Below you’ll find tables detailing several marathon superlatives:
- the 10 fastest marathoners in history on record-eligible courses;
- the 10 fastest American 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 February 26, 2018.
Above, watch Eliud Kipchoge run a 2:00.25 in the Breaking2 attempt held in Monza, Italy.
Looking for 13.1 miles? We also have a list of the world’s fastest half marathoners.
10 Fastest Marathoners on Record-Eligible Course: Men
| Runner | Time | Pace Per Mile | 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 |
| Mosinet Geremew (Ethiopia) | 2:04:00 | 4:43.7 | Dubai, 2018 |
10 Fastest Marathoners on Record-Eligible Course: Women
| Runner | Time | Pace Per Mile | 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 |
| Roza Dereje (Ethiopia) | 2:19:17 | 5:18.8 | Dubai, 2018 |
| Irina Mikitenko (Germany) | 2:19:19 | 5:18.8 | Berlin, 2008 |
| Gladys Cherono (Kenya) | 2:19:25 | 5:19.0 | Berlin, 2015 |
| Faysa Tadese (Ethiopia) | 2:19:30 | 5:19.3 | Dubai, 2018 |
10 Fastest American Marathoners on Record-Eligible Course: Men
| Runner | Time | Pace Per Mile | Marathon |
| Khalid Khannouchi | 2:05:38 | 4:47.5 | London, 2002 |
| Ryan Hall | 2:06:17 | 4:49.0 | London, 2008 |
| Dathan Ritzenhein | 2:07:47 | 4:52.4 | Chicago, 2012 |
| Abdi Abdirahman | 2:08:56 | 4:55.0 | Chicago, 2006 |
| Meb Keflezighi | 2:09:08 | 4:55.5 | Olympic Marathon Trials, 2012 |
| Galen Rupp | 2:09:20 | 4:56.0 | Chicago, 2017 |
| Alberto Salazar | 2:09:21 | 4:56.0 | Fukuoka, 1983 |
| David Morris | 2:09:32 | 4:56.4 | Chicago, 1999 |
| Jerry Lawson | 2:09:35 | 4:56.5 | Chicago, 1997 |
| Dick Beardsley | 2:09:37 | 4:56.6 | Grandma’s, 1981 |
10 Fastest American Marathoners on Record-Eligible Course: Women
| Runner | Time | Pace Per Mile | Marathon |
| Deena Kastor | 2:19:36 | 5:19.5 | London, 2006 |
| Jordan Hasay | 2:20:57 | 5:22.7 | Chicago, 2017 |
| Shalane Flanagan | 2:21:14 | 5:23.2 | Berlin, 2014 |
| Joan Samuelson | 2:21:21 | 5:23.5 | Chicago, 1985 |
| Amy Cragg | 2:21:42 | 5:24.3 | Tokyo, 2018 |
| Laura Thweatt | 2:25:38 | 5:33.3 | London, 2017 |
| Kara Goucher | 2:25:53 | 5:33.9 | New York City, 2008 |
| Desiree Linden | 2:25:55 | 5:33.9 | Olympic Marathon Trials, 2012 |
| Magdalena Lewy Boulet | 2:26:22 | 5:35.0 | Rotterdam, 2010 |
| Serena Burla | 2:26:53 | 5:36.1 | Osaka, 2017 |
10 Fastest Marathons on Record-Eligible Course: Men
| Runner | Time | Pace Per Mile | 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 Mile | 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 |
| Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia) | 2:18:31 | 5:17.1 | Chicago, 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 |
Progression of World Record Since 1988: Men
| Runner | Time | Pace Per Mile | 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 Mile | 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 | 2:04:13 | Dubai |
| 3 | 2:04:34 | London |
| 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 | 2:19:42 | Dubai |
| 3 | 2:19:45 | Chicago |
| 4 | 2:19:52 | Berlin |
| 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 |
Source: runnersworld.com
