World Records are those officially ratified by the IAAF. We have also listed the statistically best-acceptable marks in other non-ratified events that are “frequently” contested (+). If the ratified WR is altitude-aided—i.e., made at an altitude over 1000 meters in an event where the thinner air has a positive effect—we sub-list the unofficial best.
Symbols: (A) = altitude over 1000 meters; i = indoors; m = meters; M = miles; p = mark pending ratification; y = yards
| Track Events |
| 100 |
10.49 |
Florence Griffith Joyner (US) |
Indianapolis, Indiana |
7/16/88 |
[T&FN believes the 10.49 is illegally wind-aided and should never have been accepted as the WR.
We believe the “real” fastest is 10.61 Florence Griffith Joyner (US) Indianapolis, Indiana, 7/17/88] |
| 200 |
21.34 |
Florence Griffith Joyner (US) |
Seoul, South Korea |
9/29/88 |
| 400 |
47.60 |
Marita Koch (East Germany) |
Canberra, Australia |
10/06/85 |
| 600+ |
1:21.77 |
Caster Semenya (South Africa) |
Berlin, Germany |
8/27/17 |
| 800 |
1:53.28 |
Jarmila Kratochvílová (Czechoslovakia) |
Munich, Germany |
7/26/83 |
| 1000 |
2:28.98 |
Svetlana Masterkova (Russia) |
Brussels, Belgium |
8/23/96 |
| 1500 |
3:50.07 |
Genzebe Dibaba (Ethiopia) |
Fontvieille, Monaco |
7/17/15 |
| Mile |
4:12.56 |
Svetlana Masterkova (Russia) |
Zürich, Switzerland |
8/14/96 |
| 2000 |
5:23.75i |
Genzebe Dibaba (Ethiopia) |
Sabadell, Spain |
2/07/17 |
| Steeple |
8:44.32 |
Beatrice Chepkoech (Kenya) |
Fontvieille, Monaco |
7/20/18 |
| 3000 |
8:06.11 |
Junxia Wang (China) |
Beijing, China |
9/13/93 |
[T&FN thinks the marks made in this meet are flawed and believes the “real” fastest
should be listed as 8:16.60i Genzebe Dibaba (Ethiopia) Stockholm, Sweden 2/06/14] |
| 2 Miles+ |
8:58.58 |
Meseret Defar (Ethiopia) |
Brussels, Belgium |
9/14/07 |
| 5000 |
14:11.15 |
Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia) |
Oslo, Norway |
6/06/08 |
| 10,000 |
29:17.45 |
Almaz Ayana (Ethiopia) |
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
8/12/16 |
| 20,000 |
1:05:26.6 |
Tegla Loroupe (Kenya) |
Borgholzhausen, Germany |
9/03/00 |
| Hour |
18,517m (11M,878y) |
Dire Tune (Ethiopia) |
Ostrava, Czech Republic |
6/12/08 |
| 25,000 |
1:27:05.9 |
Tegla Loroupe (Kenya) |
Mengerskirchen, Germany |
9/02/02 |
| 30,000 |
1:45:50.0 |
Tegla Loroupe (Kenya) |
Warstein, Germany |
6/06/03 |
| 100 Hurdles |
12.20 |
Keni Harrison (US) |
London, England |
7/22/16 |
| 400 Hurdles |
52.34 |
Yuliya Pechonkina (Russia) |
Tula, Russia |
8/08/03 |
| Relay Events |
| 4 x 100 |
40.82 |
United States |
London, England |
8/11/12 |
| (Tianna Bartoletta 11.0, Allyson Felix 9.9, Bianca Knight 10.9, Carmelita Jeter 9.9) |
| 4 x 200 |
1:27.46 |
United States |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
4/29/00 |
| (LaTasha Jenkins, LaTasha Colander-Richardson, Nanceen Perry, Marion Jones) |
| 4 x 400 |
3:15.17 |
Soviet Union |
Seoul, South Korea |
10/01/88 |
| (Tatyana Ledovskaya 50.12, Olga Nazarova 47.82, Maria Pinigina 49.43, Olga Bryzgina 47.80) |
| 4 x 800 |
7:50.17 |
Soviet Union |
Moscow, Russia |
8/05/84 |
| (Nadezhda Olizarenko, Lyubov Gurina, Lyudmila Borisova, Irina Podyalovskaya) |
| 4 x 1500 |
16:33.58 |
Kenya |
Nassau, Bahamas |
5/24/14 |
| (Mercy Cherono 4:07.5, Faith Kipyegon 4:08.5, Irene Jelagat 4:10.5, Hellen Obiri 4:07.1) |
| 800 Medley+ |
1:35.59 |
Team USA Red Penn |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
4/29/17 |
| (Morolake Akinosun, English Gardner, Dezerea Bryant, Miki Barber 50.90) |
|
1:35.20+ |
Team USA Penn Red |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
4/28/18 |
| (Destinee Brown, Aaliyah Brown, Kimberlyn Duncan, Raevyn Rogers 50.48) |
| Sprint Medley+ |
3:34.56 |
Jamaica |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
4/25/09 |
| (Sherri-Ann Brooks, Rosemarie Whyte, Moya Thompson 51.7, Kenia Sinclair 1:57.43) |
| Distance Medley |
10:36.50 |
United States |
Nassau, Bahamas |
5/02/15 |
| (Treniere Moser 3:18.38, Sanya Richards-Ross 50.12, Ajee’ Wilson 2:00.08, Shannon Rowbury 4:27.92) |
| 4 x 100H+ |
50.50 |
Team USA Blue Drake |
Des Moines, Iowa |
4/24/15 |
| (Brianna Rollins, Dawn Harper Nelson, Queen Harrison, Kristi Castlin) |
| Field Events |
| High Jump |
2.09 | 6-10¼ |
Stefka Kostadinova (Bulgaria) |
Rome, Italy |
8/30/87 |
| Pole Vault |
5.06 | 16-7¼ |
Yelena Isinbaeva (Russia) |
Zürich, Switzerland |
8/28/09 |
| Long Jump |
7.52 | 24-8¼ |
Galina Chistyakova (Soviet Union) |
St. Petersburg, Russia |
6/11/88 |
| Triple Jump |
15.50 | 50-10¼ |
Inessa Kravets (Ukraine) |
Göteborg, Sweden |
8/10/95 |
| Shot |
22.63 | 74-3 |
Natalya Lisovskaya (Soviet Union) |
Moscow, Russia |
6/07/87 |
| Discus |
76.80 | 252-0 |
Gabriele Reinsch (East Germany) |
Neubrandenburg, Germany |
7/09/88 |
| Hammer |
82.98 | 272-3 |
Anita Włodarczyk (Poland) |
Warsaw, Poland |
8/28/16 |
| Javelin |
72.28 | 237-2 |
Barbora Špotáková (Czech Republic) |
Stuttgart, Germany |
9/13/08 |
| Multi Event |
| Heptathlon |
7291 |
Jackie Joyner-Kersee (US) |
Seoul, South Korea |
9/23–24/88 |
| (12.69, 1.86/6-1¼, 15.80/51-10, 22.56 [4264], 7.27/23-10¼, 45.66/149-10, 2:08.51 [3027]) |
| Decathlon |
8358 |
Austra Skujytė (Lithuania) |
Columbia, Missouri |
4/14-15/05 |
| (12.49, 46.19/151-6, 3.10/10-2, 48.78/160-0, 57.19 [3890], 14.22w, 6.12/20-1w, 16.42/53-10½, 1.78/5-10, 5:15.86 [4468]) |
| Road Events |
| 10K |
29:43 |
Joyciline Jepkosgei (Kenya) |
Prague, Czech Republic |
9/09/17 |
| (women-only) |
30:29 |
Asmae Leghzaoui (Morocco) |
New York, New York |
6/08/02 |
| 15K+ |
45:37 |
Joyciline Jepkosgei (Kenya) |
Prague, Czech Republic |
4/01/17 |
| 20K+ |
61:25 |
Joyciline Jepkosgei (Kenya) |
Prague, Czech Republic |
4/01/17 |
| ½-Marathon |
64:51 |
Joyciline Jepkosgei (Kenya) |
Valencia, Spain |
10/22/17 |
| (women-only) |
1:06.11 |
Netsanet Gudeta Kebede (Ethiopia) |
Valencia, Spain |
3/24/18 |
| 25K+ |
1:19:53 |
Mary Keitany (Kenya) |
Berlin, Germany |
5/09/10 |
| 30K+ |
1:38:49 |
Mizuki Noguchi (Japan) |
Berlin, Germany |
9/25/05 |
| (women-only) |
1:36.05 |
Mary Keitany (Kenya) |
London, England |
4/23/17 |
| Marathon |
2:15:25 |
Paula Radcliffe (Great Britain) |
London, England |
4/13/03 |
| (women-only) |
2:17:01 |
Mary Keitany (Kenya) |
London, England |
4/23/17 |
| 100K |
6:33:11 |
Tomoe Abe (Japan) |
Lake Saroma, Japan |
5/25/00 |
| Ekiden Relay |
2:11:41 |
China |
Beijing, China |
2/28/98 |
| (Bo Jiang 15:42, Yanmei Dong 31:36, Fenting Zhao 15:16, Zaijie Ma 31:01, Lixin Lan 15:50, Xa Lin 22:16) |
| Walk Events |
| 10,000 |
41:56.23 |
Nadezhda Ryashkina (SU) |
Seattle, Washington |
7/24/90 |
| 10K(road) |
41:04 |
Yelena Nikolayeva (Russia) |
Sochi, Russia |
4/20/96 |
| 20,000 |
1:26:52.3 |
Olimpiada Ivanova (Russia) |
Brisbane, Australia |
9/06/01 |
| 20K(road) |
1:24:38 |
Hong Liu (China) |
La Coruña, Spain |
6/06/15 |
|
1:23:39 |
Yelena Lashmanova (Russia) |
Chekboksary, Russia |
6/09/18 |
| 50K(road) |
4:05:56 |
Inês Henriques (Portugal) |
London, England |
8/13/17 |
|
4:04:36 |
Rui Liang (China) |
Taicang, China |
5/05/18 |
as of September 14, 2018