For an overview of the development of the world record 10km and (half) marathon: Chronology world records.
Men
| Track | |||||
| 100m | 9.58 | Usain Bolt | Jam | 2009 | Berlin |
| 200m | 19.19 | Usain Bolt | Jam | 2009 | Berlin |
| 400m | 43.03 | Wayde van Niekerk | Zaf | 2016 | Rio de Janeiro |
| 800m | 1:40.91 | David Rudisha | Ken | 2012 | London |
| 1000m | 2:11.96 | Noah Ngeny | Ken | 1999 | Rieti |
| 1500m | 3:26.00 | Hicham El Guerrouj | Mar | 1999 | Rome |
| 1610m | 3:43.13 | Hicham El Guerrouj | Mar | 1998 | Rome |
| 2000m | 4:43.13 | Jakob Ingebrigtsen | Nor | 2023 | Brussel |
| 3000m | 7:20.67 | Daniel Komen | Ken | 1996 | Rieti |
| 5000m | 12:35.36 | Joshua Cheptegei | Ug | 2020 | Monaco |
| 10000m | 26:11.00 | Joshua Cheptegei | Ug | 2020 | Valencia |
| 20000m | 56:20.02 | Bashir Abdi | Be | 2020 | Brussel |
| Uurloop | 21330m | Mo Farah | Uk | 2020 | Brussel |
| Road | |||||
| 15km | 41:05 | Joshua Cheptegei | Ug | 2018 | Nijmegen |
| 16.1km | 44:24 | Haile Gebrselassie | Eth | 2005 | Tilburg |
| 20km | 55:21 | Zersenay Tadese | Erit | 2010 | Lisboa |
| 21.1km | 57:31 | Jacob Kiplimo | Ken | 2021 | Lisboa |
| 25km | 1:11.18 | Dennis Kimetto | Ken | 2012 | Berlin |
| 30km | 1:26.45 | Eliud Kipchoge | Ken | 2018 | Berlin |
| 42.2km | 2:00.35 | Kelvin Kiptum | Ken | 2023 | Chigaco |
| 100km | 6:05:35 | Aleksandr Sorokin | Lit | 2023 | Vilnius |
Women
| Track | |||||
| 100m | 10.49 | Florence Griffith Joyner | USA | 1988 | Indianapolis |
| 200m | 21.34 | Florence Griffith Joyner | USA | 1988 | Seoul |
| 400m | 47.60 | Marita Koch | Ger | 1985 | Canberra |
| 800m | 1:53.28 | Jarmila Kratochvílová | Tch | 1983 | Muchen |
| 1000m | 2:28.98 | Svetlana Masterkova | Rus | 1996 | Brussel |
| 1500m | 3:49.11 | Faith Kipyegon | Ken | 2023 | Florence |
| 1610m | 4:07.46 | Faith Kipyegon | Ken | 2023 | Monaco |
| 2000m | 5:21.56 | Francine Niyonsaba | Bur | 2021 | Zagreb |
| 3000m | 8:06.11 | Wang Junxia | Chn | 1993 | Beijing |
| 5000m | 14:00,21 | Gudaf Tsegay | Eth | 2022 | Eugene |
| 10000m | 28:54.14 | Beatrice Chebet | Ken | 2024 | Eugene |
| Road | |||||
| 15km | 45:40 | Joyciline Jepkosgei | Ken | 2017 | Praag |
| 16.1km | 49:29 | C. Chepkoech Kipkirui | Ken | 2018 | Ras al-Khaimah |
| 20km | 1:01.25 | Joyciline Jepkosgei | Ken | 2017 | Praag |
| 21.1km | 1:02:52 | Letesenbet Gidey | Eth | 2021 | Valencial |
| 25km | 1:19.53 | Mary Keitany | Ken | 2010 | Berlijn |
| 30km | 1:36.05 | Mary Keitany | Ken | 2017 | London |
| 42.2km | 2:11:53 | Tigist Assefa | Eth | 2023 | Berlin |
| 100km | 6:33:11 | Tomoe Abe | Jap | 2000 | Yubetsu |