Sports & Fitness

The Fastest Marathon Times in History

Each athlete’s personal-best marathon, ranked separately for men and women, as of October 13, 2026. Sabastian Sawe made history in April 2026 with the first sub-two-hour marathon in a record-eligible race.

Sabastian Sawe crossing the line at the 2026 London Marathon in a world-record 1:59:30

Pictured: Sabastian Sawe winning the 2026 London Marathon (April 26, 2026), #1 on the men’s list with a world-record 1:59:30.

Rank (within sex) Athlete Time (h:mm:ss) Race Date Country Sex Record status
1Sabastian Sawe1:59:30London MarathonApr 26, 2026KenyaMenWorld record
2Yomif Kejelcha1:59:41London MarathonApr 26, 2026EthiopiaMenRecord-eligible
3Jacob Kiplimo2:00:28London MarathonApr 26, 2026UgandaMenRecord-eligible
4Kelvin Kiptum2:00:35Chicago MarathonOct 8, 2023KenyaMenFormer world record
5Eliud Kipchoge2:01:09Berlin MarathonSep 25, 2022KenyaMenFormer world record
5Amos Kipruto2:01:09Chicago MarathonOct 11, 2026KenyaMenRecord-eligible
7Kenenisa Bekele2:01:41Berlin MarathonSep 29, 2019EthiopiaMenRecord-eligible
8Sisay Lemma2:01:48Valencia MarathonDec 3, 2023EthiopiaMenRecord-eligible
9John Korir2:01:52Boston MarathonApr 20, 2026KenyaMenNot record-eligible
10Benson Kipruto2:02:16Tokyo MarathonMar 3, 2024KenyaMenRecord-eligible
1Ruth Chepngetich2:09:56Chicago MarathonOct 13, 2024KenyaWomenWorld record
2Fotyen Tesfay2:10:51Barcelona MarathonMar 15, 2026EthiopiaWomenRecord-eligible
3Tigst Assefa2:11:04Berlin MarathonSep 27, 2026EthiopiaWomenRecord-eligible
4Hawi Feysa2:13:33Chicago MarathonOct 11, 2026EthiopiaWomenRecord-eligible
5Sifan Hassan2:13:44Chicago MarathonOct 8, 2023NetherlandsWomenRecord-eligible
6Joyciline Jepkosgei2:14:00Valencia MarathonDec 7, 2025KenyaWomenRecord-eligible
7Brigid Kosgei2:14:04Chicago MarathonOct 13, 2019KenyaWomenFormer world record
8Sharon Lokedi2:14:07Chicago MarathonOct 11, 2026KenyaWomenRecord-eligible
9Peres Jepchirchir2:14:43Valencia MarathonDec 7, 2025KenyaWomenRecord-eligible
10Amane Beriso Shankule2:14:58Valencia MarathonDec 4, 2022EthiopiaWomenRecord-eligible
11Paula Radcliffe2:15:25London MarathonApr 13, 2003Great BritainWomenRecord-eligible

As of October 13, 2026, including the Chicago Marathon of October 11. Each athlete appears once, with their fastest time in a marathon that is a legitimate road race; men and women are ranked separately, and tied times share a rank (Kipchoge and Amos Kipruto both ran 2:01:09). Record status: only Sawe’s 1:59:30 and Ruth Chepngetich’s 2:09:56 are current world records. “Former world record” marks times that were records when run. “Record-eligible” means a record-eligible race that is not a record. John Korir’s Boston time is flagged not record-eligible because Boston’s course does not meet World Athletics’ rules; Eliud Kipchoge’s 1:59:40 (INEOS 1:59 Challenge, 2019) is also not record-eligible and is excluded in favour of his 2:01:09.[1] Chepngetich: in October 2025 the Athletics Integrity Unit announced a three-year ban after a positive test for hydrochlorothiazide in a sample taken on March 14, 2025; her results before that date, including the Chicago 2024 record, were not annulled and the mark stands.[14] The women’s-only world best is a separate record (Assefa’s 2:15:41, London 2026) and is not in this table. The men’s list stops at 10 athletes because rows below 2:02:16 were not fully verified; the women’s list is 11 to include Paula Radcliffe.[1] Dates for Bekele (2019), Benson Kipruto (2024), Kosgei (2019), Hassan (2023), Shankule (2022) and Radcliffe (2003) come from race calendars rather than a cited report.

The Top 10 (men)

#1

Sabastian Sawe — 1:59:30

Sawe won the London Marathon on April 26, 2026 in 1:59:30, the first sub-two-hour marathon in a record-eligible race, taking 65 seconds off Kelvin Kiptum’s 2:00:35.[2] World Athletics ratified the mark in July 2026 alongside seven other senior world records set in the first five months of the year.[3]

#2

Yomif Kejelcha — 1:59:41

Kejelcha finished second in that same London race in 1:59:41 in his first marathon, 11 seconds behind Sawe and also inside the old world record.[2] It is the second-fastest marathon ever run and the second sub-two-hour time in a record-eligible race.[4]

#3

Jacob Kiplimo — 2:00:28

Kiplimo, the Ugandan half-marathon world-record holder, was third in London in 2:00:28, seven seconds quicker than the previous world record.[2][5] Six months later he faded to fourth at Chicago in 2:04:18, a reminder of how little margin these times leave.[6]

#4

Kelvin Kiptum — 2:00:35

Kiptum ran 2:00:35 at the Chicago Marathon on October 8, 2023, the first sub-2:01 on a record-eligible course and then the world record, in only his third marathon.[7] He died in February 2024, and his time stood as the record until Sawe’s run in 2026.[2]

#5 (tie)

Eliud Kipchoge — 2:01:09

Kipchoge’s 2:01:09 at the Berlin Marathon on September 25, 2022 was a world record that lowered his own mark by about 30 seconds.[8] His 1:59:40 at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in 2019 is faster, but it was not run in a record-eligible race (it used rotating pacemakers), so it is not counted here.[2]

#5 (tie)

Amos Kipruto — 2:01:09

Kipruto won the Chicago Marathon on October 11, 2026 in a personal best of 2:01:09, equalling Kipchoge’s time and entering the list tied for fifth.[9] He had been third at Chicago in 2024 and second in 2025, and his previous best was 2:01:39 from London earlier in 2026.[1][9]

#7

Kenenisa Bekele — 2:01:41

Bekele won the 2019 Berlin Marathon in 2:01:41, two seconds short of Kipchoge’s then-world record.[10] It was the second-fastest marathon ever run until 2023.

#8

Sisay Lemma — 2:01:48

Lemma won the Valencia Marathon on December 3, 2023 in a course record of 2:01:48, which made him the fourth-fastest marathoner in history at the time.[11]

#9

John Korir — 2:01:52

Korir won the 2026 Boston Marathon on April 20 in 2:01:52, a course record that beat Geoffrey Mutai’s 2:03:02 from 2011 by 70 seconds, with a tailwind.[12] Boston’s point-to-point, net-downhill course does not meet World Athletics’ record rules, so the time is flagged as not record-eligible.[1]

#10

Benson Kipruto — 2:02:16

Kipruto won the 2024 Tokyo Marathon in a course record of 2:02:16, beating Kipchoge’s 2:02:40 mark and completing a Kenyan podium sweep.[13]

Marathon Athletics Running Records Sports

Sources

  1. World Athletics all-time toplists (marathon, senior men and women); Abbott World Marathon Majors, "What are the fastest men’s times" and "What are the fastest women’s times"; The Running Channel, "The Marathon World Records & Fastest Marathon Times" (updated September 2026); Fotyen Tesfay, Barcelona Marathon report (World Athletics, March 15, 2026); World Athletics reports on the 2026 Chicago Marathon (Feysa, Kipruto), Valencia 2025 (Jepkosgei) and Berlin 2026 (Assefa 2:11:04). World Athletics pages were read only through search summaries.
  2. ESPN, "London Marathon 2026: Sabastian Sawe breaks marathon world record"; Watch Athletics, London Marathon 2026 results; Guinness World Records, London Marathon 2026.
  3. K24 and Eastleigh Voice, "World Athletics ratifies Sawe’s sub-2-hour marathon record" (July 2026).
  4. YouTube, CITIUS MAG, "Yomif Kejelcha Runs 1:59:41 For Second At 2026 London Marathon In Debut".
  5. YouTube, Athletics Weekly, "Jacob Kiplimo all smiles after 2:00:28 marathon in London"; CITIUS MAG, "Jacob Kiplimo Reacts To Breaking Previous World Record But Finishes Third".
  6. Watch Athletics, "Amos Kipruto Wins 2026 Chicago Marathon in Personal Best of 2:01:09"; Fat Marathoner, Chicago Marathon 2026 results.
  7. YouTube, Abbott World Marathon Majors, "Kelvin Kiptum breaks the marathon world record with 2:00:35 in Chicago!". Kiptum’s death in February 2024 was not re-checked in this pass.
  8. YouTube, Generali Berlin-Marathon, "Highlights Marathon World Record race – BMW BERLIN MARATHON 2022" (Kipchoge, 2:01:09, September 25, 2022).
  9. YouTube, FloTrack, "Hawi Feysa and Amos Kipruto Claims Victory in Chicago | Chicago Marathon 2026"; Chicago Sun-Times, "Amos Kipruto finally wins men’s Chicago Marathon" (October 11, 2026).
  10. Watch Athletics, "Kenenisa Bekele Almost Breaks World Marathon Record with 2:01:41 at Berlin Marathon"; YouTube, SCC EVENTS, "BMW BERLIN-MARATHON 2019 – World Record is missed by 2 seconds by Kenenisa Bekele".
  11. Athletics Illustrated, "Sisay Lemma and Worknesh Degefa win deep Valencia Marathon"; YouTube, Runbeat, "Sisay Lemma wins Valencia Marathon 2023 with a new course record".
  12. Watch Athletics, "Boston Marathon: John Korir breaks course record"; ABC News, "Defending champion John Korir wins 2nd straight Boston Marathon title in course record time"; YouTube, ESPN, "NEW COURSE RECORD?! John Korir wins 130th Boston Marathon".
  13. YouTube, Abbott World Marathon Majors, "Benson Kipruto wins Tokyo Marathon 2024"; KBC Sports and FloTrack coverage of his 2:02:16 course record.
  14. CNN, "Ruth Chepngetich: Marathon record holder given three-year ban for doping violation" (October 24, 2025); Al Jazeera, "Chepngetich retains women’s marathon world record despite three-year ban" (October 23, 2025); Athletics Weekly.