Marathon world record progression

World records in the marathon are ratified by World Athletics, the international governing body for the sport of athletics.

Sabastian Sawe set the men's world record of 1:59:30 at the London Marathon on April 26, 2026, becoming the first person in history to run a sub two-hour marathon in race conditions.

Kenyan athlete Ruth Chepng'etich broke the women's world record with a time of 2:09:56 on October 13, 2024, at the 2024 Chicago Marathon, a mixed-sex race.

In addition to the standard women's marathon world record, World Athletics recognizes a second world record for women in the "Women Only" category for races run on a course without any male athletes in the competition. The current "Women Only" record of 2:15:41 was set by Tigst Assefa on April 26, 2026, at the London Marathon in the elite women's race.