Fastest Road Runners of 2025

In the year that the average time of ten fastest men’s marathon times was 2:03:09, African athletes topped all the season lists.

2025 was a historic year in road running with fast performances across all distances, alongside a record number of 59,226 finishers at the New York City Marathon on 2 November. Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa smashed the women-only world record by 26 seconds at the London Marathon, running 2:15:50 to win her first London Marathon title. Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo ran 56:42 at the Barcelona Half Marathon, becoming the first athlete to break 57 minutes and improving the previous record by 48 seconds.

The average time of the ten fastest men’s marathon times during the year was 2:03:09 while the women’s average was 2:16:07. In the half marathon, men’s ten fastest performances averaged to an incredible 58:19 while top ten women’s average was 1:04:39.

Athletes from the continent of Africa led the top lists once again in marathon, half marathon and the 10km. Fastest three athletes in each event in the world in 2025 as well as the fastest three Turkish athletes, in only the races with official course measurements and entered in the Global Calendar, are as follows:

Men’s Marathon World List:
2:02:16   Sabastian Kimaru Sawe (KEN) - Berlin, 21 September
2:02:23   Jacob Kiplimo (UGA) - Chicago, 12 October
2:02:24   John Korir (KEN) - Valencia, 7 December

Men’s Marathon Turkish List:
2:07:26   Sezgin Ataç – Daegu, 23 February
2:07:27   Kaan Kigen Özbilen – Abu Dhabi, 13 December
2:10:26   İlham Tanui Özbilen - Brussels-Leuven, 13 April

Women's Marathon World List:
2:14:00   Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN) - Valencia, 7 December
2:14:43   Peres Chepchirchir (KEN) - Valencia, 7 December
2:14:57   Hawi Geysa (ETH) - Chicago, 12 October

Women's Marathon Turkish List:
No statistically significant performances

Men’s Half Marathon World List:
56:42   Jacob Kiplimo (UGA) - Barcelona, 16 February
58:02   Yomif Kejelcha (ETH) - Valencia, 26 October
58:23   Nicholas Kipkorir (KEN) - Copenhagen, 14 September

Men’s Half Marathon Turkish List:
1:01:49   Sezgin Ataç - Istanbul, 27 April
1:02:35   Ramazan Baştuğ - Bochum, 26 July
1:04:52   Ali Kaya - Istanbul, 27 April

Women's Half Marathon World List:
1:03:08   Agnes Jebet Ngetich (KEN) - Valencia, 26 October
1:03:35   Fotyen Tesfay (ETH) - Berlin, 6 April
1:04:13   Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN) - Barcelona, 16 February

Women's Half Marathon Turkish List:
1:12:51   Bahar Yıldırım - Leuven, 12 April
1:13:09   Nursena Çeto - Leuven, 12 April
1:14:06   Sümeyye Erol - Trabzon, 23 February

Men's 10km World List:
26:31   Yomif Kejelcha (ETH) - Castellon, 16 February
26:53   Andreas Almgren (SWE) - Valencia, 12 January
26:54   Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu (SUI) - Valencia, 12 January
26:54   Birhanu Balew (BRN) - Herzogenaurach, 26 April
26:54   Gemechu Dida (ETH) - Herzogenaurach, 26 April
26:54   Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI) - Herzogenaurach, 26 April
26:54   Khairi Bejiga (ETH) - Brasov, 5 October

Men's 10km Turkish List:
28:11   Sezgin Ataç - Leuven, 13 April
29:07   Ramazan Baştuğ - Leuven, 13 April
29:45   Mert Selek - Mersin, 14 December

Women’s 10km World List:
29:25   Medina Eisa (ETH) - Castellon, 16 February
29:27   Agnes Jebet Ng’etich (KEN) - Herzogenaurach, 26 April
29:30   Hellen Ekalale Lobun (KEN) - Valencia, 12 January

Women’s 10km Turkish List:
30:36   Yasemin Can - Brasov, 5 October
33:24   Derya Kunur - Ankara, 5 October
33:38   Ruken Tek - Ankara, 5 October