Marathon world best progression

This list is a chronological progression of record times for the marathon. World records in the marathon are now ratified by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), the international governing body for the sport of athletics. The IAAF world record for men is 2:02:57, set by Dennis Kimetto of Kenya on September 28, 2014 at the Berlin Marathon. The IAAF recognizes two world records for women, a "Mixed Gender" record of 2:15:25, set by Paula Radcliffe of the United Kingdom on April 13, 2003 at the London Marathon, and a "Women Only" record of 2:17:42, also set by Radcliffe, on April 17, 2005 in the London Marathon.

As noted below, a marathon performance must meet certain criteria to be eligible for ratification as a world record. In recognizing Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai's mark of 2:03:02 at the 2011 Boston Marathon as (at the time) "the fastest Marathon ever run", the IAAF has noted: "Due to the elevation drop and point-to-point measurements of the Boston course, performances [on that course] are not eligible for World record consideration." The IAAF Congress at 2011 World Championships in Athletics passed a motion changing the record eligibility criteria effective January 2012, so that women's world records must be set in all-women competitions. The result of the change was that Radcliffe's 2:17:42 performance at the 2005 London Marathon would supplant the existing women's mark as the "world record"; the earlier performance was to be referred to as a "world best". The decision was met with strong protest, and in November 2011 an IAAF council member reported that Radcliffe's original mark would be allowed to stand, with the eventual decision that both marks would be recognized as "world records," the faster one as a "Mixed Gender" mark, the other as a "Women Only" mark.

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