Women · World record

5000 Metres

The current record and its documented progression: 27 ratified records from 1969 to 2025, with 1 rescinded shown in place.

Current record

13:58.06

Beatrice ChebetKENEugene · 5 Jul 2025

1 year standing2.15 s improvementAll-time top 50 →

Record progression

Each step is a documented record; red marks the fully automatic timing era; hollow marks were rescinded, not ratified or are pending

1969 · 16:17.4 Paola Pigni1969 · 15:53.6 Paola Pigni1977 · 15:41.4 Natalia Mărășescu1977 · 15:37.0 Janice Merrill1978 · 15:35.52 Kathy Mills1978 · 15:08.8 Loa Olafsson1979 · 15:33.8 Janice Merrill1980 · 15:30.6 Janice Merrill1981 · 15:28.43 Ingrid Kristiansen1981 · 15:24.6 Yelena Sipatova1981 · 15:14.51 Paula Fudge1982 · 15:13.22 Anne Audain1982 · 15:08.26 Mary Tabb1984 · 15:01.83 Zola Budd (Rescinded)1984 · 14:58.89 Ingrid Kristiansen1985 · 14:48.07 Zola Budd1986 · 14:37.33 Ingrid Kristiansen1995 · 14:36.45 Fernanda Ribeiro1997 · 14:31.27 Dong Yanmei1997 · 14:28.09 Jiang Bo2004 · 14:24.68 Elvan Abeylegesse2006 · 14:24.53 Meseret Defar2007 · 14:16.63 Meseret Defar2008 · 14:11.15 Tirunesh Dibaba2020 · 14:06.62 Letesenbet Gidey2023 · 14:05.20 Faith Kipyegon2023 · 14:00.21 Gudaf Tsegay2025 · 13:58.06 Beatrice Chebet 13:58.0616:17.40

19691980 · Merrill 15:30.61984 · Kristiansen 14:58.892006 · Defar 14:24.532025 · Chebet 13:58.06

Documented records

27 ratified · 1 rescinded · most recent first · Wikipedia (EN) revision 1352820146, imported 2 Sep 2026

MarkAthleteNationVenueDateStood
13:58.06 Beatrice Chebet KEN Eugene, Oregon 5 Jul 2025 1 yr
14:00.21 Gudaf Tsegay ETH Eugene, Oregon 17 Sep 2023 1 yr
14:05.20 Faith Kipyegon KEN Paris, France 9 Jun 2023 100 d
14:06.62 Letesenbet Gidey ETH Valencia, Spain 7 Oct 2020 2 yrs
14:11.15 Tirunesh Dibaba ETH Oslo, Norway 6 Jun 2008 12 yrs
14:16.63 Meseret Defar ETH Oslo, Norway 15 Jun 2007 357 d
14:24.53 Meseret Defar ETH New York, United States 3 Jun 2006 1 yr
14:24.68 Elvan Abeylegesse TUR Bergen, Norway 11 Jun 2004 1 yr
14:28.09 Jiang Bo CHN Shanghai, China 23 Oct 1997 6 yrs
14:31.27 Dong Yanmei CHN Shanghai, China 21 Oct 1997 2 d
14:36.45 Fernanda Ribeiro POR Hechtel, Belgium 22 Jul 1995 2 yrs
14:37.33 Ingrid Kristiansen NOR Stockholm, Sweden 5 Aug 1986 8 yrs
14:48.07 Zola Budd GBR London, United Kingdom 26 Aug 1985 344 d
14:58.89 Ingrid Kristiansen NOR Oslo, Norway 28 Jun 1984 1 yr
15:01.83 Zola Budd RescindedTime was rejected as South Africa was suspended from IAAF membership. RSA Stellenbosch, South Africa 5 Jan 1984
15:08.26 Mary Tabb USA Eugene, Oregon, United States 5 Jun 1982 2 yrs
15:13.22 Anne Audain NZL Auckland, New Zealand 17 Mar 1982 80 d
15:14.51 Paula Fudge GBR Knarvik, Norway 13 Sep 1981 185 d
15:28.43 Ingrid Kristiansen NOR Oslo, Norway 11 Jul 1981 57 d
15:35.52 Kathy Mills USA Knoxville, United States 26 May 1978 4 d

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.