The World Athletics Championships is a biennial event which began in 1983. Organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), the World Championships are a competition comprising track and field athletics events available to male and female athletes from any of the IAAF's 213 member federations. Championship records are set when an athlete achieves the best mark in an event at one of the editions of the Championships. World, area, and national records have been set at the championships over the course of its history.
Competitors at the World Championships come from around the globe and records have been broken by athletes from all six continents. The United States has been the most successful competitor at the World Championships in both medals and records.
Four athletes hold multiple records:
not ratified or later rescinded by World Athletics
Statistics are correct as of August 2023
Event | Record | Name | Location | Date | Ref | Video | |||||||||||||||||||
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100 m | 9.58 (+0.9 m/s) WR | Usain Bolt (JAM) | Berlin | 16 August 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||
200 m | 19.19 (−0.3 m/s) WR | Usain Bolt (JAM) | Berlin | 20 August 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||
400 m | 43.18 WR | Michael Johnson (USA) | Sevilla | 26 August 1999 | |||||||||||||||||||||
800 m | 1:42.34 | Donavan Brazier (USA) | Doha | 1 October 2019 | [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
1500 m | 3:27.65 | Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) | Sevilla | 24 August 1999 | |||||||||||||||||||||
5000 m | 12:52.79 | Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) | Paris | 31 August 2003 | |||||||||||||||||||||
10,000 m | 26:46.31 | Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) | Berlin | 17 August 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Marathon | 2:05:36 | Tamirat Tola (ETH) | Eugene | 17 July 2022 | [2] | ||||||||||||||||||||
110 m hurdles | 12.91 (+0.5 m/s) WR | Colin Jackson (GBR) | Stuttgart | 20 August 1993 | |||||||||||||||||||||
400 m hurdles | 46.29 | Alison dos Santos (BRA) | Eugene | 19 July 2022 | [3] | ||||||||||||||||||||
3000 m steeplechase | 8:00.43 | Ezekiel Kemboi (KEN) | Berlin | 18 August 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||
High jump | 2.41 m | Bohdan Bondarenko (UKR) | Moscow | 15 August 2013 | [4] | ||||||||||||||||||||
Pole vault | 6.21 m WR | Armand Duplantis (SWE) | Eugene | 24 July 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Long jump | 8.95 m (+0.3 m/s) WR | Mike Powell (USA) | Tokyo | 30 August 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Triple jump | 18.29 m (+1.3 m/s) WR | Jonathan Edwards (GBR) | Gothenburg | 7 August 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Shot put | 23.51 m | Ryan Crouser (USA) | Budapest | 19 August 2023 | [5] | ||||||||||||||||||||
Discus throw | 71.46 m | Daniel Ståhl (SWE) | Budapest | 21 August 2023 | [6] | ||||||||||||||||||||
Hammer throw | 83.63 m [7] | Ivan Tsikhan (BLR) | Osaka | 27 August 2007 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Javelin throw | 92.80 m | Jan Železný (CZE) | Edmonton | 12 August 2001 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Decathlon | 9045 pts WR | Ashton Eaton (USA) | Beijing | 28–29 August 2015 | [8] | ||||||||||||||||||||
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20 km walk (road) | 1:17:21 WR | Jefferson Pérez (ECU) | Paris | 23 August 2003 | |||||||||||||||||||||
35 km walk (road) | 2:23:14 | Massimo Stano (ITA) | Eugene | 24 July 2022 | [9] | ||||||||||||||||||||
50 km walk (road) | 3:33:12 | Yohann Diniz (FRA) | London | 13 August 2017 | [10] | ||||||||||||||||||||
4 × 100 m relay | 37.04 | Jamaica (JAM) Nesta Carter Michael Frater Yohan Blake Usain Bolt | Daegu | 4 September 2011 | [11] | ||||||||||||||||||||
4 × 400 m relay | 2:54.29 WR | United States (USA) Andrew Valmon Quincy Watts Butch Reynolds Michael Johnson | Stuttgart | 22 August 1993 | [12] |
WR World record | AR Area record | NR National record | PB Athlete's personal best |
Statistics are correct as of August 2023
Event | Record | Name | Location | Date | Ref | Video | ||||||||||||
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100 m | 10.65 (−0.2 m/s) | Sha'Carri Richardson (USA) | Budapest | 21 August 2023 | [15] | |||||||||||||
200 m | 21.41 (+0.1 m/s) | Shericka Jackson (JAM) | Budapest | 25 August 2023 | [16] | |||||||||||||
400 m | 47.99 WR | Jarmila Kratochvílová (TCH) | Helsinki | 10 August 1983 | ||||||||||||||
800 m | 1:54.68 | Jarmila Kratochvílová (TCH) | Helsinki | 9 August 1983 | ||||||||||||||
1500 m | 3:51.95 | Sifan Hassan (NED) | Doha | 5 October 2019 | [17] | |||||||||||||
3000 m (defunct since 1993) | 8:28.71 | Yunxia Qu (CHN) | Stuttgart | 16 August 1993 | ||||||||||||||
5000 m | 14:26.72 | Hellen Obiri (KEN) | Doha | 5 October 2019 | [18] | |||||||||||||
10,000 m | 30:04.18 | Berhane Adere (ETH) | Paris | 23 August 2003 | ||||||||||||||
100 m hurdles | 12.12 WR | Tobi Amusan (NGR) | Eugene | 24 July 2022 | [19] | |||||||||||||
12.06 (+2.5 m/s) | Tobi Amusan (NGR) | Eugene | 24 July 2022 | |||||||||||||||
400 m hurdles | 50.68 WR | Sydney McLaughlin (USA) | Eugene | 22 July 2022 | [20] | |||||||||||||
3000 m steeplechase | 8:53.02 | Norah Jeruto (KAZ) | Eugene | 20 July 2022 | [21] | |||||||||||||
Marathon | 2:18:11 | Gotytom Gebreslase (ETH) | Eugene | 18 July 2022 | [22] | |||||||||||||
High jump | 2.09 m WR | Stefka Kostadinova (BUL) | Rome | 30 August 1987 | ||||||||||||||
Pole vault | 5.01 m WR | Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS) | Helsinki | 12 August 2005 | [23] | |||||||||||||
Long jump | 7.36 m (+0.4 m/s) | Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) | Rome | 4 September 1987 | ||||||||||||||
Triple jump | 15.50 m (+0.9 m/s) WR | Inessa Kravets (UKR) | Gothenburg | 10 August 1995 | ||||||||||||||
Shot put | 21.24 m | Natalya Lisovskaya (URS) | Rome | 5 September 1987 | ||||||||||||||
Valerie Adams (NZL) | Daegu | 29 August 2011 | ||||||||||||||||
Discus throw | 71.62 m | Martina Hellmann (GDR) | Rome | 31 August 1987 | ||||||||||||||
Hammer throw | 80.85 m | Anita Włodarczyk (POL) | Beijing | 27 August 2015 | [24] | |||||||||||||
Javelin throw | 71.70 m | Olisdeilys Menéndez (CUB) | Helsinki | 14 August 2005 | ||||||||||||||
71.99 m DQ | Mariya Abakumova (RUS) | Daegu | 2 September 2011 | [25] | ||||||||||||||
Heptathlon | 7128 pts | Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) | Rome | 31 August – 1 September 1987 | [26] | |||||||||||||
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10,000 m walk (track) (defunct since 1997) | 42:55.49 | Annarita Sidoti (ITA) | Athens | 7 August 1997 | ||||||||||||||
10 km walk (road) (defunct since 1995) | 42:13 | Irina Stankina (RUS) | Gothenburg | 7 August 1995 | [27] | |||||||||||||
20 km walk (road) | 1:25:41 | Olimpiada Ivanova (RUS) | Helsinki | 7 August 2005 | ||||||||||||||
35 km walk (road) | 2:38:40 | María Pérez (ESP) | Budapest | 24 August 2023 | [28] | |||||||||||||
50 km walk (road) | 4:05:56 WR | Inês Henriques (POR) | London | 13 August 2017 | [29] | |||||||||||||
4 × 100 m relay | 41.03 | United States (USA) Tamari Davis Twanisha Terry Gabrielle Thomas Sha'Carri Richardson | Budapest | 26 August 2023 | [30] | |||||||||||||
4 × 400 m relay | 3:16.71 | United States (USA) Gwen Torrence Maicel Malone-Wallace Natasha Kaiser-Brown Jearl Miles | Stuttgart | 22 August 1993 | [31] |
WR World record | AR Area record | NR National record | PB Athlete's personal best |
Event | Record | Athlete | Nation | Date | Championships | Place | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 × 400 m relay | 3:08.80 WR | Justin Robinson (44.47) Rosey Effiong (50.38) Matthew Boling (45.13) Alexis Holmes (48.82) | United States | 19 August 2023 | 2023 World Championships | Budapest, Hungary | [38] |
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