Marathon world record progression

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World records in the marathon are ratified by World Athletics, the international governing body for the sport of athletics. Sabastian Sawe set the men's world record of 1:59:30 at the London Marathon on April 26, 2026, becoming the first person in history to run a sub two-hour marathon in race conditions. Kenyan athlete Ruth Chepng'etich broke the women's world record with a time of 2:09:56 on October 13, 2024, at the 2024 Chicago Marathon, a mixed-sex race. In addition to the standard women's marathon world record, World Athletics recognizes a second world record for women in the "Women Only" category for races run on a course without any male athletes in the competition. The current "Women Only" record of 2:15:41 was set by Tigst Assefa on April 26, 2026, at the London Marathon in the elite women's race.

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