Some athletics fans collect programmes. Some collect autographs. Apparently I collect the best performances I’ve happened to be sitting in a stadium for.
I first started compiling my ‘spectator PBs’ years ago after seeing someone else discuss the idea online, and it rapidly became one of those statistics I had absolutely no need to know but nevertheless needed to know immediately.
The idea is simple: for each event, I’ve listed the best performance I’ve ever seen live. More than a decade after I first put the list together, it was badly overdue an update.
The intention of this post isn’t to turn the list into one enormous humble brag. It’s more a reminder to myself of how fortunate I’ve been, both through my career and simply as an athletics fan, to have witnessed so many extraordinary performances in person.
* = current world record
** = superseded world record
Men outdoor
| Event | Mark | Athlete | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100m | 9.58* | Usain Bolt | 2009 World Championships, Berlin |
| 200m | 19.19* | Usain Bolt | 2009 World Championships, Berlin |
| 400m | 43.03* | Wayde van Niekerk | 2016 Olympic Games, Rio |
| 800m | 1:40.91* | David Rudisha | 2012 Olympic Games, London |
| 1500m | 3:26.69 | Asbel Kiprop | 2015 Herculis, Monaco |
| Mile | 3:46.46 | Jakob Ingebrigtsen | 2022 Bislett Games, Oslo |
| 3000m | 7:24.00+ | Jakob Ingebrigtsen | 2022 Bislett Games, Oslo |
| Two miles | 7:54.10* | Jakob Ingebrigtsen | 2023 Meeting de Paris |
| 5000m | 12:43.66 | Berihu Aregawi | 2024 Van Damme Memorial, Brussels |
| 10,000m | 26:43.14 | Joshua Cheptegei | 2024 Olympic Games, Paris |
| Marathon | 2:04:39 | Amos Kipruto | 2022 London Marathon |
| 3000mSC | 7:52.11* | Lamecha Girma | 2023 Meeting de Paris |
| 110mH | 12.92 | Aries Merritt | 2012 Olympic Games, London |
| 400mH | 45.94** | Karsten Warholm | 2021 Olympic Games, Tokyo |
| High jump | 2.43m | Mutaz Essa Barshim | 2014 Van Damme Memorial, Brussels |
| Pole vault | 6.30m** | Mondo Duplantis | 2025 World Championships, Tokyo |
| Long jump | 8.69m | Tajay Gayle | 2019 World Championships, Doha |
| Triple jump | 18.21m | Christian Taylor | 2015 World Championships, Beijing |
| Shot | 23.51m | Ryan Crouser | 2023 World Championships, Budapest |
| Discus | 71.70m | Mykolas Alekna | 2025 London Athletics Meet |
| Hammer | 84.70m | Ethan Katzberg | 2025 World Championships, Tokyo |
| Javelin | 93.07m | Anderson Peters | 2022 Doha Diamond League |
| Decathlon | 9045** | Ashton Eaton | 2015 World Championships, Beijing |
| 20km walk | 1:18:53 | Eider Arevalo | 2017 World Championships, London |
| 50km walk | 3:33:12 | Yohann Diniz | 2017 World Championships, London |
| 4x100m | 36.84* | Jamaica | 2012 Olympic Games, London |
| 4x400m | 2:54.43 | United States | 2024 Olympic Games, Paris |
Women outdoor
| Event | Mark | Athlete | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100m | 10.61 | Elaine Thompson-Herah | 2021 Olympic Games, Tokyo |
| Melissa Jefferson-Wooden | 2025 World Championships, Tokyo | ||
| 200m | 21.41 | Shericka Jackson | 2023 World Championships, Budapest |
| 400m | 47.78 | Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone | 2025 World Championships, Tokyo |
| 800m | 1:54.61 | Keely Hodgkinson | 2024 London Athletics Meet |
| 1500m | 3:49.04** | Faith Kipyegon | 2024 Meeting de Paris |
| Mile | 4:11.88 | Gudaf Tsegay | 2025 London Athletics Meet |
| 3000m | 8:28.90 | Sifan Hassan | 2017 British Grand Prix, Birmingham |
| 5000m | 14:05.20** | Faith Kipyegon | 2023 Meeting de Paris |
| 10,000m | 29:17.45 | Almaz Ayana | 2016 Olympic Games, Rio |
| Marathon | 2:17:26 | Yalemzerf Yehualaw | 2022 London Marathon |
| 3000mSC | 8:51.59 | Faith Cherotich | 2025 World Championships, Tokyo |
| 100mH | 12.12** | Tobi Amusan | 2022 World Championships, Oregon |
| 400mH | 50.37* | Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone | 2024 Olympic Games, Paris |
| High jump | 2.10m* | Yaroslava Mahuchikh | 2024 Meeting de Paris |
| Pole vault | 4.95m | Anzhelika Sidorova | 2019 World Championships, Doha |
| Long jump | 7.30m | Malaika Mihambo | 2019 World Championships, Doha |
| Triple jump | 15.67m** | Yulimar Rojas | 2021 Olympic Games, Tokyo |
| Shot | 21.24m | Valerie Adams | 2011 World Championships, Daegu |
| Discus | 70.31m | Sandra Perkovic | 2017 World Championships, London |
| Hammer | 82.29m** | Anita Wlodarczyk | 2016 Olympic Games, Rio |
| Javelin | 71.99m | Maria Abakumova | 2011 World Championships, Daegu |
| Heptathlon | 7032 | Anna Hall | 2025 Hypo Meeting, Goetzis |
| 20km walk | 1:25:54 | Yang Jiayu | 2024 Olympic Games, Paris |
| 50km walk | 4:04:36 | Liang Rui | 2018 World Race Walking Team Championships, Taicang |
| 4x100m | 40.82* | United States | 2012 Olympic Games, London |
| 4x400m | 3:15.27 | United States | 2024 Olympic Games, Paris |
Mixed
| Event | Mark | Team | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4x100m | 39.62* | Jamaica | 2026 World Relays, Gaborone |
| 4x400m | 3:07.41* | United States | 2024 Olympic Games, Paris |
| 4x400m indoors | 3:15.60* | Belgium | 2026 World Indoor Championships, Torun |
Men indoor
| Event | Mark | Athlete | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60m | 6.37 | Christian Coleman | 2018 World Indoor Championships, Birmingham |
| 200m | 20.53 | Tobias Unger | 2005 European Indoor Championships, Madrid |
| 400m | 44.76 | Christopher Morales Williams | 2026 World Indoor Championships, Torun |
| 800m | 1:43.90 | Josh Hoey | 2025 Millrose Games, New York |
| 1000m | 2:14.74 | Marco Arop | 2024 New Balance Games, Boston |
| 1500m | 3:30.60** | Jakob Ingebrigtsen | 2022 Meeting Lievin |
| Mile | 3:46.63** | Yared Nuguse | 2025 Millrose Games, New York |
| 2000m | 4:49.99** | Kenenisa Bekele | 2007 Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix |
| 3000m | 7:22.91* | Grant Fisher | 2025 Millrose Games, New York |
| Two miles | 8:03.40** | Mo Farah | 2015 Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix |
| 5000m | 12:49.60** | Kenenisa Bekele | 2004 Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix |
| 60mH | 7.29** | Grant Holloway | 2022 World Indoor Championships, Belgrade |
| High jump | 2.40m | Stefan Holm | 2005 European Indoor Championships, Madrid |
| Pole vault | 6.25m | Mondo Duplantis | 2026 World Indoor Championships, Torun |
| Long jump | 8.55m | Miltiadis Tentoglou | 2022 World Indoor Championships, Belgrade |
| Triple jump | 17.90m | Teddy Tamgho | 2010 World Indoor Championships, Doha |
| Shot | 22.53m | Darlan Romani | 2022 World Indoor Championships, Belgrade |
| Heptathlon | 6670* | Simon Ehammer | 2026 World Indoor Championships, Torun |
| 4x400m | 3:01.52 | United States | 2026 World Indoor Championships, Torun |
Women indoor
| Event | Mark | Athlete | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60m | 6.96 | Mujinga Kambundji | 2022 World Indoor Championships, Belgrade |
| 200m | |||
| 22.38 | Veronica Campbell-Brown | 2005 Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix | |
| 400m | 49.17* | Femke Bol | 2024 World Indoor Championships, Glasgow |
| 800m | 1:55.30 | Keely Hodgkinson | 2026 World Indoor Championships, Torun |
| 1000m | 2:31.93 | Laura Muir | 2017 Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix |
| 1500m | 3:57.19 | Gudaf Tsegay | 2022 World Indoor Championships, Belgrade |
| Mile | 4:18.75 | Laura Muir | 2018 Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix |
| 3000m | 8:16.69 | Gudaf Tsegay | 2023 Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix |
| Two miles | 9:00.48* | Genzebe Dibaba | 2014 Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix |
| 60mH | 7.65* | Devynne Charlton | 2024 World Indoor Championships, Glasgow |
| High jump | 2.05m | Tia Hellebaut | 2007 European Indoor Championships, Birmingham |
| Pole vault | 4.95m | Sandi Morris | 2018 World Indoor Championships, Birmingham |
| Long jump | 7.22m | Brittney Reese | 2016 World Indoor Championships, Portland |
| Triple jump | 15.74m* | Yulimar Rojas | 2022 World Indoor Championships, Belgrade |
| Shot | 20.85m | Nadezhda Ostapchuk | 2010 World Indoor Championships, Doha |
| Pentathlon | 4948 | Carolina Kluft | 2005 European Indoor Championships, Madrid |
| 4x400m | 3:23.85 | United States | 2018 World Indoor Championships, Birmingham |
Views expressed here are my own and do not necessarily represent those of any employer.