The World’s Fastest Marathoners & Marathon Courses


Mike Finch |

Here’s a complete list of the world record-holders and all-time top 42.2km runners.By K Ken Nakamura, Scott Douglas

Dennis Kimetto runs the fastest marathon time in history (2:02:57) on a record-eligible course at the 2014 Berlin Marathon. PhotoRun
Dennis Kimetto runs the fastest marathon time in history (2:02:57) on a record-eligible course at the 2014 Berlin Marathon. PhotoRun

Below you’ll find tables detailing several marathon superlatives:

  • the 10 fastest marathoners in history on record-eligible courses;
  • the 10 fastest performances on record-eligible courses;
  • the fastest courses for men and women;
  • the progression of the world records since 1988.

Note that we said “on record-eligible courses.” That’s why Eliud Kipchoge is listed as the third-fastest man in history, despite his 2:00:25 run at Nike’s Breaking2 marathon in May 2017. That time doesn’t count for record purposes because standard competition rules for pacing and fluids weren’t followed. Similarly, Boston Marathon course record holder Geoffrey Mutai is listed as the tenth-fastest man in history, even though his 2:03:03 at Boston in 2011 is equal to the third-fastest time in history. Because of its point-to-point layout and too-great net elevation drop, Boston’s course doesn’t count for record purposes. (Times from it are included in the fastest-courses tables.)

Each marathoner appears on the first list, for the fastest performers in history, only once. The third set of tables, for fastest performances in history, allows for a runner to appear more than once. For example, world record-holder Paula Radcliffe appears four times in the fastest-performances list.

The tables are current as of September 24, 2017, after the Berlin Marathon altered the men’s all-time and fastest-courses list.

10 Fastest Marathoners on Record-Eligible Course: Men

Runner Time Pace Per 1.6km Marathon
Dennis Kimetto (Kenya) 2:02:57 4:41.4 Berlin, 2014
Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) 2:03:03 4:41.6 Berlin, 2016
Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) 2:03:05 4:41.7 London, 2016
Emmanuel Mutai (Kenya) 2:03:13 4:42.0 Berlin, 2014
Wilson Kipsang (Kenya) 2:03:13 4:42.0 Berlin, 2016
Patrick Makau (Kenya) 2:03:38 4:43.0 Berlin, 2011
Guye Adola (Ethiopia) 2:03:46 4:43.3 Berlin, 2017
Stanley Biwott (Kenya) 2:03:51 4:43.4 London, 2016
Haile Gebrselassie (Ethiopia) 2:03:59 4:43.7 Berlin, 2008
Tamirat Tola (Ethiopia) 2:04:11 4:41.1 Dubai, 2017

10 Fastest Marathoners on Record-Eligible Course: Women

Runner Time Pace Per 1.6km Marathon
Paula Radcliffe (Great Britain) 2:15:25 5:09.9 London, 2003
Mary Keitany (Kenya) 2:17:01 5:13.6 London, 2017
Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia) 2:17:56 5:15.7 London, 2017
Catherine Ndereba (Kenya) 2:18:47 5:17.6 Chicago, 2001
Tiki Gelana (Ethiopia) 2:18:58 5:18.0 Rotterdam, 2012
Mizuki Noguchi (Japan) 2:19:12 5:18.6 Berlin, 2005
Irina Mikitenko (Germany) 2:19:19 5:18.8 Berlin, 2008
Gladys Cherono (Kenya) 2:19:25 5:19.0 Berlin, 2015
Aselefech Mergia (Ethiopia) 2:19:31 5:19.3 Dubai, 2012
Lucy Kabuu (Kenya) 2:19:34 5:19.4 Dubai, 2012

10 Fastest Marathons on Record-Eligible Course: Men

Runner Time Pace Per 1.6km Marathon
Dennis Kimetto (Kenya) 2:02:57 4:41.4 Berlin, 2014
Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) 2:03:03 4:41.6 Berlin, 2016
Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) 2:03:05 4:41.7 London, 2016
Emmanuel Mutai (Kenya) 2:03:13 4:42.0 Berlin, 2014
Wilson Kipsang (Kenya) 2:03:13 4:42.0 Berlin, 2016
Wilson Kipsang (Kenya) 2:03:23 4:42.4 Berlin, 2013
Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) 2:03:32 4:42.7 Berlin, 2017
Patrick Makau (Kenya) 2:03:38 4:43.0 Berlin, 2011
Wilson Kipsang (Kenya) 2:03:42 4:43.0 Frankfurt, 2011
Dennis Kimetto (Kenya) 2:03:45 4:43.2 Chicago, 2013

10 Fastest Marathons on Record-Eligible Course: Women

Runner Time Pace Per 1.6km Marathon
Paula Radcliffe (Great Britain) 2:15:25 5:09.9 London, 2003
Mary Keitany (Kenya) 2:17:01 5:13.6 London, 2017
Paula Radcliffe (Great Britain) 2:17:18 5:14.2 Chicago, 2002
Paula Radcliffe (Great Britain) 2:17:42 5:15.1 London, 2005
Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia) 2:17:56 5:15.7 London, 2017
Mary Keitany (Kenya) 2:18:37 5:17.2 London, 2012
Catherine Ndereba (Kenya) 2:18:47 5:17.6 Chicago, 2001
Paula Radcliffe (Great Britain) 2:18:56 5:17.9 London, 2002
Tiki Gelana (Ethiopia) 2:18:58 5:18.0 Rotterdam, 2012
Mizuki Noguchi (Japan) 2:19:12 5:18.6 Berlin, 2005

Progression of World Record Since 1988: Men

Runner Time Pace Per 1.6km Marathon
Belayneh Densamo (Ethiopia) 2:06:50 4:50.3 Rotterdam, 1988
Ronaldo da Costa (Brazil) 2:06:06 4:48.6 Berlin, 1998
Khalid Khannouchi (Morocco) 2:05:42 4:47.7 Chicago, 1999
Khalid Khannouchi (United States) 2:05:38 4:47.5 London, 2002
Paul Tergat (Kenya) 2:04:55 4:45.9 Berlin, 2003
Haile Gebrselassie (Ethiopia) 2:04:26 4:44.8 Berlin, 2007
Haile Gebrselassie (Ethiopia) 2:03:59 4:43.7 Berlin, 2008
Patrick Makau (Kenya) 2:03:38 4:43.0 Berlin, 2011
Wilson Kipsang (Kenya) 2:03:23 4:42.4 Berlin, 2013
Dennis Kimetto (Kenya) 2:02:57 4:41.4 Berlin, 2014

Progression of World Record Since 1988: Women

Runner Time Pace Per 1.6km Marathon
Tegla Loroupe (Kenya) 2:20:47 5:22.2 Rotterdam, 1998
Tegla Loroupe (Kenya) 2:20:43 5:22.0 Berlin, 1999
Naoko Takahashi (Japan) 2:19:46 5:19.8 Berlin, 2001
Catherine Ndereba (Kenya) 2:18:47 5:17.6 Chicago, 2001
Paula Radcliffe (Great Britain) 2:17:18 5:14.2 Chicago, 2002
Paula Radcliffe (Great Britain) 2:15:25 5:09.9 London, 2003

Average of Top 10 Performances in Race History: Men

Average of Top 10 Performances Marathon
1 2:03:28 Berlin
2 2:04:34 London
3 2:04:36 Dubai
4 2:04:40 Chicago
5 2:04:52 Rotterdam
6 2:05:39 Boston
7 2:05:40 Frankfurt
8 2:05:47 Amsterdam
9 2:05:57 Paris
10 2:06:05 Seoul

Average of Top 10 Performances in Race History: Women

Average of Top 10 Performances Marathon
1 2:18:26 London
2 2:19:52 Berlin
3 2:20:05 Dubai
4 2:20:11 Chicago
5 2:20:53 Boston
6 2:22:32 Frankfurt
7 2:22:36 Osaka
8 2:22:36 Beijing
9 2:22:50 Rotterdam
10 2:22:50 Paris

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