The World Athletics Championships is a biennial event which began in 1983. Organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), the World Championships are a competition comprising track and field athletics events available to male and female athletes from any of the IAAF's 213 member federations. Championship records are set when an athlete achieves the best mark in an event at one of the editions of the Championships. World, area, and national records have been set at the championships over the course of its history.
Competitors at the World Championships come from around the globe and records have been broken by athletes from all six continents. The United States has been the most successful competitor at the World Championships in both medals and records.
Four athletes hold multiple records:
- Usain Bolt holds records in the 100 and 200 metres as well as the 4 × 100 relay
- Michael Johnson holds individual and relay records in the 400 metres
- Jackie Joyner-Kersee broke both the heptathlon and long jump records
- Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone holds records in the 400 meters, 400 metres hurdles as well as the 4 × 400 relay
Men
- Key to tables:
not ratified or later rescinded by World Athletics
- Note: World records in bold are current world records, those in bold italics are former world records
Statistics are correct as of September 2025
| Event | Record | Name | Location | Date | Ref. | Video | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m | 9.58 (+0.9 m/s) WR | Usain Bolt (JAM) | Berlin | 16 August 2009 | [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 200 m | 19.19 (−0.3 m/s) WR | Usain Bolt (JAM) | Berlin | 20 August 2009 | [2] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 400 m | 43.18 WR | Michael Johnson (USA) | Sevilla | 26 August 1999 | [3] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 800 m | 1:41.86 | Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN) | Tokyo | 20 September 2025 | [4] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1500 m | 3:27.65 | Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) | Sevilla | 24 August 1999 | [5] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 5000 m | 12:52.79 | Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) | Paris | 31 August 2003 | [6] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 10,000 m | 26:46.31 | Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) | Berlin | 17 August 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Marathon | 2:05:36 | Tamirat Tola (ETH) | Eugene | 17 July 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 110 m hurdles | 12.91 (+0.5 m/s) WR | Colin Jackson (GBR) | Stuttgart | 20 August 1993 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 400 m hurdles | 46.29 | Alison dos Santos (BRA) | Eugene | 19 July 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 3000 m steeplechase | 8:00.43 | Ezekiel Kemboi (KEN) | Berlin | 18 August 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| High jump | 2.41 m | Bohdan Bondarenko (UKR) | Moscow | 15 August 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Pole vault | 6.30 m WR | Armand Duplantis (SWE) | Tokyo | 15 September 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Long jump | 8.95 m (+0.3 m/s) WR | Mike Powell (USA) | Tokyo | 30 August 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Triple jump | 18.29 m (+1.3 m/s) WR | Jonathan Edwards (GBR) | Gothenburg | 7 August 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Shot put | 23.51 m | Ryan Crouser (USA) | Budapest | 19 August 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Discus throw | 71.46 m | Daniel Ståhl (SWE) | Budapest | 21 August 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Hammer throw | 84.70 m | Ethan Katzberg (CAN) | Tokyo | 16 September 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Javelin throw | 92.80 m | Jan Železný (CZE) | Edmonton | 12 August 2001 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Decathlon | 9045 pts WR | Ashton Eaton (USA) | Beijing | 28–29 August 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20 km walk (road) | 1:17:21 WR | Jefferson Pérez (ECU) | Paris | 23 August 2003 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 35 km walk (road) | 2:23:14 | Massimo Stano (ITA) | Eugene | 24 July 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 × 100 m relay | 37.04 | Jamaica (JAM) Nesta Carter Michael Frater Yohan Blake Usain Bolt | Daegu | 4 September 2011 | [7] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 × 400 m relay | 2:54.29 WR | United States (USA) Andrew Valmon Quincy Watts Butch Reynolds Michael Johnson | Stuttgart | 22 August 1993 | [8] | ||||||||||||||||||||
Past events
| Event | Record | Name | Location | Date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 km walk (road) (defunct since 2019) | 3:33:12 | Yohann Diniz (FRA) | London | 13 August 2017 |
Decathlon disciplines
| Event | Record | Athlete | Nation | Date | Championships | Place | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m | 10.23 | Ashton Eaton | United States | 28 August 2015 | 2015 World Championships | Beijing, China | |
| Long jump | 8.07 m | Tomáš Dvořák | Czech Republic | 6 August 2001 | 2001 World Championships | Edmonton, Canada | |
| Shot put | 17.54 m | Mike Smith | Canada | 5 August 1997 | 1997 World Championships | Athens, Greece | |
| High jump | 2.25 m | Christian Schenk | East Germany | 3 September 1987 | 1987 World Championships | Rome, Italy | |
| 400 m | 45.00 | Ashton Eaton | United States | 28 August 2015 | 2015 World Championships | Beijing, China | |
| 110 m hurdles | 13.55 | Frank Busemann | Germany | 6 August 1997 | 1997 World Championships | Athens, Greece | |
| Discus throw | 56.15 m | Leo Neugebauer | Germany | 21 September 2025 | 2025 World Championships | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Pole vault | 5.50 m | Sébastien Levicq | France | 25 August 1999 | 1999 World Championships | Seville, Spain | |
| Javelin throw | 79.05 m | Niklas Kaul | Germany | 3 October 2019 | 2019 World Championships | Doha, Qatar | |
| 1500 m | 4:11.82 | Beat Gähwiler | Switzerland | 30 August 1991 | 1991 World Championships | Tokyo, Japan |
Women
- Note:World records in bold are current world records, those in bold italics are former world records
Statistics are correct as of September 2025
| Event | Record | Name | Location | Date | Ref. | Video | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m | 10.61 (+0.3 m/s) | Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (USA) | Tokyo | 14 September 2025 | ||||||||||||||
| 200 m | 21.41 (+0.1 m/s) | Shericka Jackson (JAM) | Budapest | 25 August 2023 | ||||||||||||||
| 400 m | 47.78 | Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA) | Tokyo | 18 September 2025 | ||||||||||||||
| 800 m | 1:54.62 | Lilian Odira (KEN) | Tokyo | 21 September 2025 | ||||||||||||||
| 1500 m | 3:51.95 | Sifan Hassan (NED) | Doha | 5 October 2019 | ||||||||||||||
| 5000 m | 14:26.72 | Hellen Obiri (KEN) | Doha | 5 October 2019 | ||||||||||||||
| 10,000 m | 30:04.18 | Berhane Adere (ETH) | Paris | 23 August 2003 | ||||||||||||||
| 100 m hurdles | 12.12 WR | Tobi Amusan (NGR) | Eugene | 24 July 2022 | ||||||||||||||
| 12.06 (+2.5 m/s) | Tobi Amusan (NGR) | Eugene | 24 July 2022 | |||||||||||||||
| 400 m hurdles | 50.68 WR | Sydney McLaughlin (USA) | Eugene | 22 July 2022 | ||||||||||||||
| 3000 m steeplechase | 8:51.59 | Faith Cherotich (KEN) | Tokyo | 17 September 2025 | ||||||||||||||
| Marathon | 2:18:11 | Gotytom Gebreslase (ETH) | Eugene | 18 July 2022 | ||||||||||||||
| High jump | 2.09 m WR | Stefka Kostadinova (BUL) | Rome | 30 August 1987 | ||||||||||||||
| Pole vault | 5.01 m WR | Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS) | Helsinki | 12 August 2005 | ||||||||||||||
| Long jump | 7.36 m (+0.4 m/s) | Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) | Rome | 4 September 1987 | ||||||||||||||
| Triple jump | 15.50 m (+0.9 m/s) WR | Inessa Kravets (UKR) | Gothenburg | 10 August 1995 | ||||||||||||||
| Shot put | 21.24 m | Natalya Lisovskaya (URS) | Rome | 5 September 1987 | ||||||||||||||
| Valerie Adams (NZL) | Daegu | 29 August 2011 | ||||||||||||||||
| Discus throw | 71.62 m | Martina Hellmann (GDR) | Rome | 31 August 1987 | ||||||||||||||
| Hammer throw | 80.85 m | Anita Włodarczyk (POL) | Beijing | 27 August 2015 | ||||||||||||||
| Javelin throw | 71.70 m | Olisdeilys Menéndez (CUB) | Helsinki | 14 August 2005 | ||||||||||||||
| 71.99 m DQ | Mariya Abakumova (RUS) | Daegu | 2 September 2011 | [9] | ||||||||||||||
| Heptathlon | 7128 pts | Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) | Rome | 31 August – 1 September 1987 | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| 20 km walk (road) | 1:25:41 | Olimpiada Ivanova (RUS) | Helsinki | 7 August 2005 | ||||||||||||||
| 35 km walk (road) | 2:38:40 | María Pérez (ESP) | Budapest | 24 August 2023 | ||||||||||||||
| 4 × 100 m relay | 41.03 | United States (USA) Tamari Davis Twanisha Terry Gabrielle Thomas Sha'Carri Richardson | Budapest | 26 August 2023 | ||||||||||||||
| 4 × 400 m relay | 3:16.61 | United States (USA) Isabella Whittaker Lynna Irby-Jackson Aaliyah Butler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone | Tokyo | 21 September 2025 | ||||||||||||||
Past events
| Event | Record | Name | Location | Date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3000 m (defunct since 1993) | 8:28.71 | Yunxia Qu (CHN) | Stuttgart | 16 August 1993 | |
| 10,000 m walk (track) (defunct since 1997) | 42:55.49 | Annarita Sidoti (ITA) | Athens | 7 August 1997 | |
| 10 km walk (road) (defunct since 1995) | 42:13 | Irina Stankina (RUS) | Gothenburg | 7 August 1995 | |
| 50 km walk (road) (defunct since 2019) | 4:05:56 WR | Inês Henriques (POR) | London | 13 August 2017 |
Heptathlon disciplines
| Event | Record | Athlete | Nation | Date | Championships | Place | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m hurdles | 12.58 (+0.4 m/s) | Kendell Williams | United States | 2 October 2019 | 2019 World Championships | Doha, Qatar | |
| High jump | 1.95 m | Carolina Klüft | Sweden | 25 August 2007 | 2007 World Championships | Osaka, Japan | |
| Nafissatou Thiam | Belgium | 5 August 2017 | 2017 World Championships | London, United Kingdom | |||
| Yorgelis Rodríguez | Cuba | 5 August 2017 | 2017 World Championships | London, United Kingdom | |||
| Katarina Johnson-Thompson | Great Britain | 2 October 2019 | 2019 World Championships | Doha, Qatar | |||
| Nafissatou Thiam | Belgium | ||||||
| Nafissatou Thiam | Belgium | 17 July 2022 | 2022 World Championships | Eugene, United States | |||
| Shot put | 17.03 m | Austra Skujytė | Lithuania | 25 August 2007 | 2007 World Championships | Osaka, Japan | |
| 200 m | 22.84 | Dafne Schippers | Netherlands | 12 August 2013 | 2013 World Championships | Moscow, Russia | |
| Long jump | 7.14 m | Jackie Joyner-Kersee | United States | 1 September 1987 | 1987 World Championships | Rome, Italy | |
| Javelin throw | 59.57 m | Anouk Vetter | Netherlands | 20 August 2023 | 2023 World Championships | Budapest, Hungary | |
| 800 m | 2:04.09 | Anna Hall | United States | 20 August 2023 | 2023 World Championships | Budapest, Hungary |
Mixed
- Note: World records in bold are current world records, those in bold italics are former world records
| Event | Record | Athlete | Nation | Date | Championships | Place | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 × 400 m relay | 3:08.80 WR | Justin Robinson (44.47) Rosey Effiong (50.38) Matthew Boling (45.13) Alexis Holmes (48.82) | United States | 19 August 2023 | 2023 World Championships | Budapest, Hungary | |
| 3:08.80 | Bryce Deadmon Lynna Irby-Jackson Jenoah McKiver Alexis Holmes | United States | 13 September 2025 | 2025 World Championships | Tokyo, Japan |
See also
- List of world records in athletics
- List of Olympic records in athletics
- List of Commonwealth Games records in athletics
- List of European Athletics Championships records
wikipedia, wiki, encyclopedia, book, library, article, read, free download, Information about List of World Athletics Championships records, What is List of World Athletics Championships records? What does List of World Athletics Championships records mean?