World records in athletics are ratified by World Athletics. Athletics records comprise the best performances in the sports of track and field, road running and racewalking.
Records are kept for all events contested at the Olympic Games and some others. Unofficial records for some other events are kept by track and field statisticians. The only non-metric track distance for which official records are kept is the mile run.
The criteria which must be satisfied for ratification of a world record are defined by World Athletics in Part III of the Competition Rules. [1] These criteria also apply to national or other restricted records and also to performances submitted as qualifying marks for eligibility to compete in major events such as the Olympic Games.
The criteria include:
Witnessing a world record brings great pleasure for athletics fans, and athletes' personal sponsors and promoters of major meetings such as the Diamond League and its predecessor, the IAAF Golden League have offered bonuses to athletes breaking a record.
Some middle-distance runners have specialized in acting as pacemakers in longer races, receiving a fee without even finishing the race, and possibly a bonus if a record results. This is a useful occupation for athletes who are capable of running accurately to a specified pace, but not capable of the fastest times to become champions in their own right.
In the pole vault record bonuses create an incentive for an athlete capable of beating a record by a large margin to instead break it by the minimum amount (one centimetre), multiple times, at multiple meetings, in order to accumulate multiple bonuses. This was done by Sergey Bubka and Yelena Isinbayeva in the men's and women's pole vault respectively, [4] and some commentators have complained that neither athlete ever posted as high a mark as they were capable of. [5] Since 2020, Armand Duplantis has been emulating the practice. [6] In most other disciplines, this issue does not arise, since it is practically impossible to deliberately break a record by a small margin.
World Athletics (then IAAF) commenced the recognition of world records in 1912, and indoor world records after 1987. In 2000, IAAF rule 260.18a (formerly 260.6a) was amended, so that "world records" (as opposed to "indoor world records") can be set in a facility "with or without roof". This rule was not applied retroactively, [7] and has, thus far, only affected the men's and women's pole vault, women's 2,000 m and women's triple jump. The women's vault record has been advanced 9 times indoors by three different women, each ratified as a world record. The last record to be set indoors was in 2004. Sergey Bubka's 1993 pole vault world indoor record of 6.15 m was not considered to be a world record, because it was set before the new rule came into effect. Bubka's world record of 6.14 m, set outdoors in 1994, was surpassed by six consecutive records set indoors, most recently by Armand Duplantis in 2023 with a 6.22 m mark. In 2020, Duplantis surpassed Bubka's outdoor world best (the old 6.14 m record), with a 6.15 m vault and continued to improve the world record thereafter, most recently in 2024 with a 6.26 m mark.
As new events are advanced to world record status, World Athletics might delay declaring initial performances as the official world record until sufficient athletes have had the opportunity to perform.
Awaiting ratification not ratified or later rescinded by World Athletics
h = hand timing
+ = en route to a longer distance
A = affected by altitude
OT = oversized track
X = annulled due to doping violations
# = not officially ratified by World Athletics
a = aided road course according to IAAF rule 260.28
est = estimate
i = set indoors (overall world record tables only)
Event | Perf. | N | Athlete(s) | Nat. | Avg Speed (mph, kph) | Pts | Date | Meeting | Location | Ctry. | R | V | P |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 × 400 m relay | 3:07.41 | Vernon Norwood (44.47) Shamier Little (49.32) Bryce Deadmon (44.17) Kaylyn Brown (49.45) | USA | 19.098 (30.735) | N/A | 2 August 2024 | Olympic Games | Saint-Denis | FRA | [174] | P |
In 2023, World Athletics decided to introduce the new term 'short track' to replace the previous term 'indoor' to describe events and performances that are set on a 200m track. [175] For track and combined events, the term "indoor world records" were changed to "short track world records". In some field events, including long jump, triple jump, high jump, pole vault, and shot put, indoor world records were eliminated. These changes came into effect on 1 November 2023.
Events which do not qualify for World Athletics-ratified world records are typically referred to as world bests.
While races over imperial measured distances were very common in the first half of the 20th century, only the mile remains common today due to its historical prominence in track and field: all other imperial measured distance races became increasingly rare, and the IAAF deleted these events from the world record books in 1976.
In November 2019, World Athletics (WA; formerly IAAF) also deleted several long-distance events (track distances of 20,000 metres, 25,000 metres and 30,000 metres and road distances of 15 km, 20 km, 25 km and 30 km) from the world record books.
Some road racing distances and indoor variations of outdoor events fall outside of WA's lists, and records set in uncommon events usually do not adhere to the strict criteria found in WA-ratifiable events: one example is the 150 metres record, which was set by Usain Bolt on a specially-made straight track, while previous performances (such as the Bailey–Johnson 150-metre race) were completed on a traditional circuit which included a partial bend in the track.
The 40-yard dash, a standard acceleration evaluation for American football players, does not fall within the usual criteria of athletics racing events. In most 40-yard dashes, reaction times are not recorded as timing starts only once the player is in motion, and the standards for timing a "football 40" are so lax and inconsistent that a real world record cannot be claimed.
Performances are also hand-timed and calculated to 1/100 of a second, although studies have shown human beings simply cannot react consistently or accurately enough for this to be a valid method, and even those using light beams are timed by the motion of the athlete, removing the normal factor of reaction time; further, football 40-yard dashes are usually run on a turf surface as opposed to an all weather track. All of these factors make track and "football 40" performances essentially impossible to compare.
The world best time for a "football 40" is 4.17 by Deion Sanders, while the extrapolated best for an Olympic-level athlete (including reacting to a starting gun) is 4.24 by Maurice Greene at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics. [251]
Event | Perf. | W | N | Athlete(s) | Nat. | Avg Speed (mph, kph) | Pts | Date | Meeting | Location | Ctry. | R | V | P |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
50 m | 5.40 | +0.2 | + [ak] | Bruny Surin | CAN | 20.712 (33.333) | N/A | 22 Aug 1999 | World Championships | Seville | ESP | [254] | ||
60 m | 6.25 | + [al] | 21.475 (34.56) | N/A | [254] [255] | |||||||||
6.31 | +0.9 | + [am] | Usain Bolt | JAM | 21.270 (34.231) | N/A | 16 Aug 2009 | World Championships | Berlin | GER | [256] | |||
6.29 | +0.9 | + [an] | Su Bingtian | CHN | 21.338 (34.340) | N/A | 1 Aug 2021 | Olympic Games | Tokyo | JPN | ||||
100 y | 9.0 | h | Ivory Crockett | USA | 22.727 (36.576) | N/A | 11 May 1974 | Knoxville | USA | [257] | ||||
Houston McTear | USA | N/A | 9 May 1975 | Winter Park | USA | [257] | ||||||||
9.07 | −0.5 | + | Asafa Powell | JAM | 22.552 (36.294) | N/A | 27 May 2010 | Golden Spike Ostrava | Ostrava | CZE | [258] | |||
150 m | 14.44 | −0.3 | + | Usain Bolt | JAM | 23.237 (37.396) | N/A | 20 Aug 2009 | World Championships | Berlin | GER | [259] | ||
150 m straight | 14.35 | +1.1 | Usain Bolt | JAM | 23.383 (37.631) | N/A | 17 May 2009 | Manchester City Games | Manchester | GBR | [260] | |||
200 m straight | 19.41 | −0.4 | Tyson Gay | USA | 23.049 (37.094) | N/A | 16 May 2010 | Manchester City Games | Manchester | GBR | [261] | |||
220 y (straight) | 19.5 | +1.9 | h | Tommie Smith | USA | 23.077 (37.139) | N/A | 7 May 1966 | Video on YouTube | San Jose, California | USA | [263] | ||
19.54 | −0.4 | Tyson Gay | USA | 23.030 (37.063) | N/A | 16 May 2010 | Manchester City Games | Manchester | GBR | [264] | ||||
300 m | 30.69 | A | Letsile Tebogo | BOT | 21.866 (35.191) | 1286 | 17 Feb 2024 | Simbine Curro Classic Shoot-Out | Pretoria | RSA | [265] [266] | |||
440 y | 44.5 | John Smith | USA | 20.225 (32.549) | N/A | 26 Jun 1971 | USA Championships | Eugene | USA | [267] | ||||
500 m | 57.69 | [ao] | David Rudisha | KEN | 19.388 (31.201) | N/A | 10 Sep 2016 | Great North CityGames | Newcastle | GBR | [270] | |||
600 m | 1:12.81 | Johnny Gray | USA | 18.434 (29.666) | 1239 | 24 May 1986 | Santa Monica | USA | [271] | |||||
1600 m | 3:41.84c | [ap] | Hicham El Guerrouj | MAR | 16.134 (25.966) | N/A | 7 Jul 1999 | Golden Gala | Rome | ITA | [272] | |||
3200 m | 7:51.35c | [ap] | Jakob Ingebrigtsen | NOR | 15.187 (24.440) | N/A | 9 Jun 2023 | Meeting de Paris | Paris | FRA | [272] | |||
Two miles | 7:54.10 | Jakob Ingebrigtsen | NOR | 15.187 (24.441) | 1304 | 9 Jun 2023 | Meeting de Paris | Paris | FRA | [273] [274] | P | |||
8 km (road) | 21:11 | + | Rhonex Kipruto | KEN | 14.080 (22.659) | N/A | 12 Jan 2020 | 10K Valencia Ibercaja | Valencia | ESP | [275] | |||
15 km (road) | 40:27 | + | Jacob Kiplimo | UGA | 13.825 (22.250) | N/A | 21 Nov 2021 | Lisbon Half Marathon | Lisbon | POR | [276] | |||
10 miles (road) | 44:04 | Benard Kibet | KEN | 13.616 (21.912) | 1257 | 4 Dec 2022 | Kōsa 10-Miler | Kōsa | JAP | [277] [278] | [279] | |||
20,000 m (track) | 56:20.02 | + | Bashir Abdi | BEL | 13.236 (21.302) | N/A | 4 Sep 2020 | Diamond League | Brussels | BEL | [39] | |||
20 km (road) | 54:29 | + | Jacob Kiplimo | UGA | 13.686 (22.025) | N/A | 21 Nov 2021 | Lisbon Half Marathon | Lisbon | POR | [280] | |||
25,000 m (track) | 1:12:25.4 | + | Moses Mosop | KEN | 12.870 (20.712) | N/A | 3 Jun 2011 | Prefontaine Classic | Eugene | USA | [281] | |||
25 km (road) | 1:11:08 | + | Eliud Kipchoge | KEN | 13.103 (21.087) | N/A | 25 Sep 2022 | Berlin Marathon | Berlin | GER | [282] | |||
30,000 m (track) | 1:26:47.4 | Moses Mosop | KEN | 12.887 (20.740) | N/A | 3 Jun 2011 | Prefontaine Classic | Eugene | USA | [281] | ||||
30 km (road) | 1:25:40 | + | Eliud Kipchoge | KEN | 13.056 (21.012) | N/A | 25 Sep 2022 | Berlin Marathon | Berlin | GER | [282] | |||
35 km (road) | 1:40:10 | + | Eliud Kipchoge | KEN | 13.027 (20.965) | N/A | 25 Sep 2022 | Berlin Marathon | Berlin | GER | [282] | |||
40 km (road) | 1:54:23 | + | Kelvin Kiptum | KEN | 13.038 (20.982) | N/A | 8 Oct 2023 | Chicago Marathon | Chicago | USA | [284] | |||
100,000 m (track) | 6:05:41 | Aleksandr Sorokin | LTU | 10.195 (16.408) | N/A | 23 Apr 2022 | Centurion Running Track 100 Mile | Bedfordshire | GBR | [285] | ||||
100 miles (track) | 11:14:56 | + | Aleksandr Sorokin | LTU | 8.890 (13.307) | N/A | 24 Apr 2021 | Centurion Running Track 100 Mile | Ashford | UK | [286] | |||
100 miles (road) | 10:51:39 | + | Aleksandr Sorokin | LTU | 9.207 (14.818) | N/A | 6 Jan 2022 | Spartanion Race | Tel Aviv | ISR | [287] | |||
12-hour run (track) | 170,309 m | Aleksandr Sorokin | LTU | 8.819 (14.192) | N/A | 24 Apr 2021 | Centurion Running Track 100 Mile | Ashford | UK | [286] | ||||
12-hour run (road) | 177,410 m | Aleksandr Sorokin | LTU | 9.186 (14.784) | N/A | 6 Jan 2022 | Spartanion Race | Tel Aviv | ISR | [287] | ||||
24-hour run (road) | 319,614 m | Aleksandr Sorokin | LTU | 8.275 (13.317) | N/A | 18 Sep 2022 | IAU 24 Hour European Championships | Verona | ITA | [288] | ||||
2000 m steeplechase | 5:10.68 | Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad | FRA | 14.400 (23.175) | 1248 | 30 Jun 2010 | Alma Athlé Tour | Reims | FRA | [289] [290] | ||||
2500 m steeplechase | 7:34.4 | h | George Orton | CAN | 12.307 (19.806) | N/A | 15 Jul 1900 | Olympic Games | Paris | FRA | ||||
2590 m steeplechase | 7:39.6 | h | James Lightbody | USA | 12.606 (20.287) | N/A | 29 Aug 1904 | Olympic Games | St. Louis | USA | ||||
3460 m steeplechase | 10:33.4 | h [aq] | Volmari Iso-Hollo | FIN | 12.219 (19.665) | N/A | 1 Aug 1932 | Olympic Games | Los Angeles | USA | ||||
4000 m steeplechase | 12:58.4 | h | John Rimmer | GBR | 11.495 (18.500) | N/A | 16 Jul 1900 | Olympic Games | Paris | FRA | ||||
200 m hurdles | 22.55 | Laurent Ottoz | ITA | 19.840 (31.929) | N/A | 31 May 1995 | Milan | ITA | [291] | |||||
200 m hurdles straight | 21.9 | +1.4 | h [ar] | Don Styron | USA | 20.429 (32.877) | N/A | 2 Apr 1960 | Baton Rouge | USA | [292] | |||
22.10 | +2.0 | Andy Turner | GBR | 20.244 (32.579) | N/A | 15 May 2011 | Manchester City Games | Manchester | GBR | [293] | ||||
22.10 | +1.8 | Louis Jacobus van Zyl | RSA | N/A | 9 May 2015 | Manchester City Games | Manchester | GBR | [294] | |||||
220 y hurdles straight | 21.9 | +1.4 | h | Don Styron | USA | 20.548 (33.069) | N/A | 2 Apr 1960 | Baton Rouge | USA | [292] | |||
300 m hurdles | 33.26 | Karsten Warholm | NOR | 20.177 (32.471) | N/A | 4 Jun 2021 | Night of Highlights | Oslo | NOR | [296] | ||||
440 y hurdles | 48.7 | Jim Bolding | USA | 18.481 (29.742) | N/A | 25 Jul 1974 | Turin | ITA | [297] | |||||
Standing long jump | 12 ft 3 in | Byron Jones | USA | N/A | 23 Feb 2015 | NFL Scouting Combine | Indianapolis | USA | [298] | |||||
Standing triple jump | 10.95 m | Tydree Lewis | USA | N/A | 31 Oct 2011 | |||||||||
Weight throw | 25.41 m | Lance Deal | USA | N/A | 20 Feb 1993 | Azusa | USA | |||||||
Icosathlon | 14571 pts | Joseph Detmer | USA | N/A | 25 Sep 2010 | World Championships | Lynchburg, Virginia | USA | [299] | |||||
1500 m walk (track) | 5:12.0 | + | Antanas Grigaliūnas | LTU | 10.755 (17.308) | N/A | 12 May 1990 | Vilnius | LTU | [300] | ||||
Mile walk (track) | 5:31.08 | Tom Bosworth | GBR | 10.874 (17.499) | N/A | 9 Jul 2017 | London Grand Prix | London | GBR | [301] | ||||
3000 m walk (track) | 10:47.11 | Giovanni De Benedictis | ITA | 10.370 (16.690) | 1209 | 19 May 1990 | San Giovanni Valdarno | ITA | [302] | |||||
5000 m walk (track) | 18:05.49 | Hatem Ghoula | TUN | 10.304 (16.582) | 1217 | 1 May 1997 | Tunis | TUN | [303] | |||||
5 km walk (road) | 18:21 | Robert Korzeniowski | POL | 10.159 (16.349) | 1194 | 15 Sep 1990 | Bad Salzdetfurth | GER | [304] [305] | |||||
10,000 m walk (track) | 37:25.21 | Eiki Takahashi | JPN | 9.963 (16.034) | 1241 | 14 Nov 2020 | Juntendo University Long Distance meeting | Inzai | JPN | [306] [307] | ||||
10 km walk (road) | 37:11 | Roman Rasskazov | RUS | 10.027 (16.136) | 1252 | 28 May 2000 | Saransk | RUS | [308] [309] | |||||
30 km walk (road) | 2:05:06 | Nathan Deakes | AUS | 8.941 (14.389) | 1227 | 27 Aug 2006 | Australian Race Walking Championships | Hobart | AUS | [304] [310] | ||||
50-mile walk (road) | 7:44:47.2 | [as] | Shaul Ladany | ISR | 6.455 (10.388) | N/A | 1972 | New Jersey | USA | [311] | ||||
4 × 110 y relay | 38.6 | A [at] | Earl McCullouch Fred Kuller O. J. Simpson Lennox Miller (JAM) | 23.316 (37.524) | N/A | 17 Jun 1967 | NCAA Division I Men's Outdoor Championships | Provo, Utah | USA | [312] | ||||
Swedish relay | 1:46.59 | [au] | Christopher Williams Usain Bolt Davian Clarke Jermaine Gonzales | JAM | 20.986 (33.774) | N/A | 25 Jul 2006 | DN Galan | Stockholm | SWE | [313] | |||
Sprint medley relay (2-2-4-8) | 3:10.76 | Carl Lewis Ferran Tyler Benny Hollis Johnny Gray | USA | 18.762 (30.195) | N/A | 6 Apr 1985 | Tempe | USA | ||||||
4 × mile relay | 15:49.08 | Eamonn Coghlan Ray Flynn Frank O'Mara Marcus O'Sullivan | IRL | 15.173 (24.418) | N/A | 17 Aug 1985 | Dublin | IRL | [314] | |||||
4 × 110m shuttle hurdle relay | 52.94 | [av] | Jason Richardson (hurdler) Aleec Harris Aries Merritt David Oliver | USA | 18.592 (29.921) | N/A | 25 Apr 2015 | Drake Relays | Des Moines | USA | [315] |
Event | Perf. | N | Athlete(s) | Nat. | Avg Speed (mph, kph) | Pts | Date | Meeting | Location | Ctry. | R | V | P |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Marathon Race Walk Relay | 2:50:31 | [note 1] | Álvaro Martín María Pérez | ESP | 9.226 (14.847) | N/A | 7 August 2024 | Olympic Games | Paris | FRA | [367] | ||
Shuttle hurdle relay | 54.27 | AK Sloboda, Varaždin Roko Farkaš Klara Koščak Janko Kišak Jana Koščak | CRO | 4 May 2024 | Croatian Relay Championships | Zagreb | CRO | [368] |
Event | Perf. | N | Athlete(s) | Nat. | Avg Speed (mph, kph) | Pts | Date | Meeting | Location | Ctry. | R |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
30 m | 3.81 | Churandy Martina | NED | 17.614 (28.347) | N/A | 14 Nov 2008 | Domino Day | Amsterdam | NED | [369] | |
40 y | 4.12 | [az] | Christian Coleman | USA | 19.859 (31.960) | N/A | 2 May 2017 | Trial | Knoxville | USA | |
50 y | 5.22 | Stanley Floyd | USA | 19.593 (31.531) | N/A | 22 Jan 1982 | Los Angeles | USA | |||
5.15 | X [u] | Ben Johnson | CAN | 19.859 (31.960) | N/A | 29 Jan 1988 | Toronto | CAN | |||
5.0 | h | Kirk Clayton | USA | 20.455 (32.918) | N/A | 10 Jan 1970 | Calgary | CAN | |||
Herb Washington | USA | N/A | 2 Feb 1972 | Toronto | CAN | [371] | |||||
Mel Pender | USA | N/A | 4 Mar 1972 | Orlando | USA | ||||||
N/A | 18 Mar 1972 | Hamilton | CAN | ||||||||
Herb Washington | USA | N/A | 4 Feb 1973 | Toronto | CAN | ||||||
Manfred Ommer | FRG | N/A | 14 Mar 1975 | Leverkusen | FRG | ||||||
60 y | 5.8 | h | Herb Washington | USA | 21.160 (34.054) | N/A | 12 Feb 1972 | East Lansing | USA | [371] | |
h A | Mel Pender | USA | N/A | 25 May 1973 | Salt Lake City | USA | |||||
55 m | 5.99 | A | Obadele Thompson | BAR | 20.540 (33.055) | 1268 | 22 Feb 1997 | Colorado Springs | USA | [178] [372] | |
70 y | 6.8 | h | Mel Pender | USA | 21.056 (33.887) | N/A | 27 Feb 1965 | Mason-Dixon Games | Louisville | USA | |
Craig Wallace | USA | N/A | 27 Feb 1965 | Mason-Dixon Games | Louisville | USA | |||||
Larry Highbaugh | USA | N/A | 14 Feb 1970 | Mason-Dixon Games | Louisville | USA | |||||
Jim Green | USA | N/A | 14 Feb 1970 | Mason-Dixon Games | Louisville | USA | |||||
Mel Pender | USA | N/A | 13 Feb 1971 | Mason-Dixon Games | Louisville | USA | |||||
Jean-Louis Ravelomanantsoa | MAD | N/A | 1 Jun 1973 | Mason-Dixon Games | Louisville | USA | |||||
Warren Edmondson | USA | N/A | 1 Jun 1973 | Mason-Dixon Games | Louisville | USA | |||||
Harrington Jackson | USA | N/A | 1 Jun 1973 | Mason-Dixon Games | Louisville | USA | |||||
100 m | 9.98 | Usain Bolt | JAM | 22.414 (36.072) | N/A | 23 Aug 2014 | Kamila Skolimowska Memorial | Warsaw | POL | [373] [374] | |
150 m | 14.99 | Donovan Bailey | CAN | 22.384 (36.024) | N/A | 1 Jun 1997 | Bailey–Johnson 150-metre race | Toronto | CAN | [376] | |
300 y | 29.27 | Terron Wright | USA | 20.965 (33.739) | N/A | 7 Feb 1981 | Bloomington | USA | |||
300 m | 31.56 | Steven Gardiner | BAH | 21.264 (34.221) | 1260 | 28 Jan 2022 | South Carolina Invitational | Columbia | USA | [377] [378] | |
500 y | 53.9 | h A | Larry James | USA | 18.975 (30.537) | N/A | 25 May 1973 | ITA meet | Salt Lake City | USA | [379] |
500 m | 59.83 | [ba] | Abdalelah Haroun | QAT | 18.694 (30.085) | 1204 | 17 Feb 2016 | Globen Galan | Stockholm | SWE | [380] [381] |
600 y | 1:06.93 | Moitalel Naadokila | KEN | 18.337 (29.51) | N/A | 15 Feb 2020 | Lubbock | USA | [382] | ||
1:06.68 | OT | Jonathan Jones | BAR | 18.405 (29.621) | N/A | 26 Feb 2022 | Big 12 Championships | Ames | USA | [383] | |
600 m | 1:13.77 | Donavan Brazier | USA | 18.194 (29.280) | 1277 | 24 Feb 2019 | USA Indoor Championships | Staten Island | USA | [384] [385] | |
1000 y | 2:04.39 | Johnny Gray | USA | 16.444 (26.464) | N/A | 23 Feb 1986 | San Diego | USA | |||
1600 m | 3:45.69c | [ap] | Yomif Kejelcha | ETH | 15.859 (25.522) | N/A | 3 March 2019 | Bruce Lehane Invitational | Boston | USA | [272] |
2000 m | 4:49.99 | Kenenisa Bekele | ETH | 15.428 (24.828) | 1280 | 17 Feb 2007 | Aviva Indoor Grand Prix | Birmingham | GBR | [386] | |
3200 m | 7:57.88c | [ap] | Josh Kerr | GBR | 14.979 (24.106) | N/A | 11 Feb 2024 | Millrose Games | New York City | USA | [272] |
Two miles | 8:00.67 | Josh Kerr | GBR | 14.979 (24.107) | 1310 | 11 Feb 2024 | Millrose Games | New York City | USA | [387] [388] | |
10,000 m | 27:50.29 | Mark Bett | KEN | 13.393 (21.553) | 1087 | 10 Feb 2002 | Indoor Flanders Meeting | Ghent | BEL | [389] [390] | |
Marathon | 2:19:01 | Malcolm Richards | USA | 11.316 (18.212) | N/A | 17 Mar 2018 | The Armory Indoor Marathon | New York City | USA | [391] | |
2000 m steeplechase | 5:13.77 | Paul Kipsiele Koech | KEN | 14.258 (22.947) | N/A | 13 Feb 2011 | Indoor Flanders Meeting | Ghent | BEL | [392] | |
3000 m steeplechase | 8:17.46 | Aleksandr Zagoruyko | URS | 13.490 (21.710) | N/A | 21 Feb 1982 | Moscow | URS | [389] | ||
50 y hurdles | 5.88 | Greg Foster | USA | 17.393 (27.992) | N/A | 17 Jan 1986 | Los Angeles | USA | |||
60 y hurdles | 6.82 | Renaldo Nehemiah | USA | 17.995 (28.961) | N/A | 30 Jan 1982 | Dallas | USA | |||
55 m hurdles | 6.89 | [bb] | Renaldo Nehemiah | USA | 17.857 (28.737) | 1254 | 20 Jan 1979 | New York City | USA | [394] | |
110 m hurdles | 13.34 | Allen Johnson | USA | 18.446 (29.685) | N/A | 14 Feb 1995 | Moscow | RUS | [389] | ||
300 m hurdles | 34.26 | OT | Karsten Warholm | NOR | 19.588 (31.524) | N/A | 10 Feb 2018 | Avoimet Pirkanmaan | Tampere | FIN | [395] |
400 m hurdles | 48.78 | Félix Sánchez | DOM | 18.343 (29.520) | N/A | 18 Feb 2012 | Meeting National Val-de-Reuil | Val-de-Reuil | FRA | [396] | |
Discus throw | 69.51 m | Gerd Kanter | EST | N/A | 22 Mar 2009 | World Record Indoor Challenge | Växjö | SWE | [398] | ||
Weight throw | 26.35 m | A | Daniel Haugh | USA | N/A | 16 Feb 2024 | USA Championships | Albuquerque | USA | [199] | |
Javelin throw | 85.78 m | Matti Närhi | FIN | N/A | 3 Mar 1996 | Kajaani | FIN | [399] | |||
3000 m walk | 10:30.28 | Tom Bosworth | GBR | 10.647 (17.135) | 1257 | 25 Feb 2018 | Glasgow Grand Prix | Glasgow | GBR | [400] [401] | |
Two miles walk | 11:54.50 | Valdas Kazlauskas | URS | 10.077 (16.217) | N/A | 24 Feb 1990 | Kaunas | URS | [389] | ||
5000 m walk | 18:03.83 | Sergey Shirobokov | RUS | 10.320 (16.608) | 1224 | 10 Mar 2022 | Yaroslavl | RUS | [402] | ||
10,000 m walk | 38:23.73 | Wang Zhen | CHN | 9.710 (15.627) | N/A | 8 Feb 2015 | Genoa | ITA | |||
15,000 m walk | 1:00:03.9 | Valdas Kazlauskas | URS | 9.310 (14.984) | N/A | 24 Jan 1987 | Kaunas | URS | [389] | ||
20,000 m walk | 1:20:40.0 | OT | Ronald Weigel | GDR | 9.244 (14.876) | N/A | 27 Jan 1980 | Senftenberg | GDR | ||
Sprint medley relay (2-2-4-8) | 3:15.10 | [bc] | Mark Everett James Trapp Kevin Little Butch Reynolds | USA | 18.345 (29.523) | N/A | 14 Mar 1993 | World Indoor Championships | Toronto | CAN | [403] |
Distance medley relay | 9:19.42 | [bd] | Cole Hocker Luis Peralta Charlie Hunter Cooper Teare | USA DOM AUS USA | 15.995 (25.741) | N/A | 29 Jan 2021 | Razorback Invitational | Fayetteville | USA | [404] |
4 × mile relay | 16:03.68 | [be] | David Ribich (4:08.2) Henry Wynne (4:01.4) Brannon Kidder (3:56.8) Izaic Yorks (3:57.2) | USA | 14.943 (24.048) | N/A | 26 Jan 2019 | Dr. Sander Columbia Challenge | New York City | USA | [405] |
4 × 60y shuttle hurdle relay | 27.6 | A [bf] | T.G. Parker Joe Kahiapo Ahart Powers Dick McIntosh | USA | 17.787 (28.625) | N/A | 21 Feb 1975 | Colorado Springs | USA | [406] |
World Athletics recognises world bests achieved in individual disciplines during a combined event. [441] The below list includes disciplines in the decathlon (men) and heptathlon (women). Athletes must score at least 7000 points in a decathlon in order to have their performance recognised. [442]
Event | Perf. | N | Athlete(s) | Nat. | Avg Speed (mph, kph) | Hep. Pts | Date | Meeting | Location | Ctry. | R | V |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
100 metre hurdles | 12.54 | Jessica Ennis | GBR | 17.838 (28.708) | 1195 | 3 Aug 2012 | Olympic Games | London | GBR | [445] | ||
High jump | 2.02 m | Nafissatou Thiam | BEL | 1264 | 22 Jun 2019 | Décastar | Talence | FRA | [445] | |||
Shot put | 20.79 m | [bh] | Eva Wilms | FRG | 1252 | 28 Aug 1977 | Hanover | FRG | [445] | |||
200 metres | 22.30 | Jackie Joyner-Kersee | USA | 20.062 (32.287) | 1150 | 15 Jul 1988 | Indianapolis | USA | [445] | |||
Long jump | 7.27 m | Jackie Joyner-Kersee | USA | 1264 | 23 Sep 1988 | Olympic Games | Seoul | KOR | [445] | |||
Javelin throw | 60.90 m | [d] | Barbora Špotáková | CZE | 1072 | 16 Sep 2012 | Décastar | Talence | FRA | [450] | ||
800 metres | 2:01.84 | Nadine Debois | FRA | 14.688 (23.638) | 1087 | 27 Sep 1987 | Décastar | Talence | FRA | [445] |
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
The men's javelin specification was changed with effect from 1986, and the women's from 2000. The purpose was to reduce the number of illegal flat landings, but a side-effect was to reduce the distance travelled. The prior world records in individual men's and women's javelin were invalidated, but the prior records in decathlon and heptathlon were not. [451]
The old specification records for men's and women's javelin were as follows:
Event | Record | Athlete | Nat. | Pts | Date | Meeting | Location | Ctry. | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Men's | 104.80 m | Uwe Hohn | GDR | N/A | 20 Jul 1984 | East Berlin | GDR | ||
Women's | 80.00 m | Petra Felke | GDR | N/A | 9 Sep 1988 | Potsdam | GDR |
The current decathlon world record was set with the current javelin specification.
The best performance in heptathlon using the new specification javelin is:
Performance | Athlete | Nat. | Pts | Date | Meeting | Location | Ctry. | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
7032 | Carolina Klüft | SWE | 1279 | 26 Aug 2007 | World Championships | Osaka | JPN | [452] [453] |
13.15 (+0.1 m/s) (100 m hurdles), 1.95 m (high jump), 14.81 m (shot put), 23.38 (+0.3 m/s) (200 m) / 6.85 m (+1.0 m/s) (long jump), 47.98 m [bn] (javelin), 2:12.56 (800 m) |
The best javelin throw in a heptathlon was also set using the old specification:
Performance | Athlete | Nat. | Hep. Pts | Date | Meeting | Location | Ctry. | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
64.64 m | Tessa Sanderson | GBR | 1145 | 12 Jul 1981 | Brussels | BEL | [454] |
The World Athletics Championships, known as the IAAF World Championships in Athletics until 2019, are a biennial athletics competition organized by World Athletics, formerly International Association of Athletics Federations. Alongside Olympic Games, the championships represents the highest level of senior international outdoor athletics competition for track and field athletics globally, including marathon running and race walking. Separate World Championships are held by World Athletics for certain other outdoor events, including cross-country running and half-marathon, as well as indoor and age-group championship.
The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor running track, it is one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and race in separate lanes for the entire course. In many countries, athletes previously competed in the 440-yard dash (402.336 m)—which is a quarter of a mile and was referred to as the "quarter-mile"—instead of the 400 m (437.445 yards), though this distance is now obsolete.
The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first recorded event at the ancient Olympic Games. The 200 m places more emphasis on speed endurance than shorter sprint distances as athletes predominantly rely on anaerobic energy system during the 200 m sprint. Similarly to other sprint distances, the 200 m begins from the starting blocks. When the sprinters adopt the 'set' position in the blocks they are able to adopt a more efficient starting posture and isometrically preload their muscles. This enables them to stride forwards more powerfully when the race begins and start faster.
The 4 × 100 metres relay or sprint relay is an athletics track event run in lanes over one lap of the track with four runners completing 100 metres each. The first runners must begin in the same stagger as for the individual 400 m race. Each runner carries a relay baton. Before 2018, the baton had to be passed within a 20 m changeover box, preceded by a 10-metre acceleration zone. With a rule change effective November 1, 2017, that zone was modified to include the acceleration zone as part of the passing zone, making the entire zone 30 metres in length. The outgoing runner cannot touch the baton until it has entered the zone, and the incoming runner cannot touch it after it has left the zone. The zone is usually marked in yellow, frequently using lines, triangles or chevrons. While the rule book specifies the exact positioning of the marks, the colours and style are only "recommended". While most legacy tracks will still have the older markings, the rule change still uses existing marks. Not all governing body jurisdictions have adopted the rule change.
The 4 × 400 metres relay or long relay is an athletics track event in which teams consist of four runners who each complete 400 metres or one lap, totaling 1600 meters. It is traditionally the final event of a track meet. The first leg and the first bend of the second leg are run in lanes. Start lines are thus staggered over a greater distance than in an individual 400 metres race; the runners then typically move to the inside of the track. The slightly longer 4 × 440 yards relay, on an Imperial distance, was a formerly run British Commonwealth and American event, until metrication was completed in the 1970s.
60 metres, or 60-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At indoor events, the 60 metres is run on lanes set out in the middle of the 'field', as is the hurdles event over the same distance, thus avoiding some of the effects of the banked track encircling the venue, upon which other track events in indoor events are run. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes. The format of the event is similar to other sprint distances. The sprinters follow three initial instructions: 'on your marks', instructing them to take up position in the starting blocks; 'set', instructing them to adopt a more efficient starting posture, which also isometrically preloads their muscles. This will enable them to start faster. The final instruction is the firing of the starter's pistol. Upon hearing this the sprinters stride forwards from the blocks.
The 1500 metres or 1,500-metre run is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athletics since 1983. It is equivalent to 1.5 kilometers or approximately 15⁄16 miles. The event is closely associated with its slightly longer cousin, the mile race, from which it derives its nickname "the metric mile".
The 3000 metres or 3000-metre run is a track running event, also commonly known as the "3K" or "3K run", where 7.5 laps are run around an outdoor 400 m track, or 15 laps around a 200 m indoor track.
The mile run is a middle-distance foot race.
Duplantis adopted the same record-breaking strategy as Ukrainian Sergey Bubka, who maximized bonus money by raising the bar one centimeter at a time on many occasions in the 1980s and '90s.
When spectators watch him compete, they can see there is still a considerable amount of room between him and the bar when he jumps record heights. This begs the question, why doesn't Duplantis attempt the next world record height if he knows he can get it? The answer is money.
In 2005, the second annual Audrey Walton Combined Events played host to the first women's decathlon in North America. Former K-State [Kansas State] heptathlete Austra Skujytė broke the IAAF's newly-ratified World Record in the event, scoring 8,358 points.