2018: A year with more ratified world records

Kenya's Beatrice Chepkoech celebrates winning the Women's 3000m Steeplechase and setting a new World Record [Courtesy]

The 2018 season has been a busy one for athletics statisticians as 21 ratified world records have been set throughout 2018.

Between the start of February and the end of October, at least one world record was set in each calendar month. World records were also set at three of the five World Athletics Series events this year, while some happened at much smaller meetings. Whatever the stage, though, a world record is an achievement worth celebrating.

As 2018 draws to a close, we look back at a timeline of record-breaking marks from this year.

Eliud Kipchoge

16 September, Berlin – men’s marathon world record

2:01:39 Eliud Kipchoge.

After several previous record attempts were thwarted for various reasons, everything finally fell into place for Eliud Kipchoge in Berlin as he clocked 2:01:39, smashing the world record by 78 seconds – the biggest single improvement on a men’s marathon world record since 1967.

Previous: 2:02:57 Dennis Kimetto Berlin 28 Sep 2014

Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge celebrates as he wins the Berlin Marathon and breaks the World Record [Courtesy]

Beatrice Chepkoech

 20 July, Monaco – women’s steeplechase world record

8:44.32 Beatrice Chepkoech

Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech produced one of the stand-out moments of the IAAF Diamond League season when chopping eight seconds off the world steeplechase record in Monaco.

Previous: 8:52.78 Ruth Jebet (BRN) Paris 2 Aug 2016

4x800m world record: Women

3 February, New York – women’s 4x800m world indoor record

8:05.89 USA (Chrishuna Williams, Raevyn Rogers, Charlene Lipsey, Ajee Wilson)

A strong US quartet teamed up to take little more than a third of a second off the previous world indoor record for this rarely-run event at the Millrose Games.

Previous: 8:06.24 Russia (Aleksandra Bulanova, Yekaterina Martynova, Yelena Kofanova, Anna Balakshina) Moscow 18 Feb 2011.

Emmanouil Karalis

11 February, Pireaus – men’s pole vault world U20 indoor record

5.78m Emmanouil Karalis (GRE)

Before Armand Duplantis really got going in 2018, Greek teenager Emmanouil Karalis managed to claim a world U20 indoor pole vault record for a brief stint.

Previous: 5.75m Armand Duplantis (SWE) New York 11 Feb 2017

Christian Coleman

 18 February, Albuquerque – men’s 60m world indoor record

6.34 Christian Coleman (USA)

Christian Coleman had opened his season with 6.37 which didn’t fulfil all the usual ratification criteria. But everything was in place at the US Indoor Championships, and he went even faster with 6.34.

Previous: 6.39 Maurice Greene (USA) Madrid 3 Feb 1998 and Atlanta 3 Mar 2001

Armand Duplantis

25 February, Clermont-Ferrand – men’s pole vault world U20 indoor record

5.81m, 5.88m Armand Duplantis (SWE)

Armand Duplantis decided that two weeks was long enough for someone else to hold the world U20 indoor pole vault record and reclaimed the mark with two superior vaults.

Previous: 5.78m Emmanouil Karalis (GRE) Pireaus 11 Feb 2018

4x800m world record: Men

25 February, Boston – men’s 4x800m world indoor record

7:11.30 USA (Joe McAsey, Chris Giesting, Kyle Merber, Jesse Garn)

Producing the second world record of the day, the Hoka NJNY Track Club won a high-quality 4x800m race in Boston in which all three teams finished inside the previous world record.

Previous: 7:13.11 USA (Richard Jones, David Torrence, Duane Solomon, Erik Sowinski) Boston 8 Feb 2014

4x400m world record: Men

4 March, Birmingham – men’s 4x400m world indoor record

3:01.77 Poland (Karol Zalewski, Rafal Omelko, Lukasz Krawczuk, Jakub Krzewina)

The biggest surprise of the IAAF World Indoor Championships Birmingham 2018 came in the final event as Poland overhauled the heavily favoured US quartet to win the men’s 4x400m with a worldindoor record.

Previous: 3:02.13 United States (Kyle Clemons, David Verburg, Kind Butler, Calvin Smith) Sopot 9 Mar 2014

Netsanet Gudeta Kebede

24 March, Valencia – women’s half marathon world record

1:06:11wo Netsanet Gudeta Kebede (ETH)

The women-only world record looked vulnerable before the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships Valencia 2018 but few would have predicted that Ethiopia’s Netsanet Gudeta would be the one to claim it.

Previous: 1:06:25wo Lornah Kiplagat (NED) Udine 14 Oct 2007

Armand Duplantis

31 March, Austin – men’s pole vault world U20 record

5.92m Armand Duplantis (SWE)

Because the US high school season wouldn’t be the US high school season without a world U20 record from Armand Duplantis.

Previous: 5.90m Armand Duplantis (SWE) Austin 1 Apr 2017

Sydney McLaughlin

27 April, Fayetteville – women’s 400m hurdles world U20 record

53.60 Sydney McLaughlin (USA)

When Sydney McLaughlin opened her season with a world U20 record, it was clear she was set for a big year. The IAAF Female Rising Star of 2018 went on to run even faster with 52.75, but that mark is still pending ratification.

Previous: 53.82 Sydney McLaughlin (USA) Sacramento 25 Jun 2017

Liang Rui

5 May, Taicang – women’s 50km race walk world record

4:04:36 Liang Rui (CHN)

China’s Liang Rui proved to be a popular winner at the IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships Taicang 2018, where her strong second half in the women’s 50km race walk put her will inside world record schedule.

Previous: 4:05:56 Inês Henriques (POR) London 13 Aug 2017

Damion Thomas

23 June, Kingston – men’s 110m hurdles world U20 record

12.99 (0.3m/s) Damion Thomas (JAM)

Jamaican sprint hurdler spent most of his season contesting the senior height hurdles.