The official world records in the 5000 metres are held by Joshua Cheptegei with 12:35.36 for men and Gudaf Tsegay with 14:00.21 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 2024, 36 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 2024, 16 world records have been ratified by the IAAF in the event.[1]
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
Ratified | |
Not ratified | |
Ratified but later rescinded | |
Pending ratification |
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[2] |
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[1] |
15:13.22 | ![]() |
1982-03-17 | Auckland, New Zealand[1] |
15:08.26 | ![]() |
1982-06-05 | Eugene, Oregon, United States[1] |
15:01.83 [lower-alpha 1] | ![]() |
1984-01-05 | Stellenbosch, South Africa[1] |
14:58.89 | ![]() |
1984-06-28 | Oslo, Norway[1] |
14:48.07 | ![]() |
1985-08-26 | London, United Kingdom[1] |
14:37.33 | ![]() |
1986-08-05 | Stockholm, Sweden[1] |
14:36.45 | ![]() |
1995-07-22 | Hechtel, Belgium[1] |
14:31.27 | ![]() |
1997-10-21 | Shanghai, China[1] |
14:28.09 | ![]() |
1997-10-23 | Shanghai, China[1] |
14:24.68 | ![]() |
2004-06-11 | Bergen, Norway[1] |
14:24.53 | ![]() |
2006-06-03 | New York, United States[1] |
14:16.63 | ![]() |
2007-06-15 | Oslo, Norway[1] |
14:11.15 | ![]() |
2008-06-06 | Oslo, Norway[1] |
14:06.62 | ![]() |
2020-10-07 | Valencia, Spain[1] |
14:05.20 | ![]() |
2023-06-09 | Paris, France [3] |
14:00.21 | ![]() |
2023-09-17 | Eugene, Oregon[4] |
- ↑ Time was rejected as South Africa was suspended from IAAF membership.
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 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 "World Athletics Statistics Handbook 2022" (PDF). Monte Carlo: World Athletics Media & Public Relations Department. 2022. pp. Pages 729, 865. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
- ↑ "Cheptegei breaks world 5000m record in Monaco as Diamond League action returns". Retrieved August 15, 2020.
- ↑ Sully, Kevin. "Faith Kipyegon's Magical Week Continues With 5000m World Record In Paris". FloTrack. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
- ↑ "5000m Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 17 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.