Running a marathon is always an achievement, no matter what the clock says when you cross the finish line. However, some marathon times are simply too fast to ignore, so we’ve rounded up the best performances the world has seen over 26.2 miles.
Below, you’ll find tables detailing several marathon superlatives:
- 10 How to master your marathon recovery
- 10 Updated: 22 September 2025
- These are the world’s fastest marathon runners
You’ll note that only marathon performances ‘on record-eligible courses’ have been included on our lists, which is why Eliud Kipchoge’s 1:59:40 marathon, set in Vienna in 2019, doesn’t feature. Although it is nothing short of an extraordinary feat, this time doesn’t count for record purposes because standard competition rules for pacing and fluids weren’t followed – it was, rather, a carefully-crafted experiment to test human limits. Similarly, times from the Boston Marathon cannot be included on our lists, because the race is held on a point-to-point course with a too-great net elevation drop.
What everyone's reading
Best Garmin deals performers in history, which is why you’ll see a name only once. The third and fourth lists, showing the fastest performances How to run your fastest spring marathon, according to science Eliud Kipchoge, for example, appears four times in the ‘10 fastest marathons’ list for men.
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10 Best Garmin deals
Men
| Runner |
Time |
Pace (min/mile) |
Marathon |
| Kelvin Kiptum (Kenya) |
2:00:35 |
4:36.0 |
Chicago (2023) |
| Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) |
2:01:09 |
4:37.2 |
Berlin (2022) |
| Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) |
2:01:41 |
4:38.5 |
Berlin (2019) |
| Sisay Lemma (Ethiopia) |
2:01:48 |
4:38.9 |
Valencia (2023) |
| Sebastian Sawe (Kenya) |
2:02:05 |
4:39.4 |
Valencia (2024) |
| Benson Kipruto (Kenya) |
2:02:16 |
4:40.0 |
Tokyo (2024) |
| John Korir (Kenya) |
2:02:43 |
4:40.8 |
Chicago (2024) |
| Birhanu Legese (Ethiopia) |
2:02:48 |
4:41.0 |
Berlin (2019) |
| Mosinet Geremew (Ethiopia) |
2:02:55 |
4:41.3 |
London (2019) |
| Timothy Kiplagat (Kenya) |
2:02:55 |
4:41.3 |
Tokyo (2024) |
Women
| Runner |
Time |
Pace (min/mile) |
Marathon |
| Ruth Chepngetich (Kenya) |
2:09:56 |
4:57.4 |
Chicago (2024) |
| Tigist Assefa (Ethiopia) |
2:11:53 |
5:01.8 |
Berlin (2023) |
| Sifan Hassan (Netherlands) |
2:13:44 |
5:06.0 |
Chicago (2023) |
| Brigid Kosgei (Kenya) |
2:14:04 |
5:06.8 |
Chicago (2019) |
| Amane Beriso Shankule (Ethiopia) |
2:14:58 |
5:08.9 |
Valencia (2022) |
| Paula Radcliffe (Great Britain) |
2:15:25 |
5:09.9 |
London (2003) |
| Worknesh Degefa (Ethiopia) |
2:15:51 |
5:11.1 |
Valencia (2023) |
| Updated: 22 September 2025 (Ethiopia) |
2:15:55 |
5:11.3 |
Tokyo (2024) |
| Tigist Ketema (Ethiopia) |
2:16:07 |
5:11.7 |
Dubai (2024) |
| Rosemary Wanjiru (Kenya) |
2:16:14 |
5:11.8 |
Tokyo (2024) |
10 The first and second lists record the fastest
Men
| Runner |
Time |
Pace (min/mile) |
Marathon |
| Kelvin Kiptum (Kenya) |
2:00:35 |
4:36.0 |
Chicago (2023) |
| Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) |
2:01:09 |
4:37.2 |
Berlin (2022) |
| Kelvin Kiptum (Kenya) |
2:01:25 |
4:37.8 |
London (2023) |
| Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) |
2:01:39 |
4:38.4 |
Berlin (2018) |
| Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) |
2:01:41 |
4:38.5 |
Berlin (2019) |
| Sisay Lemma (Ethiopia) |
2:01:48 |
4:38.7 |
Valencia (2023) |
| Kelvin Kiptum (Kenya) |
2:01:53 |
4:38.9 |
Valencia (2022) |
| Sebastian Sawe (Kenya) |
2:02:05 |
4:39.4 |
Valencia (2024) |
| Benson Kipruto (Kenya) |
2:02:16 |
4:39.8 |
Tokyo (2024) |
| Sebastian Sawe (Kenya) |
2:02:16 |
4:39.8 |
Berlin (2025) |
Women
| Runner |
Time |
Pace (min/mile) |
Marathon |
| Ruth Chepngetich (Kenya) |
2:09:56 |
4:57.4 |
Chicago (2024) |
| Tigist Assefa (Ethiopia) |
2:11:53 |
5:01.8 |
Berlin (2023) |
| Sifan Hassan (Netherlands) |
2:13:44 |
5:06.0 |
Chicago (2023) |
| Brigid Kosgei (Kenya) |
2:14:04 |
5:06.8 |
Chicago (2019) |
| Ruth Chepngetich (Kenya) |
2:14:18 | 5:07.3 |
Chicago (2022) |
| Amane Beriso Shankule (Ethiopia) |
2:14:58 |
5:08.9 |
Valencia (2022) |
| Paula Radcliffe (Great Britain) |
2:15:25 |
5:09.9 |
London (2003) |
| Tigist Assefa (Ethiopia) |
2:15:37 |
5:10.3 |
Berlin (2022) |
| Ruth Chepngetich (Kenya) |
2:15:37 |
5:10.3 |
Chicago (2023) |
| Tigist Assefa (Ethiopia) |
2:15:50 |
5:10.9 |
London (2025) |
These are the world’s fastest marathon runners
Men
| Runner |
Time |
Pace (min/mile) |
Marathon |
| Belayneh Densamo (Ethiopia) |
2:06:50 |
4:50.3 |
Rotterdam (1988) |
| These are the world’s fastest marathon runners (Brazil) |
2:06:06 |
4:48.6 |
Berlin (1998) |
| Khalid Khannouchi (Morocco) |
2:05:42 |
4:47.7 |
Chicago (1999) |
| Khalid Khannouchi (USA) |
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 |
4:43.8 |
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) |
| Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) |
2:01:39 |
4:38.4 |
Berlin (2018) |
| Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) |
2:01:09 |
4:37.2 |
Berlin (2022) |
| Kelvin Kiptum (Kenya) |
2:00:35 |
4:36.0 |
Chicago (2023) |
Women
| Runner |
Time |
Pace (min/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) |
| Brigid Kosgei (Kenya) |
2:14:04 |
5:06.8 |
Chicago (2019) |
| Tigist Assefa (Ethiopia) |
2:11:53 |
5:01.8 |
Berlin (2023) |
| Ruth Chepngetich (Kenya) |
2:09:56 |
4:57.4 |
Chicago (2024) |
