilson Kipketer | Denmark | 1:41.24 |  Zürich, Switzerland | 13 August | |
| 800 m | Wilson Kipketer | Denmark | 1:41.11 |  Cologne, Germany | 24 August | |
| 5000 m | Haile Gebrselassie |  Ethiopia | 12:41.86 | Zürich, Switzerland | 13 August | |
| 5000 m | Daniel Komen |  Kenya | 12:39.74 |  Brussels, Belgium | 22 August | |
| 10,000 m | Haile Gebrselassie | Ethiopia | 26:31.32 |  Oslo, Norway | 4 July | |
| 10,000 m | Paul Tergat | Kenya | 26:27.85 | Brussels, Belgium | 22 August | |
| 3000 m steeplechase | Wilson Boit Kipketer | Kenya | 7:59.08 | Zürich, Switzerland | 13 August | |
| 3000 m steeplechase | Bernard Barmasai | Kenya | 7:55.72 | Cologne, Germany | 24 August |
Women
| Event | Athlete | Nation | Performance | Meeting | Place | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5000 m | Dong Yanmei |  China | 14:31.27 | Shanghai, China | 21 October | |
| 5000 m | Jiang Bo | China | 14:28.09 | Shanghai, China | 23 October | |
| Pole vault | Emma George |  Australia | 4.50 m | Melbourne, Australia | 8 February | |
| Pole vault | Emma George | Australia | 4.55 m | Melbourne, Australia | 20 February | |
| Hammer throw | Mihaela Melinte |  Romania | 69.58 m | Bucharest, Romania | 8 March | |
| Hammer throw | Olga Kuzenkova |  Russia | 70.78 m | Smolensk, Russia | 11 June | |
| Hammer throw | Olga Kuzenkova | Russia | 71.22 m | Munich, Germany | 22 June | |
| Hammer throw | Olga Kuzenkova | Russia | 73.10 m | Munich, Germany | 22 June |
