52 published lists · 28 events

Top lists

All-time top 50 for every published event, men and women. Each list shows the source revision it was built from.

Sprints

3 events · men and women

Men's 100 Metres 9.58 Usain Bolt · JAM Women's 100 Metres 10.54 Elaine Thompson-Herah · JAM Men's 200 Metres 19.19 Usain Bolt · JAM Women's 200 Metres 21.34 Florence Griffith Joyner · USA Men's 400 Metres 43.03 Wayde van Niekerk · RSA Women's 400 Metres 47.60 Marita Koch · GDR

Middle distance

2 events · men and women

Men's 800 Metres 1:40.91 David Rudisha · KEN Women's 800 Metres 1:53.28 Jarmila Kratochvílová · CZE Men's 1500 Metres 3:26.00 Hicham El Guerrouj · MAR Women's 1500 Metres 3:48.68 Faith Kipyegon · KEN

Long distance

3 events · men and women

Men's 5000 Metres 12:35.36 Joshua Cheptegei · UGA Women's 5000 Metres 13:58.06 Beatrice Chebet · KEN Men's 10,000 Metres 26:11.00 Joshua Cheptegei · UGA Women's 10,000 Metres 28:54.14 Beatrice Chebet · KEN Men's 3000 Metres Steeplechase 7:52.11 Lamecha Girma · ETH Women's 3000 Metres Steeplechase 8:44.32 Beatrice Chepkoech · KEN

Hurdles

3 events · men and women

Men's 110 Metres Hurdles 12.75 Ja'Kobe Tharp · USA Women's 100 Metres Hurdles 12.12 Tobi Amusan · NGR Men's 400 Metres Hurdles 45.80 Alison dos Santos · BRA Women's 400 Metres Hurdles 50.37 Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone · USA

Jumps

4 events · men and women

Men's High Jump 2.45 Javier Sotomayor · CUB Women's High Jump 2.10 Yaroslava Mahuchikh · UKR Men's Pole Vault 6.30 Armand Duplantis · SWE Women's Pole Vault 5.06 Yelena Isinbayeva · RUS Men's Long Jump 8.95 Mike Powell · USA Women's Long Jump 7.52 Galina Chistyakova · RUS Men's Triple Jump 18.29 Jonathan Edwards · GBR Women's Triple Jump 15.67 Yulimar Rojas · VEN

Throws

4 events · men and women

Men's Shot Put 23.56 Ryan Crouser · USA Women's Shot Put 22.63 Natalya Lisovskaya · RUS Men's Discus Throw 75.56 Mykolas Alekna · LTU Women's Discus Throw 76.80 Gabriele Reinsch · GER Men's Hammer Throw 86.74 Yuriy Syedikh · RUS Women's Hammer Throw 82.98 Anita Włodarczyk · POL Men's Javelin Throw 98.48 Jan Železný · CZE Women's Javelin Throw 72.28 Barbora Špotáková · CZE

Combined

2 events · men and women

Men's Decathlon 9126 Kevin Mayer · FRA Women's Heptathlon 7291 Jackie Joyner-Kersee · USA

Road

4 events · men and women

Men's 5 km Road 12:49 Berihu Aregawi · ETH Women's 5 km Road 13:54 Beatrice Chebet · KEN Men's 10 km Road 26:31 Yomif Kejelcha · ETH Women's 10 km Road 28:46 Agnes Jebet Ngetich · KEN Men's Half Marathon 56:42 Jacob Kiplimo · UGA Women's Half Marathon 1:02:52 Letesenbet Gidey · ETH Men's Marathon 1:59:30 Sabastian Sawe · KEN Women's Marathon 2:09:56 Ruth Chepng'etich · KEN

Race walk

3 events · men and women

Men's 20 km Race Walk 1:16:10 Toshikazu Yamanishi · JPN Women's 20 km Race Walk 1:23:39 Yelena Lashmanova · RUS Men's 35 km Race Walk 2:20:43 Massimo Stano · ITA Women's 35 km Race Walk 2:37:15 María Pérez · ESP Men's 50 km Race Walk 3:32:33 Yohann Diniz · FRA Women's 50 km Race Walk 3:50:42 Yelena Lashmanova · RUS

Marks shown are the #1 on each all-time best-by-athlete list · source revisions 20–20 May 2026 · What "top 50" means here