Women · World record

Half Marathon

The current record and its documented progression: 15 ratified records from 1999 to 2021, with 20 listed as world bests before ratification, 7 otherwise annotated shown in place.

Current record

1:02:52

Letesenbet GideyETHValencia · 24 Oct 2021

4 years standing52 s improvementAll-time top 25 →

Record progression

Each step is a documented record; hollow marks were rescinded, not ratified or are pending

1971 · 1:23:56 Kathy Gibbons (Annotated)1974 · 1:23:11 Chantal Langlacé (Annotated)1977 · 1:22:05 Silvana Cruciata (Annotated)1978 · 1:19:45 Marja Wokke (Annotated)1978 · 1:18:44 Silvana Cruciata (Annotated)1978 · 1:18:30 Jean Abare (Annotated)1978 · 1:15:04 Marty Cooksey (World best)1978 · 1:17:48 Daniele Justin (Annotated)1978 · 1:15:58 Miki Gorman (World best)1979 · 1:15:01 Ellison Goodall (World best)1979 · 1:14:50 Kathy Mintie (World best)1979 · 1:14:04 Patti Catalano (World best)1980 · 1:13:59 Marja Wokke (World best)1981 · 1:13:26 Joan Benoit (World best)1981 · 1:11:16 Joan Benoit (World best)1982 · 1:09:57 Grete Waitz (World best)1983 · 1:09:14 Joan Benoit (World best)1984 · 1:08:34 Joan Benoit (World best)1987 · 1:06:40 Ingrid Kristiansen (World best)1989 · 1:08:32 Ingrid Kristiansen (World best)1991 · 1:07:59 Elana Meyer (World best)1994 · 1:07:59 Uta Pippig (World best)1995 · 1:07:58 Uta Pippig (World best)1997 · 1:07:36 Elana Meyer (World best)1998 · 1:07:29 Elana Meyer (World best)1999 · 1:06:44 Elana Meyer2001 · 1:05:44 Susan Chepkemei (World best)2003 · 1:05:40 Paula Radcliffe (World best)2007 · 1:06:25 Lornah Kiplagat2011 · 1:05:50 Mary Keitany2014 · 1:05:12 Florence Kiplagat2015 · 1:05:09 Florence Kiplagat2017 · 1:05:06 Peres Jepchirchir2017 · 1:04:52 Joyciline Jepkosgei2017 · 1:04:51 Joyciline Jepkosgei2018 · 1:06:11 Netsanet Gudeta2020 · 1:04:31 Ababel Yeshaneh2020 · 1:05:34 Peres Jepchirchir2020 · 1:05:16 Peres Jepchirchir2021 · 1:04:02 Ruth Chepngetich2021 · 1:03:44 Yalemzerf Yehualaw2021 · 1:02:52 Letesenbet Gidey 1:02:521:23:56

19711979 · Mintie 1:14:501994 · Pippig 1:07:592015 · Kiplagat 1:05:092021 · Gidey 1:02:52

Documented records

15 ratified · 20 world bests · 7 annotated · most recent first · Wikipedia (EN) revision 1372025709, imported 2 Sep 2026

MarkAthleteNationVenueDateStood
1:02:52 Letesenbet Gidey ETH Valencia 24 Oct 2021 4 yrs
1:03:44 Yalemzerf Yehualaw ETH Larne 29 Aug 2021 56 d
1:04:02 Ruth Chepngetich KEN Istanbul 4 Apr 2021 147 d
1:05:16 Peres Jepchirchir KEN Gdynia 17 Oct 2020 169 d
1:05:34 Peres Jepchirchir KEN Prague 5 Sep 2020 42 d
1:04:31 Ababel Yeshaneh ETH Ras al-Khaimah 21 Feb 2020 197 d
1:06:11 Netsanet Gudeta ETH World HM Champs, Valencia 24 Mar 2018 1 yr
1:04:51 Joyciline Jepkosgei KEN Valencia 22 Oct 2017 153 d
1:04:52 Joyciline Jepkosgei KEN Prague 1 Apr 2017 204 d
1:05:06 Peres Jepchirchir KEN Ras al-Khaimah 10 Feb 2017 50 d
1:05:09 Florence Kiplagat KEN Barcelona 15 Feb 2015 1 yr
1:05:12 Florence Kiplagat KEN Barcelona 16 Feb 2014 364 d
1:05:50 Mary Keitany KEN Ras al-Khaimah 18 Feb 2011 2 yrs
1:06:25 Lornah Kiplagat NED World RR Champs, Udine 14 Oct 2007 3 yrs
1:05:40 Paula Radcliffe World bestListed by the World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptanceNoted by the IAAF as set on an uncertified or aided course which does not fulfill the criteria specified in IAAF Rule 260.28.b or 260.28.c. GBR South Shields 21 Sep 2003
1:05:44 Susan Chepkemei World bestListed by the World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptanceNoted by the IAAF as set on an uncertified or aided course which does not fulfill the criteria specified in IAAF Rule 260.28.b or 260.28.c. KEN Lisbon 1 Apr 2001
1:06:44 Elana Meyer RSA Tokyo 15 Jan 1999 8 yrs
1:07:29 Elana Meyer World bestListed by the World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance RSA Kyoto 8 Mar 1998
1:07:36 Elana Meyer World bestListed by the World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance RSA Kyoto 9 Mar 1997
1:07:58 Uta Pippig World bestListed by the World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance GER Kyoto 19 Mar 1995
1:07:59 Uta Pippig World bestListed by the World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance GER Kyoto 20 Mar 1994
1:07:59 Elana Meyer World bestListed by the World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance RSA East London 18 May 1991
1:08:32 Ingrid Kristiansen World bestListed by the World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance NOR New Bedford 19 Mar 1989
1:06:40 Ingrid Kristiansen World bestListed by the World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptanceNoted by the IAAF as set on an uncertified or aided course which does not fulfill the criteria specified in IAAF Rule 260.28.b or 260.28.c. NOR Sandnes 5 Apr 1987
1:08:34 Joan Benoit World bestListed by the World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance USA Philadelphia 16 Sep 1984
1:09:14 Joan Benoit World bestListed by the World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance USA Philadelphia 18 Sep 1983
1:09:57 Grete Waitz World bestListed by the World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance NOR Gothenburg 15 May 1982
1:11:16 Joan Benoit World bestListed by the World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance USA San Diego 7 Mar 1981
1:13:26 Joan Benoit World bestListed by the World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance USA New Orleans 18 Jan 1981
1:13:59 Marja Wokke World bestListed by the World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance NED The Hague 29 Mar 1980
1:14:04 Patti Catalano World bestListed by the World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance USA Manchester, Vermont 23 Sep 1979
1:14:50 Kathy Mintie World bestListed by the World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptanceNoted by the IAAF as set on an uncertified or aided course which does not fulfill the criteria specified in IAAF Rule 260.28.b or 260.28.c. USA San Diego 25 Aug 1979
1:15:01 Ellison Goodall World bestListed by the World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance USA Winston-Salem 10 Mar 1979
1:15:58 Miki Gorman World bestListed by the World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance USA Pasadena 19 Nov 1978
1:17:48 Daniele Justin AnnotatedRecognized by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians BEL Nazaré, Portugal 12 Nov 1978
1:15:04 Marty Cooksey World bestListed by the World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptanceNoted by the IAAF as set on an uncertified or aided course which does not fulfill the criteria specified in IAAF Rule 260.28.b or 260.28.c. USA San Diego 26 Aug 1978
1:18:30 Jean Abare AnnotatedRecognized by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians USA Coronado, California 4 Jul 1978
1:18:44 Silvana Cruciata AnnotatedRecognized by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians ITA Milan 16 Apr 1978
1:19:45 Marja Wokke AnnotatedRecognized by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians NED Egmond aan Zee 8 Jan 1978
1:22:05 Silvana Cruciata AnnotatedRecognized by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians ITA Milan 3 Apr 1977
1:23:11 Chantal Langlacé AnnotatedRecognized by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians FRA Aÿ-Champagne 8 Sep 1974
1:23:56 Kathy Gibbons AnnotatedRecognized by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians USA Phoenix, Arizona 7 Mar 1971

Rows link to a profile only where the athlete appears on a published list. Struck marks were rescinded or never ratified, and A marks a performance at altitude; both come from the source article's own key and markers, and eras are kept as it lists them. Nothing is inferred.