Men's Marathon
Kenyan athlete Paul Tergat (born June 17, 1969) set the world's best time of 2:04:55 at the 30th Berlin Marathon on September 28, 2003. This time was announced by World Athletics as the first official men's marathon world record on January 1, 2004.
At the Berlin Marathon on September 30, 2007, 34-year-old Ethiopian legend Haile Gebrselassie (born April 18, 1973, also translated as "Gebrselassie") set a new men's marathon world record with a time of 2:04:26.
On September 28, 2008, at the Berlin Marathon, Gebrselassie broke his own world record with a time of 2:03:59 and won the championship.
On September 25, 2011, at the Berlin Marathon, Kenyan star Patrick Makau set a new world record with a time of 2:03:38 and claimed victory, improving upon Gebrselassie’s previous world record of 2:03:59 set at the same location three years earlier by 21 seconds.
Women's Marathon
British long-distance runner Paula Radcliffe (born December 17, 1973) set the world's best time of 2:15:25 at the London Marathon on April 13, 2003. This time was also announced by World Athletics as the first official women's marathon world record on January 1, 2004.
On January 1, 2012, World Athletics implemented new rules and no longer recognized world records set with male pacemakers. Since Radcliffe's time of 2:15:25 was achieved with two male pacemakers, this time would be considered the world best rather than the world record. The revised world record remained held by Radcliffe at 2:17:42, set at the London Marathon on April 17, 2005.
Shortly after the new rule was unveiled, many experts and athletes voiced opposition, and on November 10 (Beijing time), World Athletics announced that Radcliffe's previous world record remained valid and had never been broken.