Yearly Ranking Leaders- 10,000 meters Outdoor Track

Men (quality performances)

2016   26:51.11   Yigrem Demelash (ETH)         29 Jun  Hengelo NED 
2015   26:50.97   Mohamed Farah (ENG)           29 May  Eugene OR USA 
2014   26:44.36   Galen Rupp (USA)              30 May  Eugene OR USA
2013   26:51.02   Dejene Gebremeskel (ETH)      27 Jun  Sollentuna SWE     
2012   26:51.16   Emmanuel Bett Kipkemboi (KEN) 07 Sep  Brussels BEL
2011   26:43.16   Kenenisa Bekele-6             16 Sep  Brussels BEL
2010   26:56.74   Josphat Kiprono (KEN)         29 Aug  Turku FIN
2009   26:46.31   Kenenisa Bekele-5             17 Aug  Berlin GER
2008   26:25.97   Kenenisa Bekele-4             08 Jun  Eugene OR USA
2007   26:46.19   Kenenisa Bekele-3             14 Sep  Brussels BEL
2006   26:35.63   Micah Kogo (KEN)              25 Aug  Brussels BEL
2005   26:17.53   Kenenisa Bekele-2             26 Aug  Brussels BEL
2004   26:20.31   Kenenisa Bekele (ETH)         08 Jun  Ostrava CZE
2003   26:29.22   Haile Gebreselasie-3          05 Sep  Brussels BEL
2002   26:49.38   Sammy Kipketer (KEN)          30 Aug  Brussels BEL
2001   27:04.20   Abraham Chebii (KEN)          04 May  Palo Alto CA USA
2000   27:03.87   Paul Tergat-2                 25 Aug  Brussels BEL

1999   26:51.49   Charles Kamathi (KEN)         03 Sep  Brussels BEL
1998   26:22.75   Haile Gebreselasie-2          01 Jun  Hengelo NED
1997   26:27.85   Paul Tergat (KEN)             22 Aug  Brussels BEL
1996   26:38.08   Salah Hissou (MAR)            23 Aug  Brussels BEL
1995   26:43.53   Haile Gebreselasie (ETH)      05 Jun  Hengelo NED
1994   26:52.23   William Sigei (KEN)           22 Jul  Oslo NOR
1993   26:58.38   Yobes Ondieki (KEN)           10 Jul  Oslo NOR
1992   27:14.26   Fita Bayissa (ETH)            04 Jul  Oslo NOR
1991   27:11.18   Richard Chelimo (KEN)         25 Jun  Hengelo NED
1990   27:18.22   Arturo Barrios-2              17 Aug  Berlin GER
1989   27:08.23   Arturo Barrios (MEX)          18 Aug  Berlin GER
1988   27:21.46   Brahim Boutaib (MAR)          26 Sep  Seoul KOR
1987   27:26.95   Francesco Panetta (ITA)       30 Jun  Stockholm SWE
1986   27:20.56   Marcus Nenow (USA)            05 Sep  Brussels BEL
1985   27:37.17   Bruce Bickford (USA)          02 Jul  Stockholm SWE
1984   27:13.81   Fernando Mamede-3             02 Jul  Stockholm SWE
1983   27:23.44   Carlos Lopes (POR)            09 Jul  Oslo NOR
1982   27:22.95   Fernando Mamede-2             09 Jul  Paris FRA
1981   27:27.1    Fernando Mamede (POR)         30 May  Lisbon POR
1980   27:29.16   Craig Virgin (USA)            17 Jul  Paris FRA

1979   27:36.8    Karl Fleschen (GER)           28 Apr  Troisdorf GER
1978   27:22.47   Henry Rono (KEN)              11 Jun  Vienna AUT
1977   27:30.47   Samson Kimobwa (KEN)          30 Jun  Helsinki FIN
1976   27:40.38   Lasse Viren-2                 26 Jul  Montreal CAN
1975   27:45.43   Brendan Foster (ENG)          29 Aug  London ENG
1974   27:43.6    Steve Prefontaine (USA)       27 Apr  Eugene OR USA
1973   27:30.80   Dave Bedford-3                13 Jul  London ENG
1972   27:38.35   Lasse Viren (FIN)             03 Sep  Munich GER
1971   27:47.0    Dave Bedford-2                10 Jul  Portsmouth ENG
1970   28:06.2    Dave Bedford (ENG)            12 Sep  Warsaw POL
1969   28:03.6    Ronald Clarke-5               08 Jul  Oslo NOR
1968   27:49.4    Ronald Clarke-4               29 Aug  London ENG
1967   28:26.6    Gaston Roelants (BEL)         22 Aug  Oslo NOR
1966   27:54.0    Ronald Clarke-3               12 Jul  Oslo NOR
1965   27:39.89   Ronald Clarke-2               14 Jul  Oslo NOR
1964   28:24.4    Billy Mills (USA)             14 Oct  Tokyo JPN
1963   28:15.5    Ronald Clarke (AUS)           18 Dec  Melbourne AUS
1962   28:18.1    Piotr Bolotnikov-3            11 Aug  Moscow RUS
1961   28:50.8    Barry Magee (NZL)             06 Jul  Helsinki FIN
1960   28:18.8    Piotr Bolotnikov-2            15 Oct  Kiev UKR

1959   29:03.0    Piotr Bolotnikov (MDA)        09 Aug  Moscow RUS
1958   28:56.0    Zdzislaw Krzyszkowiak (POL)   19 Aug  Stockholm SWE
1957   29:06.4    George Knight (GBR)           07 Sep  Warsaw POL
1956   28:30.4    Vladimir Kuts-2               11 Sep  Moscow RUS
1955   28:59.2    Vladimir Kuts (UKR)           03 Oct  Bucharest ROM
1954   28:54.2    Emil Zatopek-7                01 Jun  Brussels BEL
1953   29:01.6    Emil Zatopek-6                01 Nov  Stara Boleslav CZE
1952   29:17.0    Emil Zatopek-5                20 Jul  Helsinki FIN
1951   29:29.8    Emil Zatopek-4                01 Sep  Trebic CZE
1950   29:02.6    Emil Zatopek-3                04 Aug  Turku FIN
1949   29:21.2    Emil Zatopek-2                22 Oct  Ostrava CZE
1948   29:37.0    Emil Zatopek (CZE)            17 Jun  Prague CZE
1947   30:07.4    Viljo Heino-5                 29 Jul  Copenhagen DEN
1946   29:52.0    Viljo Heino-4                 22 Aug  Oslo NOR
1945   30:02.0    Viljo Heino-3                 02 Sep  Helsinki FIN
1944   29:35.4    Viljo Heino-2                 25 Aug  Helsinki FIN
1943   30:15.2    Viljo Heino (FIN)             19 Sep  Helsinki FIN
1942   30:09.4    Jenö Szilagyi (HUN)           14 Oct  Budapest HUN
1941   30:25.6    Andras Csaplar (HUN)          18 Jul  Goteborg SWE
1940   30:06.6    Max Syring (GER)              13 Jul  Jena GER

1939   29:52.6    Taisto Mãki-2                 17 Sep  Helsinki FIN
1938   30:02.0    Taisto Mãki (FIN)             29 Sep  Tampere FIN
1937   30:05.5    Ilmari Salminen-4             18 Jul  Kouvola FIN
1936   30:15.4    Ilmari Salminen-3             02 Aug  Berlin GER
1935   30:38.2    Ilmari Salminen-2             24 Aug  Helsinki FIN
1934   31:02.2    Ilmari Salminen (FIN)         01 Jul  Viipuri FIN
1933   30:21.2    Volmari Iso-Hollo (FIN)       21 Sep  Helsinki FIN
1932   30:11.4    Janusz Kusocinski (POL)       31 Jul  Los Angeles CA USA
1931   30:50.6    Paavo Nurmi-7                 30 Aug  Stockholm SWE
1930   31:04.6    Paavo Nurmi-6                 17 Aug  Tampere FIN
1929   31:12.9    Toivo Loukola (FIN)           08 Sep  Helsinki FIN
1928   30:18.8    Paavo Nurmi-5                 29 Jul  Amsterdam NED
1927   31:38.2    Eric Stenfeldt (SWE)          28 Aug  Copenhagen DEN
1926   31:12.2    Paavo Nurmi-4                 15 Aug  Tampere FIN
1925   30:40.2    Paavo Nurmi-3                 06 Sep  Helsinki FIN
1924   30:06.1    Paavo Nurmi-2                 31 Aug  Kuopio FIN
1923   31:38      Ville Ritola (FIN)            27 Oct  New York NY USA
1922   31:26.0    Eric Backman-4                25 Jul  Copenhagen DEN
1921   30:40.2    Paavo Nurmi (FIN)             22 Jun  Stockholm SWE
1920   31:16.0    Eric Backman-3                26 Sep  Örebro SWE

1919   31:55.0    Eric Backman-2                29 Jul  Copenhagen DEN
1918   31:13.7    Eric Backman (SWE)            18 Aug  Stockholm SWE
1917   32:07.5    Lauritz Dam (DEN)             18 Aug  Stockholm SWE
1916   32:03.9    Sture Lagerman (SWE)          04 Sep  Stockholm SWE
1915   32:05.2    Josef Ternström (SWE)         01 Aug  Soderfors SWE
1914   31:27.4    Hannes Kolehmainen-2          02 Aug  Tampere FIN
1913   31:12.1    Jean Bouin-3                  22 Jun  Stockholm SWE
1912   31:20.8    Hannes Kolehmainen (FIN)      08 Jul  Stockholm SWE
1911   30:58.8    Jean Bouin-2                  16 Nov  Colombes FRA
1910   31:30.0    Georg Peterson (SWE)          05 Jun  Halmstad SWE
1909   32:13.6^   Jean Bouin (FRA)              13 May  Paris FRA
1908   31:52.0    Arthur Robertson (GBR)        01 Sep  Oslo NOR
1907   31:30.9    Johan Svanberg-2              03 Jun  Stockholm SWE
1906   31:56.8    Johan Svanberg (SWE)          10 Oct  Stockholm SWE
1905   32:20.0    Henri Prevot (FRA)            25 Dec  Lille FRA
1904   31:02.4^   Alfred Shrubb (GBR)           05 Nov  Glasgow SCO
1903   33:31.4    Theophile Segers (FRA)        25 Dec 
1902   33:25.0    Henri Prevot (FRA)            21 Oct  Paris FRA
1901   34:00.0    Michele Negri (ITA)           29 Jan  Sestri Levante ITA
1900   33:05.0^   Sidney Robinson (GBR)         07 Apr  London ENG

1899   34:36.2^   Albert Charbonnel (FRA)       03 Dec  Paris FRA
1898   34:41.6    Georges Touquet-Denis (FRA)   13 Nov  Paris FRA
1897   31:44.4^   Fred Bacon (GBR)              19 Jun  Rochdale ENG
1896   36:16.4^   George Crossland (GBR)        11 Apr  Leicester ENG
1895   34:50.0    P Cabessut (FRA)              16 Jun  Paris FRA
1894   35:17.0    Ossian Blomstedt (SWE)        16 Sep  Stockholm SWE
1893   35:11.0    Patrick Lofgren (SWE)         23 Sep  Stockholm SWE
1892   32:56.4^   Sidney Thomas (GBR)           22 Oct  London ENG

^   indicates time enroute to longer distance (time may be taken at a distance longer than 10,000m
 

Women (quality performances)

2016   29:17.45   Almaz Ayana Eba (ETH)         12 Aug  Rio de Janeiro BRA 
2015   30:49.68   Gelete Burika Bati (ETH)      17 Jun  Hengelo NED 
2014   30:42.26   Sally Kipyego Chepkosgei(KEN) 04 May  Palo Alto CA USA   
2013   30:08.06   Meseret Defar (ETH)           27 Jun  Sollentuna SWE    
2012   30:20.75   Tirunesh Dibaba-3             03 Aug  London ENG
2011   30:38.35   Sally Kipyego (KEN)           01 May  Palo Alto CA USA
2010   31:04.52   Meselech Melkamu-2            27 May  Ostrava CZE
2009   29:53.80   Meselech Melkamu (ETH)        14 Jun  Utrecht NED
2008   29:54.66   Tirunesh Dibaba-2             15 Aug  Beijing CHN
2007   31:00.27   Mestawat Tufa (ETH)           26 Jun  Valkenswaard NED
2006   30:21.67   Elvan Abeylegesse (TUR)       15 Apr  Antalya TUR
2005   30:15.67   Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH)         28 Jun  Sollentuna SWE
2004   30:17.15   Paula Radcliffe-3             27 Jun  Gateshead ENG
2003   30:04.18   Birhane Adere (ETH)           23 Aug  Paris FRA
2002   30:01.09   Paula Radcliffe-2             06 Aug  Munich GER
2001   30:55.80   Paula Radcliffe (ENG)         07 Apr  Barakaldo ESP
2000   30:17.49   Derartu Tulu-2                30 Sep  Sydney AUS

1999   30:24.56   Getenesh Wami (ETH)           26 Aug  Seville ESP
1998   30:48.06   Fernanda Ribeiro-3            04 Apr  Lisbon POR
1997   30:38.09   Yan-mei Dong (CHN)            19 Oct  Shanghai CHN
1996   31:01.63   Fernanda Ribeiro-2            02 Aug  Atlanta GA/USA
1995   31:04.99   Fernanda Ribeiro (POR)        09 Aug  Goteborg SWE
1994   30:50.34   Jun-xia Wang-2                15 Oct  Hiroshima JPN
1993   29:31.78   Jun-xia Wang (CHN)            08 Sep  Beijing CHN
1992   31:06.02   Derartu Tulu (ETH)            07 Aug  Barcelona ESP
1991   30:57.07   Liz McColgan (SCO)            25 Jun  Hengelo NED
1990   31:18.18   Viorica Ghican (ROM)          27 Jun  Helsinki FIN
1989   30:48.51   Ingrid Kristiansen-4          01 Jul  Oslo NOR
1988   31:05.21   Olga Bondarenko-2             30 Sep  Seoul KOR
1987   31:05.85   Ingrid Kristiansen-3          04 Sep  Rome ITA
1986   30:13.74   Ingrid Kristiansen-2          05 Jul  Oslo NOR
1985   30:59.42   Ingrid Kristiansen (NOR)      27 Jul  Oslo NOR
1984   31:13.78   Olga Bondarenko (RUS)         24 Jun  Kiev UKR
1983   31:27.58   Raisa Sadreydinova (RUS)      07 Sep  Odessa RUS
1982   31:35.3    Mary Slaney (USA)             16 Jul  Eugene OR USA
1981   32:17.19   Elena Sipatova (RUS)          19 Sep  Moscow RUS
1980   32:57.17   Kathryn Binns (ENG)           15 Aug  Sittard NED

1979   32:52.5    Mary Shea (USA)               15 Jun  Walnut CA USA
1978   32:43.2    Natalia Betini (ROM)          22 Jan  Baile Felix ROM
1977   33:15.1    Peg Neppel-2                  09 Jun  Westwood CA USA
1976   34:19.0    Peg Neppel (USA)              22 Mar  Eugene OR USA
1975   34:01.4    Christa Vahlensieck (GER)     20 Aug  Wolfsburg GER
1974   
1973   
1972   
1971   34:51.0    Kathy Gibbons (USA)           12 Jun  Phoenix AZ USA
1970   35:30.5    Paola Pigni (ITA)             09 May  Milan ITA
1969   
1968   
1967   36:06.4    Anne O'Brien (IRL)            26 Mar  Gormanstown IRL

Last Updated on 03 Sep 2016

Note: Pre-1950 men's list leaders are based largely on "A World History of Long Distance Running" by Roberto L Quercetani, available from the IAAF or from Track and Field News.

Contributors: Michael Rabinovich, Andy Milroy (15)