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Top 10 fastest female marathons in history

Five women from Ethiopia are in the list.

Published by
Amy Bonthorne

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.

  1. 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 - 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.

Published by
Amy Bonthorne