5000 metres world record progression

The official world records in the 5000 metres are held by Kenenisa Bekele with 12:37.35 minutes for men and Tirunesh Dibaba with 14:11.15 minutes for women. Both are from Bekoji, Ethiopia.
The first world record in the men's 5000 m was recognized by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in 1912. As of January 2014, 35 world records have been ratified by the IAAF 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-IAAF
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 |
IAAF era
Time | Athlete | Date | Location |
---|---|---|---|
14:36.6 | ![]() |
1912-06-10 | 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 | ![]() |
1955-09-23 | 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] |
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 |
IAAF 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] |
Zola Budd (RSA) ran 15:01.83 in 1984, but this time was not ratified as a world record.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 "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.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "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.