Run Record Lab is an archive for reading world and Japan running record progressions, from the 100 m to the marathon, under a consistent standard. This page explains what is included, which sources are prioritized, which marks are excluded, and how the data is checked.
What We Include
The archive tracks the moments when a record was improved. It is not an all-time top list. Equal marks and ties are generally left out because they do not change the progression.
The scope is world records and Japan records. For eras where ratification systems differed from the present, the archive may include marks treated as world bests or national bests at the time.
Source Priority
For world records, Run Record Lab prioritizes World Athletics record pages, ratification information, official news, and official results. For Japan records, it prioritizes JAAF record pages and official announcements.
For very recent marks that may not yet be reflected on official record pages, specialist reporting, official meet results, and organizer announcements are cross-checked. If a mark is uncertain, it is treated as a candidate and is not added to the record data until confirmed.
What We Exclude
Wind-aided marks, indoor or short-track marks, unratified marks, ineligible road-course marks, and annulled records are excluded. For older track marks, the archive generally uses electronic timing (FAT) so the series stays comparable.
World Athletics All-time Top Lists are useful for checking performances, but they can include marks that were not ratified or are not treated as world records. They are not used alone to decide whether a world record changed.
Validation
Each record entry stores the event, gender, record type, athlete, country, time, seconds conversion, date, location, and source. When data changes, the validator checks that time and seconds match, the year matches the date, and each series improves monotonically.
Automated checks are used to detect candidates, not to publish record data automatically. Record updates are added only after human review of the sources. The upcoming-meets calendar is refreshed separately from the record data.
Editorial Tone
Athlete names and locations are stored in international form in the data. Across the site, records are presented as facts, without sensationalizing long-standing marks or historical periods.
The goal is not to overstate the value of a mark, but to make the progression of the numbers readable under one standard.