5000 metres world record progression

Last updated

The official world records in the 5000 metres, or 5000-metre run, are held by Joshua Cheptegei with 12:35.36 for men and Beatrice Chebet with 13:58.06 for women.

Contents

The first world record in the men's 5000 m was recognized by World Athletics (formerly called the International Association of Athletics Federations, or IAAF) in 1912. As of January 2024, 36 world records have been ratified by World Athletics in the event. [1]

The first world record in the women's 5000 m was recognized by the IAAF in 1981. As of January 2024, 16 world records have been ratified by the IAAF in the event. [1]

Men

5000 metres world record progression

Pre-World Athletics

TimeAthleteDateLocation
16:34.6Flag of France.svg  George Touquet-Daunis  (FRA)1897-10-31Paris, France
16:29.2Flag of France.svg  George Touquet-Daunis  (FRA)1899-05-22 Lyon, France
15:29.8Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Charles Bennett  (GBR)1900-07-22Paris, France
14:59.0Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Alfred Shrubb  (GBR)1904-06-13 Glasgow, United Kingdom

World Athletics era

Ratified
Not ratified
Ratified but later rescinded
Pending ratification
TimeAthleteDateLocation
14:36.6Flag of Finland.svg  Hannes Kolehmainen  (FIN)1912-07-10 Stockholm, Sweden [1]
14:35.4Flag of Finland.svg  Paavo Nurmi  (FIN)1922-09-12 Stockholm, Sweden [1]
14:28.2Flag of Finland.svg  Paavo Nurmi  (FIN)1924-06-19 Helsinki, Finland [1]
14:17.0Flag of Finland.svg  Lauri Lehtinen  (FIN)1932-06-19 Helsinki, Finland [1]
14:08.8Flag of Finland.svg  Taisto Mäki  (FIN)1939-06-16 Helsinki, Finland [1]
13:58.2Flag of Sweden.svg  Gunder Hägg  (SWE)1942-09-20 Gothenburg, Sweden [1]
13:57.2Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Emil Zátopek  (TCH)1954-05-30Paris, France [1]
13:56.6Flag of the Soviet Union (1936 - 1955).svg  Vladimir Kuts  (URS)1954-08-29 Bern, Switzerland [1]
13:51.6Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Chris Chataway  (GBR)1954-10-13London, United Kingdom [1]
13:51.2Flag of the Soviet Union (1936 - 1955).svg  Vladimir Kuts  (URS)1954-10-23 Prague, Czechoslovakia [1]
13:50.8Flag of Hungary (1949-1956; 1-2 aspect ratio).svg  Sandor Iharos  (HUN)1955-09-10 Budapest, Hungary [1]
13:46.8Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Vladimir Kuts  (URS)1955-09-18 Belgrade, Yugoslavia [1]
13:40.6Flag of Hungary (1949-1956; 1-2 aspect ratio).svg  Sandor Iharos  (HUN)1955-10-23 Budapest, Hungary [1]
13:36.8Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Gordon Pirie  (GBR)1956-06-19 Bergen, Norway [1]
13:35.0Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Vladimir Kuts  (URS)1957-10-13 Rome, Italy [1]
13:34.8Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Ron Clarke  (AUS)1965-01-16 Hobart, Australia [1]
13:33.6Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Ron Clarke  (AUS)1965-02-01 Auckland, New Zealand [1]
13:25.8Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Ron Clarke  (AUS)1965-06-04 Compton, USA [1]
13:24.2Flag of Kenya.svg  Kipchoge Keino  (KEN)1965-11-30 Auckland, New Zealand [1]
13:16.6Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Ron Clarke  (AUS)1966-07-05 Stockholm, Sweden [1]
13:16.4Flag of Finland.svg  Lasse Virén  (FIN)1972-09-14 Helsinki, Finland [1]
13:13.0Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Emiel Puttemans  (BEL)1972-09-20 Brussels, Belgium [1]
13:12.9Flag of New Zealand.svg  Dick Quax  (NZL)1977-07-05 Stockholm, Sweden [1]
13:08.4Flag of Kenya.svg  Henry Rono  (KEN)1978-04-08 Berkeley, California, USA [1]
13:06.20Flag of Kenya.svg  Henry Rono  (KEN)1981-09-13 Knarvik, Norway [1]
13:00.41Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  David Moorcroft  (GBR)1982-07-07 Oslo, Norway [1]
13:00.40Flag of Morocco.svg  Saïd Aouita  (MAR)1985-07-27 Oslo, Norway [1]
12:58.39Flag of Morocco.svg  Saïd Aouita  (MAR)1987-07-27 Rome, Italy [1]
12:56.96Flag of Ethiopia (1991-1996).svg  Haile Gebrselassie  (ETH)1994-06-04 Hengelo, Netherlands [1]
12:55.30Flag of Kenya.svg  Moses Kiptanui  (KEN)1995-06-08 Rome, Italy [1]
12:44.39Flag of Ethiopia (1991-1996).svg  Haile Gebrselassie  (ETH)1995-08-16 Zürich, Switzerland [1]
12:41.86Flag of Ethiopia (1996-2009).svg  Haile Gebrselassie  (ETH)1997-08-13 Zürich, Switzerland [1]
12:39.74Flag of Kenya.svg  Daniel Komen  (KEN)1997-08-22 Brussels, Belgium [1]
12:39.36Flag of Ethiopia (1996-2009).svg  Haile Gebrselassie  (ETH)1998-06-13 Helsinki, Finland [1]
12:37.35Flag of Ethiopia (1996-2009).svg  Kenenisa Bekele  (ETH)2004-05-31 Hengelo, Netherlands [1]
12:35.36Flag of Uganda.svg  Joshua Cheptegei  (UGA)2020-08-14 Monaco [2]

Auto times to the hundredth of a second were accepted by the IAAF for events up to and including 10,000m from 1981. [1] Dick Quax's 13:12.9 from 1977 was recorded as 13:12.87 to the hundredth of a second.

Women

5000 metres world record progression

Pre-recognition

TimeAthleteDateLocation
16:17.4Flag of Italy.svg  Paola Pigni  (ITA)1969-05-11 Formia, Italy
15:53.6Flag of Italy.svg  Paola Pigni  (ITA)1969-09-02 Milan, Italy
15:41.4Flag of Romania.svg  Natalia Mărășescu  (ROM)1977-03-16 Oradea, Romania
15:37.0Flag of the United States.svg  Janice Merrill  (USA)1977-07-11 Mainz, Germany
15:35.52Flag of the United States.svg  Kathy Mills  (USA)1978-05-26 Knoxville, United States
15:33.8Flag of the United States.svg  Janice Merrill  (USA)1979-05-19 Durham, United States
15:30.6Flag of the United States.svg  Janice Merrill  (USA)1980-03-22Stanford, United States
15:28.43Flag of Norway.svg  Ingrid Kristiansen  (NOR)1981-07-11 Oslo, Norway
15:24.6Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Yelena Sipatova  (URS)1981-09-06 Podolsk, Soviet Union

World Athletics world records

Former women's world record holder Tirunesh Dibaba (right) leading another former world record holder Meseret Defar (centre) at the 2012 Olympic 5000 m final 2012 Olympics - Womens 5000m Dibaba leading.jpg
Former women's world record holder Tirunesh Dibaba (right) leading another former world record holder Meseret Defar (centre) at the 2012 Olympic 5000 m final
TimeAthleteDateLocation
15:14.51Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Paula Fudge  (GBR)1981-09-13 Knarvik, Norway [1]
15:13.22Flag of New Zealand.svg  Anne Audain  (NZL)1982-03-17 Auckland, New Zealand [1]
15:08.26Flag of the United States.svg  Mary Tabb  (USA)1982-06-05 Eugene, Oregon, United States [1]
15:01.83 [a] Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  Zola Budd  (RSA)1984-01-05 Stellenbosch, South Africa [1]
14:58.89Flag of Norway.svg  Ingrid Kristiansen  (NOR)1984-06-28 Oslo, Norway [1]
14:48.07Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Zola Budd  (GBR)1985-08-26London, United Kingdom [1]
14:37.33Flag of Norway.svg  Ingrid Kristiansen  (NOR)1986-08-05 Stockholm, Sweden [1]
14:36.45Flag of Portugal (official).svg  Fernanda Ribeiro  (POR)1995-07-22 Hechtel, Belgium [1]
14:31.27Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Dong Yanmei  (CHN)1997-10-21Shanghai, China [1]
14:28.09Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Jiang Bo  (CHN)1997-10-23Shanghai, China [1]
14:24.68Flag of Turkey.svg  Elvan Abeylegesse  (TUR)2004-06-11 Bergen, Norway [1]
14:24.53Flag of Ethiopia (1996-2009).svg  Meseret Defar  (ETH)2006-06-03New York, United States [1]
14:16.63Flag of Ethiopia (1996-2009).svg  Meseret Defar  (ETH)2007-06-15 Oslo, Norway [1]
14:11.15Flag of Ethiopia (1996-2009).svg  Tirunesh Dibaba  (ETH)2008-06-06 Oslo, Norway [1]
14:06.62Flag of Ethiopia (1996-2009).svg  Letesenbet Gidey  (ETH)2020-10-07 Valencia, Spain [1]
14:05.20Flag of Kenya.svg  Faith Kipyegon  (KEN)2023-06-09 Paris, France [3]
14:00.21Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Gudaf Tsegay  (ETH)2023-09-17 Eugene, Oregon [4]
13:58.06Flag of Kenya.svg  Beatrice Chebet  (KEN)2025-07-05 Eugene, Oregon [5]
  1. Time was rejected as South Africa was suspended from IAAF membership.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 "World Athletics Statistics Handbook 2022" (PDF). Monte Carlo: World Athletics Media & Public Relations Department. 2022. pp. Pages 729, 865. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  2. "Cheptegei breaks world 5000m record in Monaco as Diamond League action returns" . Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  3. Sully, Kevin. "Faith Kipyegon's Magical Week Continues With 5000m World Record In Paris". FloTrack. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  4. "5000m Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 17 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.[ dead link ]
  5. "Live in Eugene – Wanda Diamond League". www.diamondleague.com. Retrieved 2025-07-05.