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5000 m

World and Japan records, men and women — the progressions, the gap between them, and the full timeline.

Men · World
12:35.36
Joshua Cheptegei
Uganda · Monaco · 14 Aug 2020
Women · World
13:58.06
Beatrice Chebet
Kenya · Eugene · 5 Jul 2025
Men · Japan
13:08.40
Suguru Osako
Japan · Heusden-Zolder · 18 Jul 2015
Women · Japan
14:29.18
Nozomi Tanaka
Japan · Brussels · 8 Sept 2023

World Record

Men · World Record

Current12:35.36Joshua Cheptegei· 2020
DateTimeAthleteCountryLocation
14 Aug 202012:35.36Joshua CheptegeiUgandaMonaco
31 May 200412:37.35Kenenisa BekeleEthiopiaHengelo
13 Jun 199812:39.36Haile GebrselassieEthiopiaHelsinki
22 Aug 199712:39.74Daniel KomenKenyaBrussels
13 Aug 199712:41.86Haile GebrselassieEthiopiaZurich
16 Aug 199512:44.39Haile GebrselassieEthiopiaZurich
8 Jun 199512:55.30Moses KiptanuiKenyaRome
4 Jun 199412:56.96Haile GebrselassieEthiopiaHengelo
27 Jul 198712:58.39Said AouitaMoroccoRome
27 Jul 198513:00.40Said AouitaMoroccoOslo
7 Jul 198213:00.41David MoorcroftGreat BritainOslo
13 Sept 198113:06.20Henry RonoKenyaKnarvik
5 Jul 197713:12.87Dick QuaxNew ZealandStockholm

Japan Record

Men · Japan Record

Current13:08.40Suguru Osako· 2015
DateTimeAthleteLocation
18 Jul 201513:08.40Suguru OsakoHeusden-Zolder
28 Jul 200713:13.20Takayuki MatsumiyaHeusden-Zolder
1 Aug 199813:13.40Toshinari TakaokaHechtel
8 Jul 198813:22.97Shuichi YoneshigeLondon
11 Jul 198613:24.29Toshihiko SekoLondon
24 Sept 198213:24.69Masanari ShintakuTokyo
5 Jul 197713:25.41Toshiaki KamataStockholm

World vs Japan

Men · Current Gap
+33.04
World12:35.36Joshua Cheptegei
Japan13:08.40Suguru Osako

Record progressions

Current
WR12:35.36Joshua Cheptegei· 2020
JPN13:08.40Suguru Osako· 2015

The gap over time

+33.04Current
WR12:35.36Joshua Cheptegei· 2020
JPN13:08.40Suguru Osako· 2015

The closer the line gets to zero, the closer Japan is to the world record; when it rises, the world record is pulling away. The gap is plotted at every record change — world or national — so the line always reflects the gap at that moment.

Record Timeline

DateTimeAthleteCountryLocationType
5 Jul 202513:58.06Beatrice ChebetKenyaEugeneWorld Record
17 Sept 202314:00.21Gudaf TsegayEthiopiaEugeneWorld Record
8 Sept 202314:29.18Nozomi TanakaJapanBrusselsJapan Record
23 Aug 202314:37.98Nozomi TanakaJapanBudapestJapan Record
9 Jun 202314:05.20Faith KipyegonKenyaParisWorld Record
2 Aug 202114:52.84Ririka HironakaJapanTokyoJapan Record
7 Oct 202014:06.62Letesenbet GideyEthiopiaValenciaWorld Record
14 Aug 202012:35.36Joshua CheptegeiUgandaMonacoWorld Record
18 Jul 201513:08.40Suguru OsakoJapanHeusden-ZolderJapan Record
6 Jun 200814:11.15Tirunesh DibabaEthiopiaOsloWorld Record
28 Jul 200713:13.20Takayuki MatsumiyaJapanHeusden-ZolderJapan Record
15 Jun 200714:16.63Meseret DefarEthiopiaOsloWorld Record
3 Jun 200614:24.53Meseret DefarEthiopiaNew YorkWorld Record
8 Jul 200514:53.22Kayoko FukushiJapanRomeJapan Record
11 Jun 200414:24.68Elvan AbeylegesseTurkeyBergenWorld Record
31 May 200412:37.35Kenenisa BekeleEthiopiaHengeloWorld Record
5 Aug 199815:03.67Harumi HiroyamaJapanStockholmJapan Record
1 Aug 199813:13.40Toshinari TakaokaJapanHechtelJapan Record
13 Jun 199812:39.36Haile GebrselassieEthiopiaHelsinkiWorld Record
23 Oct 199714:28.09Jiang BoChinaShanghaiWorld Record
21 Oct 199714:31.27Dong YanmeiChinaShanghaiWorld Record
22 Aug 199712:39.74Daniel KomenKenyaBrusselsWorld Record
13 Aug 199712:41.86Haile GebrselassieEthiopiaZurichWorld Record
29 Jun 199715:07.75Harumi HiroyamaJapanSheffieldJapan Record
28 Jul 199615:09.05Michiko ShimizuJapanAtlantaJapan Record
16 Aug 199512:44.39Haile GebrselassieEthiopiaZurichWorld Record
22 Jul 199514:36.45Fernanda RibeiroPortugalHechtelWorld Record
10 Jun 199515:14.77Atsumi YashimaJapanTokyoJapan Record
8 Jun 199512:55.30Moses KiptanuiKenyaRomeWorld Record
4 Jun 199412:56.96Haile GebrselassieEthiopiaHengeloWorld Record
8 Jul 198813:22.97Shuichi YoneshigeJapanLondonJapan Record
27 Jul 198712:58.39Said AouitaMoroccoRomeWorld Record
5 Aug 198614:37.33Ingrid KristiansenNorwayStockholmWorld Record
11 Jul 198613:24.29Toshihiko SekoJapanLondonJapan Record
26 Aug 198514:48.07Zola BuddGreat BritainLondonWorld Record
27 Jul 198513:00.40Said AouitaMoroccoOsloWorld Record
28 Jun 198414:58.89Ingrid KristiansenNorwayOsloWorld Record
24 Sept 198213:24.69Masanari ShintakuJapanTokyoJapan Record
7 Jul 198213:00.41David MoorcroftGreat BritainOsloWorld Record
5 Jun 198215:08.26Mary TabbUnited StatesEugeneWorld Record
17 Mar 198215:13.22Anne AudainNew ZealandAucklandWorld Record
13 Sept 198113:06.20Henry RonoKenyaKnarvikWorld Record
13 Sept 198115:14.51Paula FudgeGreat BritainKnarvikWorld Record
5 Jul 197713:12.87Dick QuaxNew ZealandStockholmWorld Record
5 Jul 197713:25.41Toshiaki KamataJapanStockholmJapan Record
Exhibit notes

The story of the record

The record, step by step

The men's 5000m fell steadily from Dick Quax's 13:12.87 in 1977. Kenenisa Bekele's 12:37.35 from 2004 then held for 16 years, until Joshua Cheptegei ran 12:35.36 in Monaco in 2020. In 2025 Beatrice Chebet ran 13:58.06 to become the first woman under 14 minutes.

Japan's progression

The men's record passed through Toshinari Takaoka and Takayuki Matsumiya before Suguru Osako ran 13:08.40 in 2015, which still stands. Nozomi Tanaka took over the women's record from runners such as Kayoko Fukushi, lowering it to 14:29.18 in 2023.