200 metres


The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400-metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first recorded event at the Olympic Games">Summer Olympics">Olympic Games. The 200 m places more emphasis on speed endurance than shorter sprint distances as athletes predominantly rely on anaerobic energy system during the 200 m sprint. Similarly to other sprint distances, the 200 m begins from the starting blocks. When the sprinters adopt the 'set' position in the blocks they are able to adopt a more efficient starting posture and isometrically preload their muscles. This enables them to stride forwards more powerfully when the race begins and start faster.
In the United States and elsewhere, athletes previously ran the 220-yard dash instead of the 200 m, though the distance is now obsolete. The standard adjustment used for the conversion from times recorded over 220 yards to 200 m times is to subtract 0.1 seconds, but other conversion methods exist. Another obsolete version of this race is the 200 metres straight, which was run on tracks that contained such a straight. Initially, when the International Amateur Athletic Association started to ratify world records in 1912, only records set on a straight track were eligible for consideration. In 1951, the IAAF started to recognise records set on a curved track. In 1976, the straight record was discarded.
The event has been on the Olympic athletics programme since 1900 for men and since 1948 for women. The race attracts runners from other events, primarily the 100 metres, wishing to double up and claim both titles. This feat has been achieved by men eleven times at the Olympic Games: by Archie Hahn in 1904, Ralph Craig in 1912, Percy Williams in 1928, Eddie Tolan in 1932, Jesse Owens in 1936, Bobby Morrow in 1956, Valeriy Borzov in 1972, Carl Lewis in 1984, and most recently by Jamaica's Usain Bolt in 2008, 2012, and 2016. The double has been accomplished by women eight times: by Fanny Blankers-Koen in 1948, Marjorie Jackson in 1952, Betty Cuthbert in 1956, Wilma Rudolph in 1960, Renate Stecher in 1972, Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988, and Elaine Thompson-Herah in 2016 and 2021. Marion Jones finished first in both races in 2000 but was later disqualified and stripped of her medals after admitting to taking performance-enhancing drugs. An Olympic double of 200 m and 400 m was first achieved by Valerie Brisco-Hooks in 1984, and later by Michael Johnson from the United States and Marie-José Pérec of France both in 1996. Usain Bolt is the only man to repeat as Olympic champion, Bärbel Wöckel, Veronica Campbell-Brown and Elaine Thompson-Herah are the three women who have repeated as Olympic champion.
The men's world record holder is Usain Bolt of Jamaica, who ran 19.19 s at the 2009 [IAAF World Championships in Athletics|2009 World Championships]. The women's world record holder is Florence Griffith-Joyner of the United States, who ran 21.34 s at the 1988 Summer Olympics. The reigning Olympic champions are Letsile Tebogo and Gabrielle Thomas. The reigning World Champions are Noah Lyles and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden.
Races run with an aiding wind measured over 2.0 metres per second are not acceptable for record purposes.

Continental records

All-time top 25

Men (outdoor)

  • Updated September 2025
Time Wind Reaction AthleteNationDatePlace
1119.19−0.30.133Usain Bolt20 August 2009Berlin
2219.26+0.70.269Yohan Blake16 September 2011Brussels
319.30−0.90.182Bolt #220 August 2008Beijing
3419.31+0.40.141Noah Lyles21 July 2022Eugene
4519.32+0.40.161Michael Johnson1 August 1996Atlanta
619.32+0.40.180Bolt #39 August 2012London
719.40+0.80.193Bolt #43 September 2011Daegu
819.44+0.40.172Blake #29 August 2012London
919.46+0.80.199Lyles #210 August 2022Monaco
51019.46+0.40.162Letsile Tebogo8 August 2024Saint-Denis
1119.47+1.60.157Lyles #323 July 2023London
61219.49+1.4Erriyon Knighton30 April 2022Baton Rouge
1319.50+1.60.170Tebogo #223 July 2023London
1319.50−0.10.147Lyles #45 July 2019Lausanne
1519.51+1.00.181Lyles #518 September 2025Tokyo
1619.52+1.50.142Lyles #621 August 2021Eugene
1619.52−0.60.164Lyles #78 September 2022Zürich
1619.52−0.20.144Lyles #825 August 2023Budapest
1619.52±0.00.167Lyles #919 September 2025Tokyo
72019.53+0.70.185Walter Dix16 September 2011Brussels
2019.53+0.5Lyles #1029 June 2024Eugene
2219.54±0.00.165Blake #37 September 2012Brussels
2319.55−0.10.147Bolt #527 August 2015Beijing
2319.55+0.40.148Tebogo #35 September 2024Zürich
2519.56−0.8Bolt #61 May 2010Kingston
2519.56+1.30.182Lyles #1126 August 2022Lausanne
819.57+0.40.177Justin Gatlin28 June 2015Eugene
819.57+0.40.182Kenny Bednarek5 September 2024Zürich
1019.58+1.3Tyson Gay30 May 2009New York City
1119.62−0.50.135Andre De Grasse4 August 2021Tokyo
1219.63+0.4Xavier Carter11 July 2006Lausanne
1219.63+1.2Reynier Mena3 July 2022La Chaux-de-Fonds
1419.64±0.00.147Bryan Levell19 September 2025Tokyo
1519.65±0.0Wallace Spearmon28 September 2006Daegu
1619.68+0.4Frankie Fredericks1 August 1996Atlanta
1719.69−0.5Clarence Munyai16 March 2018Pretoria
1819.70+0.7Michael Norman6 June 2019Rome
1919.71–1.5Courtney Lindsey20 April 2024Nairobi
2019.72+1.8Pietro Mennea12 September 1979Mexico City
2119.73−0.2Michael Marsh5 August 1992Barcelona
2119.73+0.8Divine Oduduru7 June 2019Austin
2119.73+1.60.130Zharnel Hughes23 July 2023London
2119.73+1.8T'Mars McCallum12 July 2025Memphis
2519.74+1.4LaShawn Merritt8 July 2016Eugene

Assisted marks

Any performance with a following wind of more than 2.0 metres per second is not counted for record purposes. Below is a list of wind-assisted times. Only times that are superior to legal bests are shown:

Women (outdoor)

  • Updated September 2025
Time Wind Reaction AthleteNationDatePlace
1121.34+1.30.205Florence Griffith-Joyner29 September 1988Seoul
2221.41+0.10.161Shericka Jackson25 August 2023Budapest
321.45+0.60.144Jackson #221 July 2022Eugene
421.48+0.20.161Jackson #38 September 2023Brussels
3521.53+0.80.173Elaine Thompson-Herah3 August 2021Tokyo
621.55±0.0Jackson #426 June 2022Kingston
721.56+1.70.156Griffith-Joyner #229 September 1988Seoul
821.57+0.30.152Jackson #517 September 2023Eugene
4921.60−0.40.173Gabrielle Thomas9 July 2023Eugene
1021.61+1.3Thomas #226 June 2021Eugene
51121.62−0.60.258Marion Jones11 September 1998Johannesburg
61221.63+0.20.149Dafne Schippers28 August 2015Beijing
71321.64+0.8Merlene Ottey13 September 1991Brussels
1421.66−1.0Ottey #215 August 1990Zürich
1421.66+0.20.195Thompson-Herah #228 August 2015Beijing
1421.66+0.30.165Thompson-Herah #32 August 2021Tokyo
1721.67+2.00.137Jackson #619 July 2022Eugene
81821.68−0.10.170Melissa Jefferson-Wooden19 September 2025Tokyo
91921.69+1.0Allyson Felix30 June 2012Eugene
102021.71+0.7Marita Koch10 June 1979Karl-Marx-Stadt
2021.71+0.3Koch #221 July 1984Potsdam
102021.71+1.20.190Heike Drechsler29 June 1986Jena
2021.71−0.8Drechsler #229 August 1986Stuttgart
2021.71−0.5Jackson #79 July 2023Kingston
102021.71−0.60.155Julien Alfred19 July 2025London
1321.72+1.30.195Grace Jackson29 September 1988Seoul
1321.72−0.1Gwen Torrence5 August 1992Barcelona
1521.74+0.4Marlies Göhr3 June 1984Erfurt
1521.74+1.20.155Silke Gladisch3 September 1987Rome
1521.74+0.60.172Veronica Campbell-Brown21 August 2008Beijing
1521.74−0.40.143Shaunae Miller-Uibo29 August 2019Zürich
1921.75−0.1Juliet Cuthbert5 August 1992Barcelona
2021.77+0.6Inger Miller27 August 1999Seville
2021.77+1.5Tori Bowie27 May 2017Eugene
2021.77−0.3Abby Steiner26 June 2022Eugene
2321.78+0.6Christine Mboma9 September 2021Zürich
2421.79+0.8Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce27 June 2021Kingston
2521.81−0.1Valerie Brisco-Hooks9 August 1984Los Angeles

Assisted marks

Any performance with a following wind of more than 2.0 metres per second is not counted for record purposes. Below is a list of wind-assisted times. Only times that are superior to legal bests are shown:

Men (indoor)

  • Updated March 2025.
RankTimeAthleteNationDatePlaceRef
119.92Frankie Fredericks18 February 1996Liévin
220.02Elijah Hall10 March 2018College Station
320.08Divine Oduduru23 February 2019Lubbock
420.10Wallace Spearmon12 March 2005Fayetteville
520.11Christian Coleman11 March 2017College Station
620.12 Matthew Boling11 March 2023Albuquerque
720.13Courtney Lindsey25 February 2023Lubbock
720.13Makanakaishe Charamba27 February 2025College Station
920.17 Udodi Onwuzurike10 March 2023Albuquerque
920.17 Tarsis Orogot10 March 2023Albuquerque
1120.19Trayvon Bromell14 March 2015Fayetteville
1220.20Terrance Laird13 March 2021Fayetteville
1220.20Tapiwanashe Makarawu27 February 2025College Station
1420.21Erriyon Knighton11 February 2024Liévin
1420.21Terrence Jones24 February 2024Lubbock
1620.22 Robert Gregory11 March 2023Albuquerque
1720.25Linford Christie19 February 1995Liévin
1720.25Wanya McCoy27 February 2025College Station
1920.26Obadele Thompson6 March 1999Maebashi
1920.26Shawn Crawford10 March 2000Fayetteville
1920.26John Capel10 March 2000Fayetteville
1920.26Andre De Grasse14 March 2015Fayetteville
2320.27Walter Dix10 March 2006Fayetteville
2320.27Cameron Miller25 February 2023Louisville
2320.27Jaden Reid27 February 2025College Station

Women (indoor)

  • Updated March 2025.
RankTimeAthleteNationDatePlaceRef
121.87Merlene Ottey13 February 1993Liévin
222.01 Julien Alfred11 March 2023Albuquerque
322.09Abby Steiner26 February 2022College Station
422.10Irina Privalova19 February 1995Liévin
522.11 Favour Ofili10 March 2023Albuquerque
622.27Heike Drechsler7 March 1987Indianapolis
722.30Indya Mayberry15 March 2025Virginia Beach
822.33Gwen Torrence2 March 1996Atlanta
822.33Adaejah Hodge12 March 2023Boston
1022.34JaMeesia Ford9 March 2024Boston
1122.38Veronica Campbell-Brown18 February 2005Birmingham
1122.38Gabrielle Thomas10 March 2018College Station
1322.39Marita Koch5 March 1983Budapest
1322.39Ionela Târlea6 March 1999Maebashi
1322.39 Niesha Burgher14 February 2025Albuquerque
1622.40Bianca Knight14 March 2008Fayetteville
1622.40Shaunae Miller-Uibo31 January 2021Fayetteville
1822.41Galina Malchugina13 March 1994Paris
1822.41Ashley Henderson10 March 2018College Station
2022.42Ariana Washington11 March 2017College Station
2022.42 Autumn Wilson10 March 2023Albuquerque
2222.43Svetlana Goncharenko22 February 1998Liévin
2322.45Felicia Brown26 February 2016Fayetteville
2322.45Tamara Clark13 March 2021Fayetteville
2322.45Jadyn Mays15 March 2025Virginia Beach

World Indoor Championships medalists

Women

  • Known as the ''World Indoor Games''

Season's best

Women