What Are The Major Marathon Course Records?

The Abbott World Marathon Majors are the most prestigious annual road marathons and they attract the world’s fastest runners to the streets of Tokyo, Boston, London, Sydney, Berlin, Chicago and New York. But which major marathon is the fastest? And how do other marathons compare to the Majors?

Some quick stats for you…

Both the men’s and women’s world records have been run at the Chicago Marathon. In 2023, Kelvin Kiptum ran 2:00:35 there, then in 2024 Ruth Chepngetich ran 2:09:56. You can see the world’s fastest marathoners here.

For men, Berlin is where most of the best times have been run. Of the top 50 fastest men’s marathons ever run, 20 of them have been in Berlin, 11 were run in Valencia (which isn’t a Marathon Major), five in London, four in Tokyo and three in Chicago. 

For the women, 11 of the top 50 times ever run were in London and 10 were in Chicago (which has five of the top 10 times). Tokyo and Valencia have each seen eight top 50 times. 

TOKYO MARATHON

Men’s Record: 2:02:16. Benson Kipruto, Kenya, 2024.

Women’s Record: 2:15:55. Sutume Asefa Kebede, Ethiopia, 2024.

The year’s first Major, it’s run in early March when the temperatures are cool, and it’s led to some very fast times – it’s the fifth fastest marathon for both men and women (ranked on course records), and Kipruto’s 2:02:16 placed him as the fifth fastest man of all time. There’s always a strong field of runners and overall there’s a slight net downhill, which makes it a fast course. Though runners who love a boost from a loud crowd won’t get quite as much help in Tokyo as in any of the U.S. Majors. 

BOSTON MARATHON

Men’s Record: 2:03:02. Geoffrey Mutai, Kenya, 2011.

Women’s Record: 2:19:59. Buzunesh Deba, Ethiopia, 2014.

The world’s oldest road marathon is a challenging course with significant hills throughout and a net downhill. However, it’s ineligible for world and national records for two reasons. First, World Athletic rules state that the overall decrease in elevation cannot average more than one metre per kilometre, but in Boston it averages more than three metres per km. And the start and finish lines cannot be further apart than 50% of the race distance (partly to remove the possibility of a generous tailwind). 

That doesn’t mean there haven’t been fast times run in Boston. Geoffrey Mutai’s 2:03:02 in 2011 was the then-fastest time ever run, 57 seconds quicker than the world record. In the same year, Ryan Hall’s 2:04:58 became the fastest marathon ever run by an American man, and it’s a record which still remains today.

LONDON MARATHON

Men’s Record: 2:01:25. Kelvin Kiptum, Kenya, 2023.

Women’s Record: 2:15:25. Paula Radcliffe, UK, 2003.

London is a consistently quick course for elite runners, though the day’s weather can impact just how fast those times are. Paula Radcliffe’s 2:15:25 was the women’s world record from 2003 until 2017, and when Kelvin Kiptum ran 2:01:25 in 2023 it was then the second-fastest marathon of all time. In 2024, Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir ran the women’s only world record of 2:16:16 in London.

BERLIN MARATHON

Men’s Record: 2:01:09. Eliud Kipchoge, Kenya, 2022.

Women’s Record: 2:11:53. Tigist Assefa, Ethiopia, 2023.

Berlin is famously one of the fastest majors, with wide streets, very little elevation change and often good weather for running quick. Elite men do especially well in Berlin and the men’s marathon world record belonged in Berlin for over 20 years, beginning from when Kenya’s Paul Tergat ran 2:04:55 in 2003, and then seven successive world records after that, up to Eliud Kipchoge’s Berlin best of 2:01:09 from 2022, which has only been bettered by Kelvin Kiptum’s 2:00:35. Tigist Assefa’s 2:11:53 was a new female world record in 2023, since lowered by Ruth Chepngetich.

CHICAGO MARATHON

Men’s Record: 2:00:35. Kelvin Kiptum, Kenya, 2023. World Record.

Women’s Record: 2:09:56. Ruth Chepngetich, Kenya, 2024. World Record.

Both of the marathon world records have been run in Chicago, with incredible performances that have seen the first men’s 2:00 marathon, and the first women’s 2:09, proving just how quick this course can be. Like other races, the weather can have a big impact in Chicago, but when the weather is good, as it was in 2023 and 2024, the race is especially fast. Five of the top 10 women’s fastest marathons have been run in Chicago, with Chepngetich responsible for three of them.

NEW YORK MARATHON

Men’s Record: 2:04:58. Tamirat Tola, Ethiopia, 2023.

Women’s Record: 2:22:31. Margaret Okayo, Kenya, 2003.

With more elevation change than Boston, the New York City Marathon course progresses through the city’s five boroughs, and involves five bridge crossings with their up and overs, plus more hills in Central Park near the finish, and it means that New York is the slowest of the Marathon Majors. For context, Tamirat Tola’s course record of 2:04:58 is barely the 200th fastest men’s marathon, while Margaret Okayo’s 2:22:31 is around the 500th fastest women’s time.

SYDNEY MARATHON

Men’s Record: 2:06:18. Brimin Kipkorir, Kenya, 2024.

Women’s Record: 2:21:41. Workenesh Edesa, Ethiopia, 2024.

Sydney was added as a Marathon Major for 2025. It will be the hilliest course of all the Majors (317m/1,040ft of elevation gain and 400m/1,312ft of loss) making it a tough run for very fast times, though with its promotion we’d expect to see the course records drop as more of the world’s elites add Sydney to their race schedules. 

HOW DO THE COURSE RECORDS COMPARE AT OTHER MARATHONS?

The Abbott World Marathon Majors are the best known marathons in the world, and every year they get the world’s best runners taking part, but there are many other very quick marathon courses elsewhere in the world.

VALENCIA MARATHON 

Men’s Record: 2:01:48. Sisay Lemma, Ethiopia, 2023.

Women’s Record: 2:14:58. Amane Beriso, Ethiopia, 2022.

Valencia has become known as one of the world’s fastest marathons for both elites and amateurs, who head to east Spain in the beginning of December to try and run fast times. It’s always an exciting race to watch and 11 of the fastest 50 men’s marathons have been run in Valencia. There’s big prize money for the winner and a €1,000,000 bonus if the marathon world record is run in Valencia. The men’s and women’s half marathon world records, and the women’s 10km world record, have been set in Valencia.

DUBAI MARATHON 

Men’s Record: 2:03:34. Geteneh Molla, Ethiopia, 2019.

Women’s Record: 2:16:07. Tigist Ketema, Ethiopia, 2023.

Big prize money used to call the elites to Dubai in January, and while the money is still good ($80,000), they’re just as likely to go there to try to run a fast time and set a marker early in the year. If you take an average of elite finish times across big city marathons, Dubai is easily one of the top 10 fastest marathons for both men and women, reflecting both the course and the quality of elites who run there.

ROTTERDAM MARATHON

Men’s Record: 2:03:36. Bashir Abdi, Belgium, 2021.

Women’s Record: 2:18:58. Tiki Gelana, Ethiopia, 2012. 

Before Kelvin Kiptum’s death in early 2024, he announced that he was going to try and run under two hours at that year’s Rotterdam Marathon, so it’s clearly a course that he thought was capable of very fast times, and the course records show that. 

AMSTERDAM MARATHON

Men’s Record: 2:03:38. Tamirat Tola, Ethiopia, 2021.

Women’s Record: 2:16:52. Yalemzerf Yehualaw, Ethiopia, 2024.

Based on ranking course records, Amsterdam is in the top 10 fastest marathons for both men and women. Yehualaw time in 2024 made this race the seventh quickest overall for women. 

SEVILLE MARATHON

Men’s Record: 2:03:27. Deresa Geleta, Ethiopia, 2024.

Women’s Record: 2:18:51. Alemu Megertu, Ethiopia, 2022.

Geleta’s time in 2024 made Seville the sixth fastest men’s marathon course after Chicago, Berlin, London, Valencia and Tokyo. Completing the top 10 are Dubai, Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Frankfurt. 

The women’s top 10 is: Chicago, Berlin, Valencia, London, Tokyo, Dubai, Amsterdam, Nagoya, Hamburg and Frankfurt. 

CAPE TOWN MARATHON

Men’s Record: 2:08:31. Stephen Mokoka, South Africa, 2024.

Women’s Record: 2:22:22. Glenrose Xaba, South Africa, 2024.

It’s not particularly quick, but it’s one of the candidate cities to become a Marathon Major. It’s an undulating course which gets hillier and harder towards the end.

SHANGHAI MARATHON

Men’s Record: 2:05:35. Philimon Kiptoo Kipchumba, Kenya, 2023. 

Women’s Record: 2:20:36. Yebrgual Melese, Ethiopia, 2018.

Another candidate to become a Marathon Major. Kipchumba’s time is the fastest to be run in China. 

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images