The women's 800m world record is the longest-standing in track athletics.
Constant progression in training methods, nutrition and recovery has contributed to the downing of many world records in recent decades, but countless athletes have been trying and failing to crack the women's 800m for 43 years.
The women's 800m record is held by Jarmila Kratochvilova after she ran a mind-bogglingly fast time of 1:53.28 in Munich, just one month prior to the inaugural World Championships in Helsinki. The Czech athlete beat the previous world record, held by Nadezhda Olizarenko, who ran a 1:53.46 in the 1980 Olympic final in Moscow.
Audrey Werro lays claim to the next two fastest times in history. The Swiss athlete has made huge progression in over the last year, managing to shave almost four seconds off her time in 2026 alone.
In June, she ran a 1:53.20 at the Paris Diamond League meeting to improve on her national record time.
Werro has already had plenty of battles against British athlete Keely Hodgkinson and it promises to be a rivalry that continues to produce over the next few years. At the time of the Stockholm Diamond League meeting on 7th June, Werro and Hodgkinson ran the third and sixth-fastest times in history; the Brit coming home in 1:54.33.
Fastest women's 800m times in history
Time | Athlete | Year |
1:53.28 | Jarmila Kratochvilova | 1983 |
1:53.43 | Nadezhda Olizarenko | 1980 |
1:53.80 | Audrey Werro | 2026 |
1:53.98 | Audrey Werro | 2026 |
1:54.01 | Pamela Jelimo | 2008 |
1:54.25 | Caster Semenya | 2018 |
1:54.33 | Keely Hodgkinson | 2026 |
1:54.44 | Ana Fidelia Quirot | 1989 |
1:54.45 | Audrey Werro | 2026 |
