5000 metres world record progression

The official world records in the 5000 metres, or 5000-metre run, are held by Joshua Cheptegei with 12:35.36 for men and Beatrice Chebet with 13:58.06 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	George Touquet-Daunis (FRA)	1897-10-31	Paris, France
16:29.2	George Touquet-Daunis (FRA)	1899-05-22	Lyon, France
15:29.8	Charles Bennett (GBR)	1900-07-22	Paris, France
14:59.0	Alfred Shrubb (GBR)	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	Ratified but later rescinded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	Hannes Kolehmainen (FIN)	1912-07-10	Stockholm, Sweden[1]
14:35.4	Paavo Nurmi (FIN)	1922-09-12	Stockholm, Sweden[1]
14:28.2	Paavo Nurmi (FIN)	1924-06-19	Helsinki, Finland[1]
14:17.0	Lauri Lehtinen (FIN)	1932-06-19	Helsinki, Finland[1]
14:08.8	Taisto Mäki (FIN)	1939-06-16	Helsinki, Finland[1]
13:58.2	Gunder Hägg (SWE)	1942-09-20	Gothenburg, Sweden[1]
13:57.2	Emil Zátopek (TCH)	1954-05-30	Paris, France[1]
13:56.6	Vladimir Kuts (URS)	1954-08-29	Bern, Switzerland[1]
13:51.6	Chris Chataway (GBR)	1954-10-13	London, United Kingdom[1]
13:51.2	Vladimir Kuts (URS)	1954-10-23	Prague, Czechoslovakia[1]
13:50.8	Sandor Iharos (HUN)	1955-09-10	Budapest, Hungary[1]
13:46.8	Vladimir Kuts (URS)	1955-09-18	Belgrade, Yugoslavia[1]
13:40.6	Sandor Iharos (HUN)	1955-10-23	Budapest, Hungary[1]
13:36.8	Gordon Pirie (GBR)	1956-06-19	Bergen, Norway[1]
13:35.0	Vladimir Kuts (URS)	1957-10-13	Rome, Italy[1]
13:34.8	Ron Clarke (AUS)	1965-01-16	Hobart, Australia[1]
13:33.6	Ron Clarke (AUS)	1965-02-01	Auckland, New Zealand[1]
13:25.8	Ron Clarke (AUS)	1965-06-04	Compton, USA[1]
13:24.2	Kipchoge Keino (KEN)	1965-11-30	Auckland, New Zealand[1]
13:16.6	Ron Clarke (AUS)	1966-07-05	Stockholm, Sweden[1]
13:16.4	Lasse Virén (FIN)	1972-09-14	Helsinki, Finland[1]
13:13.0	Emiel Puttemans (BEL)	1972-09-20	Brussels, Belgium[1]
13:12.9	Dick Quax (NZL)	1977-07-05	Stockholm, Sweden[1]
13:08.4	Henry Rono (KEN)	1978-04-08	Berkeley, California, USA[1]
13:06.20	Henry Rono (KEN)	1981-09-13	Knarvik, Norway[1]
13:00.41	David Moorcroft (GBR)	1982-07-07	Oslo, Norway[1]
13:00.40	Saïd Aouita (MAR)	1985-07-27	Oslo, Norway[1]
12:58.39	Saïd Aouita (MAR)	1987-07-27	Rome, Italy[1]
12:56.96	Haile Gebrselassie (ETH)	1994-06-04	Hengelo, Netherlands[1]
12:55.30	Moses Kiptanui (KEN)	1995-06-08	Rome, Italy[1]
12:44.39	Haile Gebrselassie (ETH)	1995-08-16	Zürich, Switzerland[1]
12:41.86	Haile Gebrselassie (ETH)	1997-08-13	Zürich, Switzerland[1]
12:39.74	Daniel Komen (KEN)	1997-08-22	Brussels, Belgium[1]
12:39.36	Haile Gebrselassie (ETH)	1998-06-13	Helsinki, Finland[1]
12:37.35	Kenenisa Bekele (ETH)	2004-05-31	Hengelo, Netherlands[1]
12:35.36	Joshua Cheptegei (UGA)	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	Paola Pigni (ITA)	1969-05-11	Formia, Italy
15:53.6	Paola Pigni (ITA)	1969-09-02	Milan, Italy
15:41.4	Natalia Mărășescu (ROM)	1977-03-16	Oradea, Romania
15:37.0	Janice Merrill (USA)	1977-07-11	Mainz, Germany
15:35.52	Kathy Mills (USA)	1978-05-26	Knoxville, United States
15:33.8	Janice Merrill (USA)	1979-05-19	Durham, United States
15:30.6	Janice Merrill (USA)	1980-03-22	Stanford, United States
15:28.43	Ingrid Kristiansen (NOR)	1981-07-11	Oslo, Norway
15:24.6	Yelena Sipatova (URS)	1981-09-06	Podolsk, Soviet Union

World Athletics world records

Former women's world record holder Tirunesh Dibaba (right) leading another former world record holder Meseret Defar (centre) at the 2012 Olympic 5000 m final

Time	Athlete	Date	Location
15:14.51	Paula Fudge (GBR)	1981-09-13	Knarvik, Norway[1]
15:13.22	Anne Audain (NZL)	1982-03-17	Auckland, New Zealand[1]
15:08.26	Mary Tabb (USA)	1982-06-05	Eugene, Oregon, United States[1]
15:01.83 [a]	Zola Budd (RSA)	1984-01-05	Stellenbosch, South Africa[1]
14:58.89	Ingrid Kristiansen (NOR)	1984-06-28	Oslo, Norway[1]
14:48.07	Zola Budd (GBR)	1985-08-26	London, United Kingdom[1]
14:37.33	Ingrid Kristiansen (NOR)	1986-08-05	Stockholm, Sweden[1]
14:36.45	Fernanda Ribeiro (POR)	1995-07-22	Hechtel, Belgium[1]
14:31.27	Dong Yanmei (CHN)	1997-10-21	Shanghai, China[1]
14:28.09	Jiang Bo (CHN)	1997-10-23	Shanghai, China[1]
14:24.68	Elvan Abeylegesse (TUR)	2004-06-11	Bergen, Norway[1]
14:24.53	Meseret Defar (ETH)	2006-06-03	New York, United States[1]
14:16.63	Meseret Defar (ETH)	2007-06-15	Oslo, Norway[1]
14:11.15	Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH)	2008-06-06	Oslo, Norway[1]
14:06.62	Letesenbet Gidey (ETH)	2020-10-07	Valencia, Spain[1]
14:05.20	Faith Kipyegon (KEN)	2023-06-09	Paris, France [3]
14:00.21	Gudaf Tsegay (ETH)	2023-09-17	Eugene, Oregon[4]
13:58.06	Beatrice Chebet (KEN)	2025-07-05	Eugene, Oregon[5]

1. Time was rejected as South Africa was suspended from IAAF membership.