The official
world records
A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...
in the
5000 metres are held by
Joshua Cheptegei
Joshua Kiprui Cheptegei (born 12 September 1996) is a Ugandan long-distance runner. He is the reigning Olympic champion in the 5000 metres and silver medalist for the 10,000 metres, a two-time 10,000 m World champion from 2019 and 2022, Wor ...
with 12:35.36 for men and
Letesenbet Gidey
Letesenbet Gidey (Tigrinya: ለተሰንበት ግደይ, born 20 March 1998) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who holds three world records plus one world best. A 10,000 metres 2020 Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist, at the World Athletics ...
with 14:06.62 for women.
The first world record in the men's 5000 m was recognized by
World Athletics
World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body fo ...
(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.
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.
[
] 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
Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely aerobic in nature and requires stamina as well as mental strength.
Within endurance running comes two d ...
. However, women did sometimes compete over 5000 m before its addition to the
World Championships
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
and
Olympic programme in 1995 and 1996, respectively.
Main > Women, 5000 m > World Records Progression
Brinkster Track and Field. Retrieved on 2014-01-18.
Men
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at: 16/08/1995 tillpos: 64.39
at: 13/08/1997 tillpos: 61.86
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at: 31/05/2004 tillpos: 57.35
at: 14/08/2020 tillpos: 55.36
Pre-World Athletics
World Athletics era
Auto times to the hundredth of a second were accepted by the IAAF for events up to and including 10,000m from 1981.[ Dick Quax's 13:12.9 from 1977 was recorded as 13:12.87 to the hundredth of a second.
]
Women
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at: 11/06/2004 tillpos: 74.68
at: 03/06/2006 tillpos: 74.53
at: 15/06/2007 tillpos: 66.63
at: 06/06/2008 tillpos: 61.15
at: 07/10/2020 tillpos: 56.62
Pre-recognition
World Athletics world records
References
{{Athletics record progressions
World athletics record progressions
World record
A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...
Articles which contain graphical timelines