5000 metres world record progression
The official world records in the 5000 metres are held by Joshua Cheptegei with 12:35.36 for men and Letesenbet Gidey with 14:06.62 for women.
The first world record in the men's 5000 m was recognized by World Athletics (formerly called the International Association of Athletics Federations, or IAAF) in 1912. As of January 2014, 35 world records have been ratified by World Athletics in the event.[1]
The first world record in the women's 5000 m was recognized by the IAAF in 1981. As of January 2014, 13 world records have been ratified by the IAAF in the event.[2] Before the event was recognised by the IAAF as an official world record event, the 3000 metres was the most common international women's long-distance track event. However, women did sometimes compete over 5000 m before its addition to the World Championships and Olympic programme in 1995 and 1996, respectively.[3]
Men

Pre-World Athletics
Time | Athlete | Date | Location |
---|---|---|---|
16:34.6 | ![]() |
1897-10-31 | Paris, France |
16:29.2 | ![]() |
1899-05-22 | Lyon, France |
15:29.8 | ![]() |
1900-07-22 | Paris, France |
14:59.0 | ![]() |
1904-06-13 | Glasgow, United Kingdom |
World Athletics era
Time | Athlete | Date | Location |
---|---|---|---|
14:36.6 | ![]() |
1912-07-10 | Stockholm, Sweden[1] |
14:35.4 | ![]() |
1922-09-12 | Stockholm, Sweden[1] |
14:28.2 | ![]() |
1924-06-19 | Helsinki, Finland[1] |
14:17.0 | ![]() |
1932-06-19 | Helsinki, Finland[1] |
14:08.8 | ![]() |
1939-06-16 | Helsinki, Finland[1] |
13:58.2 | ![]() |
1942-09-20 | Gothenburg, Sweden[1] |
13:57.2 | ![]() |
1954-05-30 | Paris, France[1] |
13:56.6 | ![]() |
1954-08-29 | Bern, Switzerland[1] |
13:51.6 | ![]() |
1954-10-13 | London, United Kingdom[1] |
13:51.2 | ![]() |
1954-10-23 | Prague, Czechoslovakia[1] |
13:50.8 | ![]() |
1955-09-10 | Budapest, Hungary[1] |
13:46.8 | ![]() |
1955-09-18 | Belgrad, Yugoslavia[1] |
13:40.6 | ![]() |
1955-10-23 | Budapest, Hungary[1] |
13:36.8 | ![]() |
1956-06-19 | Bergen, Norway[1] |
13:35.0 | ![]() |
1957-10-13 | Rome, Italy[1] |
13:34.8 | ![]() |
1965-01-16 | Hobart, Australia[1] |
13:33.6 | ![]() |
1965-02-01 | Auckland, New Zealand[1] |
13:25.8 | ![]() |
1965-06-04 | Compton, USA[1] |
13:24.2 | ![]() |
1965-11-30 | Auckland, New Zealand[1] |
13:16.6 | ![]() |
1966-07-05 | Stockholm, Sweden[1] |
13:16.4 | ![]() |
1972-09-14 | Helsinki, Finland[1] |
13:13.0 | ![]() |
1972-09-20 | Brussels, Belgium[1] |
13:12.9 | ![]() |
1977-07-05 | Stockholm, Sweden[1] |
13:08.4 | ![]() |
1978-04-08 | Berkeley, California, USA[1] |
13:06.20 | ![]() |
1981-09-13 | Knarvik, Norway[1] |
13:00.41 | ![]() |
1982-07-07 | Oslo, Norway[1] |
13:00.40 | ![]() |
1985-07-22 | Oslo, Norway[1] |
12:58.39 | ![]() |
1987-07-27 | Rome, Italy[1] |
12:56.96 | ![]() |
1994-06-04 | Hengelo, Netherlands[1] |
12:55.30 | ![]() |
1995-06-08 | Rome, Italy[1] |
12:44.39 | ![]() |
1995-08-16 | Zürich, Switzerland[1] |
12:41.86 | ![]() |
1997-08-13 | Zürich, Switzerland[1] |
12:39.74 | ![]() |
1997-08-22 | Brussels, Belgium[1] |
12:39.36 | ![]() |
1998-06-13 | Helsinki, Finland[1] |
12:37.35 | ![]() |
2004-05-31 | Hengelo, Netherlands[1] |
12:35.36 | ![]() |
2020-08-14 | Monaco[4] |
p = pending ratification
Auto times to the hundredth of a second were accepted by the IAAF for events up to and including 10,000m from 1981.[1] Dick Quax's 13:12.9 from 1977 was recorded as 13:12.87 to the hundredth of a second.
Women

Pre-recognition
Time | Athlete | Date | Location |
---|---|---|---|
16:17.4 | ![]() | 1969-05-11 | Formia, Italy |
15:53.6 | ![]() | 1969-09-02 | Milan, Italy |
15:41.4 | ![]() | 1977-03-16 | Oradea, Romania |
15:37.0 | ![]() | 1977-07-11 | Mainz, Germany |
15:35.52 | ![]() | 1978-05-26 | Knoxville, United States |
15:33.8 | ![]() | 1979-05-19 | Durham, United States |
15:30.6 | ![]() | 1980-03-22 | Stanford, United States |
15:28.43 | ![]() | 1981-07-11 | Oslo, Norway |
15:24.6 | ![]() | 1981-09-06 | Podolsk, Soviet Union |
World Athletics world records

Time | Athlete | Date | Location |
---|---|---|---|
15:14.51 | ![]() |
1981-09-13 | Knarvik, Norway[2] |
15:13.22 | ![]() |
1982-03-17 | Auckland, New Zealand[2] |
15:08.26 | ![]() |
1982-07-05 | Eugene, Oregon, United States[2] |
14:58.89 | ![]() |
1984-06-28 | Oslo, Norway[2] |
14:48.07 | ![]() |
1985-08-26 | London, United Kingdom[2] |
14:37.33 | ![]() |
1986-08-05 | Stockholm, Sweden[2] |
14:36.45 | ![]() |
1995-07-22 | Hechtel, Belgium[2] |
14:31.27 | ![]() |
1997-10-21 | Shanghai, China[2] |
14:28.09 | ![]() |
1997-10-23 | Shanghai, China[2] |
14:24.68 | ![]() |
2004-06-11 | Bergen, Norway[2] |
14:24.53 | ![]() |
2006-06-03 | New York, United States[2] |
14:16.63 | ![]() |
2007-06-15 | Oslo, Norway[2] |
14:11.15 | ![]() |
2008-06-06 | Oslo, Norway[2] |
14:06.62 | ![]() |
2020-10-07 | Valencia, Spain[2] |
Zola Budd (RSA) ran 15:01.83 in 1984, but this time was not ratified as a world record.
References
- "12th IAAF World Championships In Athletics: IAAF Statistics Handbook. Berlin 2009" (PDF). Monte Carlo: IAAF Media & Public Relations Department. 2009. pp. Pages 546, 551. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 29, 2011. Retrieved August 9, 2009.
- "12th IAAF World Championships In Athletics: IAAF Statistics Handbook. Berlin 2009" (PDF). Monte Carlo: IAAF Media & Public Relations Department. 2009. pp. Pages 546, 643. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 29, 2011. Retrieved August 9, 2009.
- Main > Women, 5000 m > World Records Progression. Brinkster Track and Field. Retrieved on 2014-01-18.
- "Cheptegei breaks world 5000m record in Monaco as Diamond League action returns". Retrieved August 15, 2020.