The marathon is considered one of the most gruelling sports events in the world and considered a blue-ribbon event on the Athletics calendar.
Below are the top ten fastest men's marathon times.
- Tigist Assefa (Ethiopia) - 2:11:53 - Berlin, 2023
2. Sifan Hassan (Netherlands) - 2:13:44 - Chicago, 2023
3. Brigid Kosgei (Kenya) - 2:14:04 - Chicago, 2019
4. Ruth Chepngetich (Kenya) - 2:14:18 - Chicago, 2022
5. Amane Shankule (Ethiopia) - 2:14:58 - Valencia, 2022
6. Paula Radcliffe (Great Britain) - 2:15:25 - London, 2003
7. Worknesh Degefa (Ethiopia) - 2:15:51 - Valencia, 2023
8. Sutume Kebede (Ethiopia) - 2:15:55 - Tokyo, 2024
9. Tigist Ketema (Ethiopia) - 2:16:07 -ย Dubai, 2024
10. Rosemary Wanjiru (Kenya) - 2:16:14 - Tokyo, 2024
Fun fact: In the women's marathon, World Athletics recognises two world records.
The first is the overall fastest times, regardless of gender composition in the race. However, World Athletics also acknowledges a separate world record for races where women compete exclusively against other women, without any male participants.
As a result, there are two distinct world records in the marathon. Tigist Assefa of Ethiopia holds the mixed-gender marathon record, while the women-only marathon world record is held by Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya, who set a time of 2:16:16 at the London Marathon on April 21, 2024, in the elite women's race. Notably, Jepchirchir's record time doesn't place her in the top 10 fastest marathon times overall.
