Why do some fast marathon times not count as records?
I · Intermediate · The event · 1 of 3A road time can be a world record only if the course meets conditions beyond the ordinary rules. The start and finish, in a straight line, may be no further apart than half the race distance. The course may drop no more than one metre for each kilometre. Women have two records: one for mixed races and one for women-only races.
How it works
- Separation: "The start and finish points of a course, measured along a theoretical straight line between them, shall not be further apart than 50% of the race distance."
- Drop: "The overall decrease in elevation between the start and finish shall not exceed 1:1000, i.e. 1m per km (0.1%)."
- Measurement: the course must have been measured by an "A" or "B" grade measurer approved by World Athletics and AIMS, with the report available on request.
- Two women's records: except in race walking and the road mile, World Athletics keeps one women's record for mixed gender races and one for women-only races.
- Road mile: only single-gender records are kept.
- Records on the way: a record at an intermediate distance inside a longer race is possible if that distance was measured, recorded and marked as part of the course measurement.
- Not a record, still a result: a time on a course that fails these tests is a valid winning time. It cannot be ratified as a record.
Tricky cases
A marathon drops 60 m from start to finish. Can a record be set on it?
No. The limit is 1 m for each kilometre, which is about 42 m for a marathon.
A woman runs a very fast time in a race where men ran alongside her. Is it a world record?
It depends on the list. It can be the record for mixed gender races. It cannot be the women-only record.
Is the winner of a race on an ineligible course still the winner?
Yes. The conditions are for records. The race result is not affected.
Can a runner set a half marathon record during a marathon?
Yes, if the half marathon point was measured, recorded and marked as part of the course measurement and the other record conditions are met.
Why the rule exists
A course that runs in one direction can have the wind behind the runners all the way, and a course that drops lets gravity help. The two limits keep those out of the record book. The separate women's records exist because women in a mixed race can be paced by faster men all the way to the line.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| World Athletics rules | As above | CR 31.21; CR 32 (note i) |
| Ordinary races | The same two limits are recommendations | TR 55.2 (note i); TR 55.3 (note iv) |
| Race walking | One women's record, which may be set in either kind of race | CR 32 (note i) |
| National records | Federations are recommended to adopt similar rules | CR 31 (note) |
From the rule book
World Athletics, Competition and Technical Rules, 2026 Edition, Competition Rules 31.21 and 32 with their notes, and the notes to Technical Rules 55.2 and 55.3. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Athletics Competition and Technical Rules 2026 (PDF).