60 metres


60 metres, or 60-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At indoor events, the 60 metres is run on lanes set out in the middle of the 'field', as is the hurdles event over the same distance, thus avoiding some of the effects of the banked track encircling the venue, upon which other track events in indoor events are run. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes. The format of the event is similar to other sprint distances. The sprinters follow three initial instructions: 'on your marks', instructing them to take up position in the starting blocks; 'set', instructing them to adopt a more efficient starting posture, which also isometrically preloads their muscles. This will enable them to start faster. The final instruction is the firing of the starter's pistol. Upon hearing this the sprinters stride forwards from the blocks.
The 60 metres was an Olympic event in the 1900 Summer Olympics|1900] and 1904 Summer Olympics|1904] Summer Games but was removed from the schedule thereafter. American Christian Coleman currently holds the men's world record in the 60 metres with a time of 6.34 seconds, while Russian Irina Privalova holds the women's world record at 6.92.
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics semi-finals, Su Bingtian ran the fastest 60 m split of all-time and the fastest 60 m ever recorded under any conditions with a time of 6.29 seconds.
In the past, it was common for athletes to compete in the 60 yards race. This is not part of the lineage of the 60 metres, but is the predecessor of the 55 metres race. 60 metres is 65.6168 yards.

Area records

Indoor results only


''Updated 12 April 2025.''

All-time top 25

''Indoor results only''

Men

Updated March 2025.
Time AthleteNationDatePlace
116.34 Christian Coleman18 February 2018Albuquerque
26.37Coleman #219 January 2018Clemson
26.37Coleman #33 March 2018Birmingham
246.39Maurice Greene3 February 1998Madrid
46.39Greene #23 March 2001Atlanta
66.40Greene #327 February 1999Atlanta
366.40 Ronnie Baker18 February 2018Albuquerque
486.41Andre Cason14 February 1992Madrid
86.41Greene #41 February 1998Stuttgart
586.41Marcell Jacobs19 March 2022Belgrade
86.41Coleman #419 March 2022Belgrade
86.41Coleman #51 March 2024Glasgow
136.42Greene #57 March 1999Maebashi
6136.42Dwain Chambers7 March 2009Turin
136.42 Coleman #618 February 2018Albuquerque
7136.42Su Bingtian3 March 2018Birmingham
7136.42Trayvon Bromell10 February 2023Clemson
186.43Greene #61 February 1998Stuttgart
9186.43Tim Harden7 March 1999Maebashi
186.43Su #26 February 2018Düsseldorf
10186.43 Noah Lyles17 February 2024Albuquerque
186.43Coleman #71 March 2024Glasgow
236.44Harden #227 February 1999Atlanta
236.44Harden #311 March 2001Lisbon
11236.44Asafa Powell18 March 2016Portland
236.44Powell #218 March 2016Portland
236.44Baker #23 March 2018Birmingham
236.44Baker #319 February 2020Liévin
236.44Baker #421 February 2020Madrid
12236.44Marvin Bracy19 March 2022Belgrade
236.44Lyles #24 February 2024Boston
236.44 Coleman #817 February 2024Albuquerque
236.44Lyles #31 March 2024Glasgow
136.45Bruny Surin13 February 1993Liévin
136.45 Leonard Myles-Mills20 February 1999Colorado Springs
136.45 Terrence Trammell17 February 2001Pocatello
136.45Justin Gatlin1 March 2003Boston
136.45Ronald Pognon13 February 2005Karlsruhe
136.45 Trell Kimmons26 February 2012Albuquerque
136.45Terrence Jones15 January 2022Lubbock
136.45Ackeem Blake4 February 2024Boston
216.46Jon Drummond1 February 1998Stuttgart
216.46 Marcus Brunson30 January 1999Flagstaff
216.46Jason Gardener7 March 1999Maebashi
216.46Tim Montgomery11 March 2001Lisbon
216.46Leonard Scott26 February 2005Liévin
216.46JC Stevenson14 March 2025Virginia Beach

Note: The following athletes have had their performances annulled due to doping offences:
Time AthleteNationDatePlaceRef
6.41Ben Johnson7 March 1987Indianapolis

Outdoor best performances

+ = en route to 100 m mark
RankTime Wind AthleteNationDatePlaceRef
16.29 +0.9Su Bingtian1 August 2021Tokyo
26.31 +0.9Usain Bolt16 August 2009Berlin
36.32 +1.7Asafa Powell9 September 2007Rieti
36.32 +1.7Usain Bolt31 May 2008New York City
36.32 0.0Usain Bolt16 August 2008Beijing
36.32 +0.2Asafa Powell2 September 2009Lausanne
36.32 +1.5Usain Bolt5 August 2012London
36.32 +0.6Christian Coleman28 September 2019Doha
96.33 −0.2Maurice Greene5 August 2001Edmonton
96.33 −0.1Yohan Blake23 August 2012Lausanne
116.34 +0.9Justin Gatlin23 August 2015Beijing

Note: The following athletes have had their associated 100 m performances annulled due to doping offences:
Time Wind AthleteNationDatePlaceRef
6.33 +1.1Ben Johnson24 September 1988Seoul

Women

Updated March 2025.
Time AthleteNationDatePlace
116.92Irina Privalova11 February 1993Madrid
16.92Privalova #29 February 1995Madrid
36.93Privalova #313 February 1994Liévin
46.94Privalova #419 February 1995Liévin
246.94 Aleia Hobbs18 February 2023Albuquerque
246.94 Julien Alfred11 March 2023Albuquerque
466.95Gail Devers12 March 1993Toronto
66.95Privalova #56 February 1994Vienna
66.95Privalova #614 February 1995Moscow
566.95Marion Jones7 March 1998Maebashi
6106.96Merlene Ottey14 February 1992Madrid
106.96Privalova #711 February 1993Madrid
7106.96Ekaterini Thanou7 March 1999Maebashi
7106.96Mujinga Kambundji18 March 2022Belgrade
106.96 Alfred #210 March 2023Albuquerque
156.97Privalova #814 February 1992Madrid
156.97Privalova #912 March 1993Toronto
156.97Privalova #1011 February 1994Madrid
156.97Privalova #1112 February 1995Ghent
156.97Ottey #219 February 1995Liévin
156.97Ottey #310 March 1995Ghent
9156.97LaVerne Jones-Ferrette6 February 2010Stuttgart
9156.97Murielle Ahouré2 March 2018Birmingham
156.97Alfred #325 February 2023Lubbock
246.98Privalova #1227 February 1993Moscow
246.98Devers #221 February 1999Liévin
11246.98Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce9 March 2014Sopot
11246.98Elaine Thompson-Herah18 February 2017Birmingham
246.98Hobbs #228 January 2023Fayetteville
11246.98Ewa Swoboda2 March 2024Glasgow
246.98Alfred #42 March 2024Glasgow
146.99Mikiah Brisco18 March 2022Belgrade
157.00Nelli Cooman23 February 1986Madrid
157.00Veronica Campbell-Brown14 March 2010Doha
157.00Dafne Schippers13 February 2016Berlin
157.00Barbara Pierre12 March 2016Portland
197.01Savatheda Fynes7 March 1999Maebashi
197.01Me'Lisa Barber10 March 2006Moscow
197.01Lauryn Williams10 March 2006Moscow
197.01Zaynab Dosso9 March 2025Apeldoorn
237.02Gwen Torrence2 February 1996New York City
237.02Christy Opara-Thompson12 February 1997Ghent
237.02Chioma Ajunwa22 February 1998Liévin
237.02Philomena Mensah7 March 1999Maebashi
237.02 Carmelita Jeter28 February 2010Albuquerque
237.02Tianna Madison11 February 2012Fayetteville
237.02 Javianne Oliver18 February 2018Albuquerque
237.02Marie-Josée Ta Lou20 February 2019Düsseldorf
237.02Jacious Sears8 February 2025New York City

Outdoor best performances

+ = en route to 100 m mark
RankTime Wind AthleteNationDatePlaceRef
16.81 +0.1Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce29 September 2019Doha
26.85 −0.1Marion Jones22 August 1999Seville
36.87 0.0Florence Griffith-Joyner16 July 1988Indianapolis
36.87 +0.9Elaine Thompson-Herah21 August 2021Eugene
56.91 +0.1Dina Asher-Smith29 September 2019Doha

Olympic medalists

World Indoor Championships medalists

Men

a The event was known as the World Indoor Games in 1985.
b Ben Johnson of Canada originally won the gold medal, but he was disqualified in 1989 after admitting to steroid use between 1981 and 1988.

Medal table

Women

a The event was known as the World Indoor Games in 1985.
b Angella Issajenko of Canada originally won the silver medal, but she was disqualified in 1989 after admitting to steroid use between 1982 and 1988.
c Zhanna Block originally won the gold medal, but she was disqualified after her results from November 2002 onwards were deleted in 2011 for long-term drug use.

Medal table

Season's bests

''Indoor results only''

Men

Women