800 m

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

Men · World

1:40.91

David Rudisha

Kenya · London · 9 Aug 2012

Women · World

1:53.28

Jarmila Kratochvilova

Czechoslovakia · Munich · 26 Jul 1983

Men · Japan

1:43.45

Ko Ochiai

Japan · Tokyo · 30 May 2026

Women · Japan

1:59.52

Rin Kubo

Japan · Tokyo · 5 Jul 2025

World Record

Men · World Record

Current1:40.91David Rudisha· 2012

Date	Time	Athlete	Country	Location
9 Aug 2012	1:40.91	David Rudisha	Kenya	London
29 Aug 2010	1:41.01	David Rudisha	Kenya	Rieti
22 Aug 2010	1:41.09	David Rudisha	Kenya	Berlin
24 Aug 1997	1:41.11	Wilson Kipketer	Denmark	Cologne
13 Aug 1997	1:41.24	Wilson Kipketer	Denmark	Zurich
10 Jun 1981	1:41.73	Sebastian Coe	Great Britain	Florence
5 Jul 1979	1:42.33	Sebastian Coe	Great Britain	Oslo
21 Aug 1977	1:43.44	Alberto Juantorena	Cuba	Sofia
25 Jul 1976	1:43.50	Alberto Juantorena	Cuba	Montreal

Japan Record

Men · Japan Record

Current1:43.45Ko Ochiai· 2026

Date	Time	Athlete	Location
30 May 2026	1:43.45	Ko Ochiai	Tokyo
3 May 2026	1:43.90	Ko Ochiai	Fukuroi
31 Jul 2024	1:44.80	Ko Ochiai	Fukuoka
11 May 2014	1:45.75	Sho Kawamoto	Tokyo
18 Oct 2009	1:46.16	Masato Yokota	Yokohama
26 Jun 1994	1:46.18	Yusei Ono	Lapinlahti
12 Jun 1994	1:46.73	Yusei Ono	Tokyo
29 Apr 1993	1:47.28	Yusei Ono	Hiroshima

World vs Japan

Men · Current Gap

+2.54

World1:40.91David Rudisha

Japan1:43.45Ko Ochiai

Record progressions

Current

WR1:40.91David Rudisha· 2012

JPN1:43.45Ko Ochiai· 2026

The gap over time

+2.54Current

WR1:40.91David Rudisha· 2012

JPN1:43.45Ko Ochiai· 2026

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

Date	Time	Athlete	Country	Location	Type
30 May 2026	1:43.45	Ko Ochiai	Japan	Tokyo	Japan Record
3 May 2026	1:43.90	Ko Ochiai	Japan	Fukuroi	Japan Record
5 Jul 2025	1:59.52	Rin Kubo	Japan	Tokyo	Japan Record
31 Jul 2024	1:44.80	Ko Ochiai	Japan	Fukuoka	Japan Record
15 Jul 2024	1:59.93	Rin Kubo	Japan	Kashihara	Japan Record
11 May 2014	1:45.75	Sho Kawamoto	Japan	Tokyo	Japan Record
9 Aug 2012	1:40.91	David Rudisha	Kenya	London	World Record
29 Aug 2010	1:41.01	David Rudisha	Kenya	Rieti	World Record
22 Aug 2010	1:41.09	David Rudisha	Kenya	Berlin	World Record
18 Oct 2009	1:46.16	Masato Yokota	Japan	Yokohama	Japan Record
5 Jun 2005	2:00.45	Miho Sugimori	Japan	Tokyo	Japan Record
8 Jun 2003	2:02.10	Miki Nishimura	Japan	Yokohama	Japan Record
12 May 2001	2:02.23	Miki Nishimura	Japan	Osaka	Japan Record
24 Aug 1997	1:41.11	Wilson Kipketer	Denmark	Cologne	World Record
13 Aug 1997	1:41.24	Wilson Kipketer	Denmark	Zurich	World Record
30 Aug 1995	2:04.22	Kumiko Okamoto	Japan	Fukuoka	Japan Record
30 Aug 1995	2:03.45	Kumiko Okamoto	Japan	Fukuoka	Japan Record
26 Jun 1994	1:46.18	Yusei Ono	Japan	Lapinlahti	Japan Record
12 Jun 1994	1:46.73	Yusei Ono	Japan	Tokyo	Japan Record
29 Apr 1993	1:47.28	Yusei Ono	Japan	Hiroshima	Japan Record
14 Jun 1992	2:04.82	Yumiko Tokuda	Japan	Tokyo	Japan Record
26 Jul 1983	1:53.28	Jarmila Kratochvilova	Czechoslovakia	Munich	World Record
10 Jun 1981	1:41.73	Sebastian Coe	Great Britain	Florence	World Record
27 Jul 1980	1:53.43	Nadezhda Olizarenko	Soviet Union	Moscow	World Record
12 Jun 1980	1:54.85	Nadezhda Olizarenko	Soviet Union	Moscow	World Record
5 Jul 1979	1:42.33	Sebastian Coe	Great Britain	Oslo	World Record
21 Aug 1977	1:43.44	Alberto Juantorena	Cuba	Sofia	World Record
26 Jul 1976	1:54.94	Tatyana Kazankina	Soviet Union	Montreal	World Record
25 Jul 1976	1:43.50	Alberto Juantorena	Cuba	Montreal	World Record
24 Aug 1973	1:57.48	Svetla Zlateva	Bulgaria	Athens	World Record
11 Jul 1971	1:58.45	Hildegard Falck	West Germany	Stuttgart	World Record

Exhibit notes

The story of the record

The record, step by step

The men's 800m record here begins with Alberto Juantorena's 1:43.50 at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. At the 2012 London Olympics David Rudisha led from the front to run 1:40.91. The women's world record is Jarmila Kratochvílová's 1:53.28 from 1983 — one of the longest-standing world records in the sport.

Japan's progression

Japan's records here are recent. The men's mark is Ko Ochiai's 1:43.45 (2026); the women's is Rin Kubo's 1:59.52 (2025), the first time a Japanese woman went under two minutes.