World records in the marathon are ratified by World Athletics, the international governing body for the sport of athletics.
The Prague Marathon is an annual road marathon held in the city of Prague in the Czech Republic each May. It was founded in 1995 and has grown to become a significant event, being awarded IAAF Gold Label status. Prague's marathon course has been voted one of the most beautiful in the world.
Gebregziabher Gebremariam is a retired Ethiopian long-distance runner. He established himself at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, winning the junior title in 2002 and two silver medals in the senior races in 2004. He represented Ethiopia over 5000 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics, taking fourth place, and over 10000 metres at the 2012 Summer Olympics. He was the 2009 World Champion in cross country.
Tadese Tola is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. He has represented Ethiopia at World championship level in cross country, road running, and on the track.
Kimberley Smith is a New Zealand middle-distance and long-distance runner who retired in 2016.
Tsegaye Kebede Wordofa is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes in road running events, including marathons. He quickly rose to become a prominent distance runner after his international debut at the Amsterdam Marathon in 2007. In his second year of professional running, he won the Paris Marathon, the Fukuoka Marathon and the marathon bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Emmanuel Kipchirchir Mutai is a long distance runner from Kenya, who specialises in marathons. As of January 2024 his time of 2:03:13 is now the joint 13th fastest. When he ran that time it was the 2nd fastest time ever and is the 3rd fastest ever with a non carbon shoe.
Geoffrey Kiprono Mutai is a Kenyan long distance runner who specialises in road running competitions. On 18 April 2011 at the Boston Marathon, Mutai ran the fastest marathon ever at the time in a time of 2 hours 3 minutes 2 seconds, though the time was not recognised by the International Association of Athletics Federations as a world record since the Boston course does not meet the criteria to be eligible for the mark.
Atsede Bayisa Tesema, also known as Atsede Bayisa, is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who specialises in road running events. She has won the Chicago Marathon, Boston Marathon and Paris Marathon twice. She has also won at the Xiamen International Marathon and the Istanbul Marathon.
The 2010 London Marathon was the 30th running of the annual marathon race in London, England, which took place on Sunday, 25 April. The elite men's race was won by Ethiopia's Tsegaye Kebede in a time of 2:05:19 hours and the elite women's race was won by Aselefech Mergia, also of Ethiopia, in 2:22:38.
Firehiwot Tufa Dado is a female long-distance runner from Ethiopia, who won the New York City Marathon in 2011 with a personal best time of 2:23:15 hours. She also took three consecutive victories in the Rome City Marathon.
The 2010 New York City Marathon was the 41st running of the annual marathon race in New York City, United States, which took place on Sunday, November 7. Sponsored by ING Group, the competition was the fifth World Marathon Major of 2010 and an IAAF Gold Label Road Race. A record 45,344 people were entered into the race. Ethiopian runner Gebregziabher Gebremariam won the men's race in a time of two hours, eight minutes and fourteen seconds on his debut performance over the distance. Edna Kiplagat of Kenya took first place in the women's race with her winning time of 2:28:20.
Lelisa Desisa Benti is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who specialises in road running competitions. Desisa gained his first international medal at the 2009 African Junior Athletics Championships, where he took the 10,000 metres gold medal.
The 2011 London Marathon was the 31st running of the annual marathon race in London, England, which took place on Sunday, 17 April. The elite men's race was won by Kenya's Emmanuel Kipchirchir Mutai in a course record time of 2:04:40 hours and the elite women's race was won by Mary Jepkosgei Keitany, also of Kenya, in 2:19:19.
Bizunesh Deba, also known as Buzunesh Deba, is a Bronx-based Ethiopian long-distance runner. Her personal best for the marathon is 2:19:59, set during the Boston Marathon in 2014, which she won, though in a recent interviews it was confirmed she was never paid the winner's prize money for her first place finish nor the prize money for setting the women's course record.
The 2012 Boston Marathon took place in Boston, Massachusetts on Monday April 16, 2012. It was the 116th edition of the mass-participation marathon. Organized by the Boston Athletic Association, it was the first of the World Marathon Majors series to be held in 2012. A total of 22,426 runners started the race. The competition was held in hot running conditions, reaching 88 °F (31 °C) that afternoon, and some of the 27,000 registered runners opted to take up the organizers' offer to defer their entry until the 2013 race.
The 2012 London Marathon was the 32nd running of the annual marathon race in London, England, which took place on Sunday, 22 April. Both of the elite races were won by Kenyan athletes, and Ethiopia's Tsegaye Kebede was the only non-Kenyan to reach the podium in either race. Mary Jepkosgei Keitany won the women's elite race for the second year running with a Kenyan record time of 2:18:37 hours. Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich was the men's race winner with a time of 2:04:44 – four seconds off Emmanuel Kipchirchir Mutai's course record set at the 2011 London Marathon.
The 2013 New York City Marathon was the 43rd running of the annual marathon race in New York City, United States, which took place on Sunday, November 3. It followed a one-year hiatus after the 2012 event was canceled due to Hurricane Sandy. Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya won the men's division with a time of 2:08:24, his second consecutive win in New York. Priscah Jeptoo, also from Kenya, won the women's division with a time of 2:25:07. The two winners each received $100,000 in prize money, with Jeptoo capturing the World Marathon Majors title for $500,000.
The 2014 London Marathon was the 34th running of the annual marathon race in London, England, which took place on Sunday, 13 April. The men's elite race was won by Kenyan Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich and the women's race was won by Kenyan Edna Kiplagat. The men's wheelchair race was won by Switzerland's Marcel Hug and the women's wheelchair race was won by American Tatyana McFadden. Kipsang and McFadden set course records.
The 2006 New York City Marathon was the 37th running of the annual marathon race in New York City, United States, which took place on Sunday, November 5. The men's elite race was won by Brazil's Marílson Gomes dos Santos in a time of 2:09:58 hours while the women's race was won by Latvia's Jeļena Prokopčuka in 2:25:05.
Kenya 
Ethiopia 
Morocco 
United States 
Switzerland 
Mexico 
Netherlands 
United Kingdom 
Colombia 
