The year 2025 will be remembered as a landmark period defined by spectacular participation records at the world’s most iconic marathons and extraordinary displays of elite athleticism. From record-breaking crowds flooding global city streets to grueling battles on ultra-distance courses, the past 12 months delivered the definitive figures that capture the true scale of the modern running phenomenon.
The Global Race for Participation Records
Global running in 2025 was primarily defined by the competition to become the world’s largest marathon. On April 27, the London Marathon set a massive new benchmark with 56,640 finishers. However, just a few months later, on November 2, the New York City Marathon reclaimed its crown, welcoming an impressive 59,226 runners across the finish line.
This surge in participation was mirrored at the grassroots level by parkrun. On April 19, 2025, approximately 391,000 people took part globally, setting a new single-day attendance record. Furthermore, the prestigious World Marathon Majors (WMM) series expanded to seven races this year following the official inclusion of the Sydney Marathon.
Elite Marathons: Victory Decided by Fractions of a Second
At the pinnacle of the sport, Kenyan dominance remained unquestionable. Kenyan athletes secured 21 of the 42 total medals awarded across this year’s WMM races. The most dramatic finish unfolded in New York, where Benson Kipruto and Alexander Mutiso were separated by a mere 0.03 seconds at the tape.
In the women’s field, Tigst Assefa established a new world record in London with a time of 2:15:50, while the fastest overall women’s marathon time of the year was set by Joyciline Jepkosgei (2:14:00) in Valencia. Another standout performance came from Olympic triathlete Alex Yee, who recorded a remarkable 2:06:38 in only his second career marathon.
However, the year was also marked by a major doping scandal. World record holder Ruth Chepngetich received a three-year ban after testing positive for 3,800 ng/ml of hydrochlorothiazide—a level vastly exceeding the permitted limit of 20 ng/ml.
Ultra Running: Pushing the Limits of Human Endurance
For those seeking the outer edges of endurance, 2025 was a year of absolute extremes. The Barkley Marathons saw exactly zero finishers, a result that new race director Carl Laniak attributed to an “insurmountable” course design.
In contrast, Sbusiso Kubheka made history by becoming the first person to run 100 km in under six hours, clocking an incredible 5:59:20.
Other records were similarly rewritten: Sarah Perry set a new women’s world record in the Backyard Ultra, covering 637 km over nearly four days. In the mountains, Tom Evans claimed a prestigious victory at UTMB, navigating the brutal 172.95 km course through challenging alpine conditions.
A Legacy Written in Numbers
Running in 2025 was as precise as a stopwatch and as inclusive as a global parkrun. While the elite pushed the boundaries of speed and distance, recreational runners expanded the sport’s reach to an unprecedented scale. Together, they remain a powerful force, driving the running world forward faster than ever before.
