Women's Track & Field world records, as recognized by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
11. 10,000 Meters
In a remarkable five-day span in 1993, China’s Wang Junxia set a pair of records that have stood for more than 14 years apiece, in the 3000 and 10,000. On Sept. 8, during the Chinese National Games, Wang slashed 42 seconds off the 10,000-meter record with a time of 29:31.78.12. Steeplechase
Russia’s Gulnara Samitova-Galkina made the first-ever Olympic women’s steeplechase a memorable race by breaking her own world record, winning in 8:58.81 on Aug. 17, 2008. Her previous mark of 9:01.59 was set in 2004. Samitova-Galkina led the Beijing race from the start, pulling away with three laps remaining and beating runner-up Eunice Jepkorir by 8.6 seconds.13. 100 Meter Hurdles
Yordanka Donkova, Bulgaria, 12.21. Donkova first set the 100-meter world record in 1986, then beat her own record twice before losing the mark to fellow Bulgaria native Ginka Zagorcheva in 1987. Donkova earned the record back in 1988 at the Stara Zagora event.14. 400 Meter Hurdles
Yuliya Pechonkina, Russia, 52.34. Pechonkina remains a competitive hurdler, though she's battled injuries in recent years. She set the 400-meter record in 2003 when she won the Russian championships, beating American Kim Batten's eight-year-old mark of 52.61.15. 3000 Meter Steeplechase
Gulnara Samitova of Russia was practically running against herself on July 4, 2004, when she established the current world record with a time of 9:01.59. First, Samitova was trying to best her own world mark, set the previous year. Additionally, there were no competitors in sight to challenge Samitova over the final three laps.16. 10,000 Meter Race Walk
Nadezhda Ryashkina, Russia, 41:56.2317. 20,000 Meter Race Walk
Olimpiada Ivanova, Russia, 1:26:52.318. Marathon
Great Britain’s Paula Radcliffe led from start to finish at the Flora London Marathon on April 13, 2003. She finished almost a mile ahead of her nearest competitor and topped her own world record by close to two minutes, finishing in 2:15.25. She was assisted by male pacesetters, the fastest of whom was targeting a 2:16 time. She had a bit of trouble setting a consistent early pace, running her fastest in the third mile (4:57) and her slowest in mile six (5:22), before settling into her record-shattering pace.19. 4x100 Meter Relay
East Germany (Silke Moller, Sabine Rieger, Ingrid Auerswald, Marlies Gohr), 41.3720. 4x200 Meter Relay
United States (LaTasha Jenkins, LaTasha Colander-Richardson, Nanceen Perry, Marion Jones), 1:27.46
