Top 10 Fastest Women Marathon Runners In The World 2025

The women's marathon has made huge strides in 2025, with timings dropping thanks to new training methods, better shoes, and tough rivalry from East African runners around the world. As of September 30, 2025, the list of the fastest marathon times of all time includes both historic breakthroughs and new talents. Kenyan and Ethiopian runners are at the top of the list. Ruth Chepngetich's amazing time of 2:09:56 from the 2024 Chicago Marathon is still the world record, but it is being looked at because she is currently under a temporary doping ban. Tigst Assefa's 2:11:53 from the 2023 Berlin Marathon is still the second-fastest time, and the list goes on with Rosemary Wanjiru's steady sub-2:17 finishes. This rating, which is based on World Athletics all-time performances up to late September 2025, shows that these best athletes are not just fast, but also strong, strategic, and culturally deep. Below, we look at the top 10, their journeys, important races, and legacies.

List Of Top 10 Fastest Women Marathon Runners In The World 2025:

1. Ruth Chepngetich:

Ruth Chepngetich was born on August 8, 1994, in Kenya's Rift Valley. She has changed the way women run marathons with her mix of smart tactics and unbreakable stamina. On October 13, 2024, at the Chicago Marathon, she broke Tigst Assefa's world record by almost two minutes. She ran a solo masterclass that included a blistering 1:04:16 half-marathon split, which was the fifth-fastest ever for that distance. This feat not only made her the first woman to break both the 2:11 and 2:10 barriers, but it also put her in 10th place overall in the mixed-gender race. This shows how close the times of elite women and men are getting.
Chepngetich's rise to fame started in the mountains of Bomet County, where she trained on rough paths before moving on to roadways. She won the Chicago Marathon three times (in 2021, 2022, and 2024) and the World Championships in Doha in 2019, beating a field full of stars. Her ability to run a half-marathon, as seen by her personal best of 1:04:02 at the 2020 Istanbul Half, carries over to the full race, where her strong stride and mental toughness stand out. But in July 2025, things became controversial when the Athletics Integrity Unit temporarily suspended him for testing positive for hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic used to hide drugs, at quantities well beyond the limit. Her record is still in place, but her legacy is in doubt because of doping's shadow in a time of super-shoes and better training. Even if there is doubt, Chepngetich's effect is strong. She races in memory of her fallen friend Kelvin Kiptum, who set a world record in Chicago in 2023. She is a self-coached runner who is sponsored by Nike. She is a part of Kenya's running dynasty and pushes the sport toward sub-2:08 times while encouraging a new generation. If she is cleared to return at age 31, she could run even faster times. If not, her runs will always be remembered as the best of their time.

2. Tigst Assefa:

Tigst Assefa, an Ethiopian powerhouse who is 28 years old and was born on December 3, 1996, shocked the marathon world with a world-record-breaking performance that changed what many thought was possible. She ran the 2023 Berlin Marathon in Adidas's Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 and finished in 2:11:53, breaking Brigid Kosgei's record by more than two minutes. This made her the first woman to run under 2:12 and made her a global star. With the help of male pacers and a flat course, this first-time winner showed how far she has come since her middle-distance days, when she won a medal in the 400m at Ethiopia's senior nationals as a 12-year-old. Assefa's 2025 has been a story of redemption. After earning silver at the Paris Olympics, where she was pushed around by Sifan Hassan, she won the London Marathon on April 27 in 2:15:50, breaking the women's world record by 26 seconds and breaking Peres Jepchirchir's 2024 mark. This was her third major win (two in Berlin and one in London), and it happened in warmer weather. She used her tactical push to take a three-minute lead with a 5:03 mile at the 24th. But at the World Championships in Tokyo in September, Jepchirchir beat her by just two seconds in the heat, 2:24:43 to 2:24:45.
Assefa's marathon progression shows how deep Ethiopia is, since he trained in high-altitude Bekoji with other fast runners. He started out as a 10K runner (personal best 30:52). She came in third in Berlin 2022 (2:15:37), which showed she was going to be a strong competitor, but injuries and a break from 2019 to 2021 for family strained her willpower. She is now a mother and an Adidas athlete, and she wants to break the 2:10 mark. "It's possible," she says. Assefa's mix of raw power and speed toward the finish of the race not only lifts her country, but it also pushes others to keep going, showing that comebacks become legends.

3. Sifan Hassan:

Sifan Hassan, a 32-year-old Dutch star of Ethiopian descent born on January 1, 1993, is the ultimate wild card in the marathon. She is a track star who has done amazing things on the roads. Her first big win in a full marathon occurred at the 2023 London Marathon (2:18:33), but her 2023 Chicago win (2:13:44) put her in third place all-time, just 100 days after her London debut. This tactical masterstroke, which involved negative-splitting by more than two minutes, showed off her closing speed, which she had refined with coach Tim Rowberry after escaping Ethiopia's political instability in 2013. Hassan's journey to the 2024 Paris Olympics solidifies her status as a once-in-a-generation talent. She won gold in the marathon (2:22:55, an Olympic record) and then added gold in the 5,000m and 10,000m, making her the first woman to win all three distances since Emil Zátopek in 1952. Her marathon kick, which beat Assefa in the middle of the race, was a perfect example of her motto: "The marathon is something else... every step hurts." A bronze medal in the 1,500m at the 2023 Worlds showed how versatile she is; she holds European records from the 1,500m to the marathon.
Hassan wanted to run under 2:10 in 2025. He won Sydney's first Major in 2:18:22, which was a course record, beating Brigid Kosgei. He subsequently came in third in London (2:19:00) behind Assefa. Her one-hour world record (2020) and Diamond League doubles show how talented she is, but she got better at marathons by working hard. She fell in the 10,000m at the 2023 Worlds and got silver in the 5,000m. Hassan's refugee tale feeds her passion. She is Dutch and Ethiopian, and she lives in Eindhoven. When she was at her best, she could chase Chepngetich's record, showing that limitations are just illusions.

4. Brigid Kosgei:

Brigid Kosgei, a 31-year-old marathon runner from Kenya who was born on February 20, 1994, held the world record for 16 months, from the 2019 Chicago Marathon, when she ran a 2:14:04, which was 81 seconds faster than Paula Radcliffe's 16-year-old record. This Nike Vaporfly-fueled burst, which took place halfway through in 1:06:59, started the super-shoe era. Kosgei said that Eliud Kipchoge's sub-two performance inspired him. She has won five majors (two in Chicago, two in London, and one in Tokyo), and her time of 2:16:02 in Tokyo in 2022 is the third-fastest ever, making her a GOAT contender.
Kosgei started running marathons in 2016 in Lisbon (second place, 2:24:45) and then again in Chicago in 2018 (second place, 2:20:22), which showed that she was becoming better. She won the 2019 London youth record (2:18:20, the youngest ever) before breaking the record in Chicago, when she beat Ababel Yeshaneh by 6:47. She won a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (2:25:09), but she had to stop because she became a mother in 2021 and had twins, Faith and Brian. She came back strong and won the Tokyo race in 2022. In 2023, she came in second in Hamburg. In 2025, she came back strong, finishing second at Sydney (2:18:56) behind Hassan, showing her love for flat courses. Kosgei's efficiency—top-two in eight of nine early marathons—comes from high-altitude camps. She is sponsored by Nike and coached by her husband Matthew Mitei. Even though Assefa and Chepngetich attacked her, her records (third all-time) and charity work (giving land to her mother) live on. At 31, Kosgei's legacy is speed with grace, which inspires Kenyan girls to dream beyond the Rift.

5. Amane Beriso Shankule:

Amane Beriso Shankule, an Ethiopian trailblazer who was born on October 13, 1991, is 33 years old. She combines the intensity of a marathon runner with the calmness of a world champion. Her 2:14:58 at the 2022 Valencia Marathon made her the third-fastest woman in history and the fastest Ethiopian. This race, which almost broke the world mark and beat out favorite Letesenbet Gidey, was 5:50 better than her first one. It shows how she came back after a knee/leg injury that kept her from running from 2017 to 2021.
Shankule's best moment was winning gold in the 2023 Worlds in Budapest (2:24:23), beating his Ethiopian teammates in 80°F heat for Ethiopia's 1-2. Next came the Boston 2023 silver (2:21:50, 12 seconds behind Hellen Obiri), then the Tokyo 2024 bronze (2:16:58), and finally the Olympic 2024 bronze (2:23:57). She started out as a half-marathon runner (1:08:43 Roma-Ostia 2015 win), but injuries made her determination stronger.
Shankule's Valencia surge—pacers hanging out with Gidey after 36K—almost got her a time of 2:14:04. Her tactical grind at Worlds (32:33 for 10K from 30 to 40K) is similar to Ethiopian tactics. Motherhood and coaching under Haile Gebrselassie keep her going. At 33, her ability to run under 2:15 puts her in line for more major events, showing that she is quietly dominant in a flamboyant time.

6. Tigist Ketema:

Tigist Ketema, a 27-year-old Ethiopian woman born on September 15, 1998, made a big splash in the marathon world with the fastest women's debut ever: 2:16:07 at the 2024 Dubai Marathon, which is the eighth-fastest time ever and the course record by 1:01. She went from winning bronze in the 800m at the 2016 Worlds U20 to winning the Great Ethiopian Run 10K in 2022 and then running the 5,000m pacemaker job for Kipyegon. This solo clinic was the last step in her track-to-road journey, beating Ruti Aga by 2:02. Her win in Berlin in 2024 (2:16:42) brought her a lot of fame; it was her third-fastest Berlin women's time in a solo breakaway from Azmera Gebru. A fifth-place finish in the 2023 Valencia Half (1:07:28) showed promise, and now that Ketema has Assefa as a training partner, he wants to run a sub-2:15. Her best time in the 1500m (4:00.91) shows how fast she is, but her negative splits show how mature she is as a marathon runner. Ketema's quick ascension from Oromia's highlands—he ran no marathons before 2024—mirrors Ethiopia's factory. Her Berlin Ethiopian sweep (1-2-3) shows how deep she is, thanks to Adidas. At 27, her untapped potential could give Assefa a run for his money, mixing the energy of youth with the calm of experience.

7. Worknesh Degefa:

Ethiopia's Worknesh Degefa, who was born on October 28, 1990, is 34 years old and has the fourth-fastest marathon time ever: 15 seconds faster than Tirunesh Dibaba's national record of 2:17:41 at the 2019 Dubai Marathon. She is a half-marathon champion (1:06:14 in Prague in 2016, 16 sub-1:06s) and won her first marathon in Dubai in 2017 (2:22:36). In 2018, she came in fourth (2:19:53) in a historic sub-2:20 foursome.
Her best performance was in 2019, when she ran the Boston Marathon alone in 2:23:31, gaining three minutes on the 8K despite not being able to see the hills. A comeback was born during maternity leave (2020–2023): Valencia won in 2023 with a time of 2:15:51, which is the 11th best time ever. They beat Almaz Ayana after 33K. Bale's mountains and Degefa's consistency (three times under 2:20) come from Gemedu Dedefo's coaching. 2025's quiet year doesn't fit with her plan: to be courageous in front. At 34, her Oromia camps provide her knowledge; a big return might put her back in the top 10, showing that becoming a mother doesn't stop legacies, it makes them stronger.

8. Paula Radcliffe:

Paula Radcliffe, a 51-year-old British legend born on December 17, 1973, set the world record in Chicago in 2002 with a time of 2:17:18. London 2003—a 1:53 improvement that stood for 16 years until Kosgei's 2019 smash. Along with her three London wins (2002–2005), three New York wins (2004–2008), and one Chicago win (2002), her 2005 London women-only record (2:17:42) still stands. She also won gold at the 2005 Worlds.
From Cheshire's trails—cheering her father's 1985 London—Radcliffe's 1992 Worlds XC junior gold catapulted her. Before she dominated the marathon, she set European half-marathon records and won the 2000 and 2001 Worlds titles. Her 67:07 Great North Run half was the best in Europe. She didn't win any medals in four Olympics (1996–2008), although she did win the BBC Sports Personality award in 2002 and the MBE in 2008.
Retiring in 2015 after London (2:36:55), she comes back in 2025 for Six Star status in Tokyo and Boston, together with her daughter Isla's London debut. Radcliffe's impact as a podcast host and pundit, fighting for women's inclusion, lives on, even in the middle of super-shoe discussions.

9. Kebede Asefa:

Ethiopia's 30-year-old dynamo, Sutume Asefa Kebede, was born on December 11, 1994. She has the pace of a half-marathon runner and the strength of a marathon runner. Her 2:15:55 win in the 2024 Tokyo Marathon set a course record and was the 12th fastest time in history. In defending her title in 2025 Tokyo (2:16:31), she took the lead in the 25K by two minutes and kept Kenya's Winfridah Moseti at bay by 25 seconds.
Kebede's 2015 Kerzerslauf 15K win (50:34) and 2019 Beijing Marathon gold (2:22:52) started her significant wins: third in Tokyo in 2020 and silver in Seoul in 2022. The fastest half in the US (1:04:37 Houston 2024) came before the silver in Chicago 2024 (2:17:32), which was chasing Chepngetich's record split. After Chicago, her family-inspired talent—school races to pros—keeps her going. Stramilano Half in 2025 has eyes on a sub-2:15 finish. Her negative splits and Bekoji training put her in a good position to win medals at the World Championships, making her an emerging star in Ethiopia's pantheon.

10. Rosemary Wanjiru:

Rosemary Wanjiru, a 30-year-old firebrand from Kenya who was born on December 9, 1994, with the 10th-fastest marathon time: 2:16:14 in Tokyo in 2024. She won two big races: the 2023 Tokyo gold (2:16:28, sixth all-time) and the 2025 Berlin gold (2:21:05). Her 2022 Berlin second (2:18:00) was the second-fastest of the era.
Wanjiru has lived in Japan since she was a teenager. She won a silver medal in the 5,000m at the African Games in 2015 and came in 10th at the World Half Marathon in 2020. Her 2023 Tokyo surge—1:37 off her personal best—sounds like Kenyan aggression. In 2025 Berlin, Dera Dida won her second Major by three seconds in the heat after a breakaway from the 25K. Nike supports Wanjiru, and his roots in the Rift Valley and Japanese ekiden provide him tactical depth. After being in the hospital in Berlin for pain, she showed her resilience by saying, "Sweetest victory." At 30, her sub-2:17 ceiling sights the Olympics, which is a sign for Kenya's next wave.