Hot on the heels of an unforgettable Olympic year, 2025 wasted no time flexing its own racing bona fides. Old and new faces alike treated fans of the sport to historic highs, photo finishes, and quirky challenges that produced a host of memorable moments and high-profile records, including a runner-up performance one top coach called “the most impressive athletic feat in history.” Here we revisit the people and performances of 2025 that reminded us limits are meant to be tested, and records are made to be broken.
His & Hers history in Houston: Both the men’s and women’s American half marathon records fell at the season-opening Aramco Houston Half as Conner Mantz (59:17) eclipsed Ryan Hall’s 18-year-old record while Weini Kelati (66:09) bested her own mark from last year. Kelati’s feat marked the fourth straight year the women’s record has fallen in Space City. Mantz would later run two seconds faster (59:15) to finish second on a record-ineligible course at the United Airlines NYC Half in March.
Is guacamole extra? In Tempe, ultrarunner and Aravaipa Running CEO Jamil Coury celebrated his 40th birthday locked in one of the most absurd (and most intense) endurance competitions in recent memory, as he emerged victorious in the month-long Chipotle City Challenge with a year of free Chipotle burritos riding on the outcome.
“Kip” an eye on him: After his previous world record fell by one second in Valencia last October, Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda did it again, winning the Barcelona Half Marathon in 56:42 to reclaim the world record by an unprecedented 48 seconds and become the first half marathoner to break 57 minutes. Kiplimo would go on to finish second in his marathon debut in London (2:03:37) in April before dominating the field (2:02:23) at the Chicago Marathon in October.
No happy endings: After a record five finishers in 2024, nobody finished this year’s Barkley Marathons, with only three-time finisher John Kelly completing the 60-mile Fun Run.
“No regrets, only memories”: Running in her 12th Boston Marathon and her final marathon as a professional, two-time Olympian and 2018 Boston champion Des Linden finished as the 17th woman overall and 5th American woman in a time of 2:26:19 💙💛
80 is the new WOW: Two epic performances reminded us that sometimes age is just a number, as 80-year-old Bob Becker became the oldest-ever finisher of the sweltering Badwater 135 ultramarathon aka “the world’s toughest footrace,” while Johannes Mosehla at age 83 narrowly beat the 12-hour cutoff to become the oldest person to finish the grueling 90-km Comrades Marathon in South Africa 🤯
Paying respects: The sport lost two legends this year with the passing of Nina Kuscsik, a lifelong advocate for women’s equality who in 1972 became the first official women’s champion of the Boston Marathon, and Fauja Singh aka “The Turbaned Tornado,” who in 2011 became the world’s oldest marathoner when he finished the Toronto Waterfront Marathon at the reported age of 100.
B.A.A.d news for downhill races: The Boston Athletic Association announced registration updates for the 2027 Boston Marathon that included a new time-adjustment penalty of up to ten minutes for qualifying courses with a net-downhill of 1,500+ feet.
The kid can fly: At the USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene, 16-year-old phenom Cooper Lutkenhaus won silver in the 800m final in 1:42.27, shattering the Under-18 world record in what Coach Steve Magness called “the most impressive athletic feat in history.”
Queen of the mountain: Less than three months after breaking Courtney Dauwalter’s course record at the Hardrock 100, Katie Schide led from start to finish in winning the 51-mile Long Trail race at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Canfranc, Spain.
Calling his shot: Following up a personal best of 2:05:08 in Boston, Conner Mantz arrived in Chicago with one historic goal in mind and the 28-year-old delivered, breaking Khalid Khannouchi’s American marathon record (2:05:38, London 2002) and finishing fourth overall in a time of 2:04:43. Thanks to a historically dominant year, Mantz now owns the North American marathon AND half marathon records 💪
Another year, another ban: The Athletics Integrity Unit announced that women’s marathon world-record holder Ruth Chepng’etich of Kenya had received a three-year ban after admitting to using the banned diuretic HCTZ. Chepng’etich’s controversial world-record time of 2:09:56 set at the 2024 Chicago Marathon will remain on the books.
Still the Biggest Apple 🍎: With 59,226 finishers, the TCS New York City Marathon reclaimed its title as the world’s largest marathon. Benson Kipruto of Kenya won the race by 0.03 seconds, the closest margin of victory in race history, while marathon GOAT Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya earned his Six Star Medal in New York City at what may well be his final Abbott World Marathon Majors race.
Ultra impressive: Records fell like autumn leaves at the Tunnel Hill 100 & 50, where Caitriona Jennings of Ireland set a new women’s 100-mile world record in a time of 12:37:04 while Anne Flower, an emergency room doctor from Colorado Springs, shattered Courtney Olsen’s 50-mile world record in a winning time of 5:18:57.
No word on the potato sack race: LSU teammates and roommates Trenton Sandler and Hugh Carlson set the Guinness World Record for the fastest three-legged mile, finishing in a time of 5:34.29 seconds in what Sandler called “the most tiring mile I’ve run in my entire life.”
Setting the standard, mile after mile: Sinclaire Johnson finished the year with not one but TWO American mile records, breaking the American road mile record (4:21.66) to win the Kalakaua Merrie Mile in Honolulu five months after capturing the American mile record on the track (4:16.32) at the London Athletics Meet in the United Kingdom.
👉 Thanks for reading and for all your support of RaceRaves in 2025. Here’s to a happy, healthy 2026 filled with gratifying miles and personal bests in everything you do! 💙🧡
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Author: Mike Sohaskey
Mike Sohaskey is the co-founder of RaceRaves, the premier online reviews community for runners to share their race experiences and find their next challenge. Mike honed his creative and critical thinking skills as a research scientist, earning a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from Stanford. He’s completed over 120 races — including 60+ marathons and ultras plus six Abbott World Marathon Majors — in locations ranging from Antarctica to Zimbabwe.
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