At its highest levels, athletics are about excellence. Athletes work for years, many starting as young children, to become elite competitors. Some of those athletes then continue to develop their bodies and their skills and become the best of the best: the winners, the gold medalists and, ultimately, the record-breakers.
World Records:
Some world marks last decades and become legendary. Others are broken quickly. But everyone who holds a world track and field record makes a mark on the sport’s history. All the record-holders listed in the links below are certified by the IAAF.
Event Records:
Even in our metric age, many track and field fans continue to be fascinated by the mile run. Roger Bannister’s sub-4-minute mile, for example, remains a milestone in track and field history. Check out the record progressions for the men’s and women’s mile run, as well as track’s glamour event, the 100-meter dash.
Olympic Records:
The Olympic Games provide track and field with its biggest stage every four years. The following links include Olympic records recognized by the IAAF.
World Championship Records:
Next to the Olympics, the bi-annual outdoor and indoor World Championships are track and field’s biggest events. The following records are recognized by the IAAF.
Men’s Outdoor World Championship Records
American Records:
The following links include outdoor and indoor American records, as recognized by USA Track & Field.
American Men’s Outdoor Records
