50 metres
50 metres is a sprint event in track and field. It is a relatively uncommon non-championship event for indoor track and field, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor athletics competitions it is used in the Special Olympics and a rare distance, at least for senior athletes. It is an alternative to the 60 metres running event. The imperial distance for 50 metres is 54.68 yards.
Athletics 50 metres | |
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Men's records | |
World | |
Women's records | |
World |
Records and personal bests in the 50 metres are frequently achieved in February and March as these dates coincide with the indoor athletics season.
All-time top 25
Indoor results only
+ = en route to a longer distance
A = affected by altitude
Men
- Updated 30 November 2018.[1]
- B Ben Johnson of Canada ran 5.55 at Ottawa, Canada on 31 January 1987, but this time was rescinded after Johnson admitted to using steroids between 1981 and 1988.
Notes
Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 5.63:
- Maurice Greene also ran 5.59+ (1999).
- Michael Green also ran 5.62+ (1997).
- Donovan Bailey also ran 5.62 (1996).
- Deji Aliu also ran 5.63+ (1999).
- Freddy Mayola also ran 5.63+ (2001).
Outdoor best performances
+ = en route to 100m mark. N.B. The Seville marks listed are excluding the athlete's reaction times. Bolt's time is inclusive.
Rank | Time | Wind (m/s) | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 5.40+ (calculated; add 0.127, or 0.13) | +0.2 | Bruny Surin | 22 August 1999 | Seville | [2] | |
2 | 5.42+ (calculated; add 0.132, or 0.13) | Maurice Greene | |||||
3 | 5.43+ (calculated; add 0.140) | Dwain Chambers | |||||
3 | 5.46+ (calculated; add 0.136, or 0.14) | Tim Harden | |||||
5 | 5.47+ (calculated) | +0.9 | Usain Bolt | 16 August 2009 | Berlin | [3] |
Women
- Correct as of January 2017.[4]
Rank | Time | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 5.96+ | Irina Privalova | 9 February 1995 | Madrid | |
2 | 6.00 | Merlene Ottey | 4 February 1994 | Moscow | |
3 | 6.02+ | Gail Devers | 21 February 1999 | Liévin | |
4 | 6.04+ | Chioma Ajunwa | 22 February 1998 | Liévin | |
5 | 6.05+ | Savatheda Fynes | 13 February 2000 | Liévin | |
Philomena Mensah | 13 February 2000 | Liévin | |||
7 | 6.07 A | Gwen Torrence | 9 February 1996 | Reno | |
8 | 6.08+ | Christy Opara-Thompson | 16 February 1997 | Liévin | |
6.08 | Veronica Campbell-Brown | 28 January 2012 | New York City | ||
10 | 6.09 | Zhanna Block | 2 February 1993 | Moscow | |
11 | 6.11 | Marita Koch | 2 February 1980 | Grenoble | |
6.11+ | Liliana Allen | 13 February 2000 | Liévin | ||
Christine Arron | 26 February 2006 | Aubière | |||
14 | 6.12 | Marlies Göhr | 2 February 1980 | Grenoble | |
Silke Möller | 19 February 1988 | Berlin | |||
Anelia Nuneva | 27 January 1995 | Moscow | |||
17 | 6.13 | Jeanette Bolden | 21 February 1981 | Edmonton | |
Michelle Finn-Burrell | 15 February 1992 | Los Angeles | |||
Natalya Merzlyakova | 4 February 1994 | Moscow | |||
Ekaterina Grigorieva | 4 February 1994 | Moscow | |||
6.13+ | Mercy Nku | 25 February 2001 | Liévin | ||
22 | 6.14+ | Frédérique Bangué | 16 February 1997 | Liévin | |
Petya Pendareva | 21 February 1999 | Liévin | |||
Muriel Hurtis | 23 February 2003 | Liévin | |||
LaVerne Jones-Ferrette | 24 February 2012 | Liévin |
Note: Angella Issajenko of Canada ran a world record 6.06 in Ottawa on 13 January 1987, this performance was rescinded after Issajenko's admittance of long term drug use at the Dubin Inquiry in 1989.
Notes
Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 6.11:
- Irina Privalova also ran 6.01 (1994), 6.03 (1994), 6.04 (1993), 6.05+ (1993, 1997), 6.07 (1994), 6.08 (1994), 6.08+ (1997), 6.09 (1994), 6.11+ (1996).
- Gail Devers also ran 6.03 (1999), 6.10 (1993).
- Merlene Ottey also ran 6.06+ (1999), 6.08+ (1999), 6.11+ (1996).
- Savatheda Fynes also ran 6.07+ (1999).
- Philomena Mensah also ran 6.07+ (1999).
- Christy Opara-Thompson also ran 6.11+ (1997).
Outdoor best performances
+ = en route to 100m mark
Time | Wind (m/s) | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5.93+ (calculated) | −0.1 | Marion Jones | 22 August 1999 | Seville |
Season's bests
Men
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Women
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References
- "All Time Top Lists - Senior Indoor 50 Metres Men". iaaf.org. IAAF. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
- "Biomechanical Analysis of the World Championships in Athletics Seville 1999". IAAF. IAAF. 2001. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
- "Biomechanical Analysis 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics" (PDF). IAAF. 17 August 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 May 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
- "All-time women's best 50m". IAAF. 26 January 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2017.