Men · World record

Marathon

The current record and its documented progression: 11 ratified records from 2002 to 2026, with 33 listed as world bests before ratification, 9 otherwise annotated shown in place.

Current record

1:59:30

Sabastian SaweKENLondon · 26 Apr 2026

0 years standing65 s improvementAll-time top 50 →

Record progression

Each step is a documented record; hollow marks were rescinded, not ratified or are pending

1908 · 2:55:18.4 Johnny Hayes (World best)1909 · 2:52:45.4 Robert Fowler (World best)1909 · 2:46:52.8 James Clark (World best)1909 · 2:46:04.6 Albert Raines (World best)1909 · 2:42:31.0 Henry Barrett (World best)1909 · 2:40:34.2 Thure Johansson (World best)1913 · 2:38:16.2 Harry Green (World best)1913 · 2:36:06.6 Alexis Ahlgren (World best)1914 · 2:38:00.8 Umberto Blasi (Annotated)1920 · 2:32:35.8 Hannes Kolehmainen (World best)1925 · 2:29:01.8 Albert Michelsen (World best)1929 · 2:30:57.6 Harry Payne (Annotated)1935 · 2:26:14 Sohn Kee-chung (Annotated)1935 · 2:27:49.0 Fusashige Suzuki (World best)1935 · 2:26:44.0 Yasuo Ikenaka (World best)1935 · 2:26:42 Sohn Kee-chung (World best)1947 · 2:25:39 Suh Yun-bok (World best)1952 · 2:20:42.2 Jim Peters (World best)1953 · 2:18:40.4 Jim Peters (World best)1953 · 2:18:34.8 Jim Peters (World best)1954 · 2:17:39.4 Jim Peters (World best)1956 · 2:18:04.8 Paavo Kotila (Annotated)1958 · 2:15:17.0 Sergei Popov (World best)1960 · 2:15:16.2 Abebe Bikila (World best)1963 · 2:15:15.8 Toru Terasawa (World best)1963 · 2:14:28 Leonard Edelen (World best)1963 · 2:14:43 Brian Kilby (Annotated)1964 · 2:13:55 Basil Heatley (World best)1964 · 2:12:11.2 Abebe Bikila (World best)1965 · 2:12:00 Morio Shigematsu (World best)1967 · 2:09:36.4 Derek Clayton (World best)1969 · 2:08:33.6 Derek Clayton (World best)1970 · 2:09:28.8 Ron Hill (Annotated)1974 · 2:09:12 Ian Thompson (Annotated)1978 · 2:09:05.6 Shigeru So (Annotated)1980 · 2:09:01 Gerard Nijboer (Annotated)1981 · 2:08:18 Robert de Castella (World best)1984 · 2:08:05 Steve Jones (World best)1985 · 2:07:12 Carlos Lopes (World best)1988 · 2:06:50 Belayneh Dinsamo (World best)1998 · 2:06:05 Ronaldo da Costa (World best)1999 · 2:05:42 Khalid Khannouchi (World best)2002 · 2:05:38 Khalid Khannouchi2003 · 2:04:55 Paul Tergat2007 · 2:04:26 Haile Gebrselassie2008 · 2:03:59 Haile Gebrselassie2011 · 2:03:38 Patrick Makau2013 · 2:03:23 Wilson Kipsang2014 · 2:02:57 Dennis Kimetto2018 · 2:01:39 Eliud Kipchoge2022 · 2:01:09 Eliud Kipchoge2023 · 2:00:35 Kelvin Kiptum2026 · 1:59:30 Sabastian Sawe 1:59:30.02:55:18.4

19081935 · Suzuki 2:27:49.01963 · Kilby 2:14:431988 · Dinsamo 2:06:502026 · Sawe 1:59:30

Documented records

11 ratified · 33 world bests · 9 annotated · most recent first · Wikipedia (EN) revision 1372025651, imported 2 Sep 2026

MarkAthleteNationVenueDateStood
1:59:30 Sabastian SaweSecond place Yomif Kejelcha also broke 2:00:00 when finishing 11 seconds later. KEN London Marathon 26 Apr 2026 131 d
2:00:35 Kelvin Kiptum KEN Chicago Marathon 8 Oct 2023 2 yrs
2:01:09 Eliud Kipchoge KEN Berlin Marathon 25 Sep 2022 1 yr
2:01:39 Eliud Kipchoge KEN Berlin Marathon 16 Sep 2018 4 yrs
2:02:57 Dennis Kimetto KEN Berlin Marathon 28 Sep 2014 3 yrs
2:03:23 Wilson Kipsang KEN Berlin Marathon 29 Sep 2013 364 d
2:03:38 Patrick Makau KEN Berlin Marathon 25 Sep 2011 2 yrs
2:03:59 Haile Gebrselassie ETH Berlin Marathon 28 Sep 2008 2 yrs
2:04:26 Haile Gebrselassie ETH Berlin Marathon 30 Sep 2007 364 d
2:04:55 Paul Tergat KEN Berlin Marathon 28 Sep 2003 4 yrs
2:05:38 Khalid Khannouchi USA London Marathon 14 Apr 2002 1 yr
2:05:42 Khalid Khannouchi World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance MAR Chicago Marathon 24 Oct 1999
2:06:05 Ronaldo da Costa World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance BRA Berlin Marathon 20 Sep 1998
2:06:50 Belayneh Dinsamo World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance ETH Rotterdam Marathon 17 Apr 1988
2:07:12 Carlos Lopes World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance POR Rotterdam Marathon 20 Apr 1985
2:08:05 Steve Jones World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance GBR Chicago Marathon 21 Oct 1984
2:08:18 Robert de Castella World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance AUS Fukuoka Marathon 6 Dec 1981
2:09:01 Gerard Nijboer AnnotatedRecognized by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians (ARRS) NED Amsterdam Marathon 26 Apr 1980
2:09:05.6 Shigeru So AnnotatedRecognized by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians (ARRS) JPN Beppu-Ōita Marathon 5 Feb 1978
2:09:12 Ian Thompson AnnotatedRecognized by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians (ARRS) GBR Christchurch Commonwealth Games, New Zealand 31 Jan 1974
2:09:28.8 Ron Hill AnnotatedRecognized by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians (ARRS) GBR Edinburgh Commonwealth Games, Scotland 23 Jul 1970
2:08:33.6 Derek Clayton World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance AUS Antwerp, Belgium 30 May 1969
2:09:36.4 Derek Clayton World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance AUS Fukuoka Marathon 3 Dec 1967
2:12:00 Morio Shigematsu World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance JPN Polytechnic Marathon 12 Jun 1965
2:12:11.2 Abebe Bikila World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance ETH Tokyo Olympics, Japan 21 Oct 1964
2:13:55 Basil Heatley World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance GBR Polytechnic Marathon 13 Jun 1964
2:14:43 Brian Kilby AnnotatedRecognized by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians (ARRS) GBR Port Talbot, Wales 6 Jul 1963
2:14:28 Leonard Edelen World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance USA Polytechnic Marathon 15 Jun 1963
2:15:15.8 Toru Terasawa World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance JPN Beppu-Ōita Marathon 17 Feb 1963
2:15:16.2 Abebe Bikila World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance ETH Rome Olympics, Italy 10 Sep 1960
2:15:17.0 Sergei Popov World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance URS European Athletics Championships, Stockholm, Sweden 24 Aug 1958
2:18:04.8 Paavo Kotila AnnotatedRecognized by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians (ARRS) FIN Finnish Athletics Championships, Pieksämäki, Finland 12 Aug 1956
2:17:39.4 Jim Peters World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance GBR Polytechnic Marathon 26 Jun 1954
2:18:34.8 Jim Peters World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance GBR Turku Marathon 4 Oct 1953
2:18:40.4 Jim Peters World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance GBR Polytechnic Marathon 13 Jun 1953
2:20:42.2 Jim Peters World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance GBR Polytechnic Marathon 14 Jun 1952
2:25:39 Suh Yun-bok World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance KOR Boston Marathon 19 Apr 1947
2:26:42 Sohn Kee-chung World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance Japanese Korea Meiji Shrine Games, Tokyo, Japan 3 Nov 1935
2:26:44.0 Yasuo Ikenaka World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance JPN Tokyo, Japan 3 Apr 1935
2:27:49.0 Fusashige Suzuki World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance JPN Tokyo, Japan 31 Mar 1935
2:26:14 Sohn Kee-chung AnnotatedRecognized by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians (ARRS) Japanese Korea Tokyo, Japan 21 Mar 1935
2:30:57.6 Harry Payne AnnotatedRecognized by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians (ARRS) GBR AAA Championships, London, England 5 Jul 1929
2:29:01.8 Albert Michelsen World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance USA Port Chester Marathon, United States 12 Oct 1925
2:32:35.8 Hannes Kolehmainen World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance FIN Antwerp Olympics, Belgium 22 Aug 1920
2:38:00.8 Umberto Blasi AnnotatedRecognized by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians (ARRS) ITA Legnano, Italy 29 Nov 1914
2:36:06.6 Alexis Ahlgren World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance SWE Polytechnic Marathon 31 May 1913
2:38:16.2 Harry Green World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance GBR Polytechnic Marathon 12 May 1913
2:40:34.2 Thure Johansson World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance SWE Stockholm, Sweden 31 Aug 1909
2:42:31.0 Henry Barrett World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptanceAccording to the progression of world bests listed by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), James Clark set a world best of 2:46:52.8 in New York on February 12, 1909, Albert Raines broke Clark's mark with a 2:46:04.6 in New York on May 8, 1909, and Henry Barrett broke Raines' mark with a 2:42:31.0 in London on May 26, 1909. Ian Ridpath, a former director of the Polytechnic marathon, has indicated on his website that some sources have wrongly listed the date of Barrett performance as May 26, 1909, and has confirmed the true date as May 8, 1909. GBR Polytechnic Marathon, London, England 8 May 1909
2:46:04.6 Albert Raines World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance USA New York City, United States 8 May 1909
2:46:52.8 James Clark World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance USA New York City, United States 12 Feb 1909
2:52:45.4 Robert Fowler World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptanceMany references incorrectly refer to this race as the Yonkers Marathon. The Yonkers Marathon, which during the early 1900s was traditionally run during late November, was won over a month earlier by Jim Crowley. USA Yonkers, United States 1 Jan 1909
2:55:18.4 Johnny Hayes World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance USA London Olympics, England 24 Jul 1908

Rows link to a profile only where the athlete appears on a published list. Struck marks were rescinded or never ratified, and A marks a performance at altitude; both come from the source article's own key and markers, and eras are kept as it lists them. Nothing is inferred.