50 metres, or 50-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field, featured as an alternative to the 60 metres running event. 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 but otherwise a rare distance. The World Masters Rankings has recorded the event since the 2010s.
Records and personal bests in the 50 metres are frequently achieved in February and March as these dates coincide with the indoor athletics season.
The is the imperial distance analogue to the 50 meters. It was contested at the women's USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships from 1923 to 1932 and the women's USA Indoor Track and Field Championships from 1956 to 1964. It was not contested as a men's event. The championship records were 5.8 seconds by Betty Robinson outdoors and 5.7 seconds by Isabelle Daniels indoors.
All-time top 25 Indoor results only
+ = en route to a longer distance
A = affected by altitude
Men Updated February 2025.
RankTimeAthleteNationDatePlace 1 5.56 Donovan Bailey 9 February 1996 Reno 5.56 Maurice Greene 13 February 1999 Los Angeles 3 5.58 Leonard Scott 26 February 2005 Liévin 4 5.60 Michael Green 16 February 1997 Liévin 55.61 Manfred Kokot 4 February 1973 Berlin James Sanford 20 February 1981 San Diego5.61 Deji Aliu 21 February 1999 Liévin Freddy Mayola 16 February 2000 Madrid Jason Gardener 105.62 Emmit King 5 March 1986 Kobe Andre Cason 15 February 1992 Los Angeles5.62 Eric Nkansah 21 February 1999 Liévin Morné Nagel 24 February 2002 Liévin14 5.63 Stanley Floyd 20 February 1981 San Diego 5.63 Henry Neal 10 February 1995 Reno 5.63 Jon Drummond 13 February 1999 Los Angeles 5.63 Lerone Clarke 14 February 2012 Liévin Ronnie Baker4 February 2025Ostrava195.64 Davidson Ezinwa 15 February 1992 Los Angeles Aleksandr Porkhomovskiy 4 February 1994 Moscow Bruny Surin 27 January 1995 Moscow 5.64 Donovan Powell 21 February 1999 Liévin Leonard Myles-Mills 13 February 2000 Liévin Ato Boldon 16 February 2000 Madrid Tim Harden 5.64 Gerald Williams 19 February 2000 Los Angeles Jeff Laynes 20 January 2001 Los Angeles Asafa Powell 28 January 2012 New York City
Ben Johnson of Canada ran 5.55 at Ottawa, Canada on 31 January 1987, but this time was rescinded after Johnson admitted to using steroids between 1981 and 1988.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 & Su's times are inclusive.
RankTimeWind (m/s)AthleteNationDatePlace15.40 (calculated; add 0.127, or 0.13) +0.2Bruny Surin22 August 1999Seville25.42 (calculated; add 0.132, or 0.14)Maurice Greene35.43 (calculated; add 0.140)Dwain Chambers45.45 +0.9Su Bingtian1 August 2021Tokyo55.46 (calculated; add 0.136, or 0.14) +0.2Tim Harden22 August 1999Seville65.47 (calculated) +0.9Usain Bolt16 August 2009Berlin
Women Correct as of February 2026.
RankTimeAthleteNationDatePlace 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 56.05 Savatheda Fynes 13 February 2000 Liévin Philomena Mensah 76.07 Gwen Torrence 9 February 1996 Reno 86.08 Christy Opara-Thompson 16 February 1997 Liévin6.08 Veronica Campbell-Brown 28 January 2012 New York City10 6.09 Zhanna Block 2 February 1993 Moscow6.09Zaynab Dosso3 February 2026Ostrava126.11Marita Koch2 February 1980Grenoble6.11Liliana Allen13 February 2000LiévinChristine Arron26 February 2006Aubière156.12Marlies Göhr2 February 1980GrenobleSilke Möller19 February 1988BerlinAnelia Nuneva27 January 1995Moscow6.12Ewa Swoboda4 February 2025OstravaPatrizia van der Weken206.13Jeanette Bolden21 February 1981EdmontonMichelle Finn-Burrell15 February 1992Los AngelesNatalya Merzlyakova4 February 1994MoscowEkaterina Grigorieva6.13Mercy Nku25 February 2001Liévin256.14Frédérique Bangué16 February 1997LiévinPetya Pendareva21 February 1999LiévinMuriel Hurtis23 February 2003LiévinLaVerne Jones-Ferrette24 February 2012Liévin
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) and 6.11 (1996). Gail Devers also ran 6.03 (1999) and 6.10 (1993). Merlene Ottey also ran 6.06 (1999), 6.08 (1999) and 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
TimeWind (m/s)AthleteNationDatePlace5.93 (calculated) −0.1Marion Jones22 August 1999Seville
World leading times
Men YearMarkAthletePlace19685.70Madrid19715.79Kiel19725.75Grenoble19735.61Berlin19745.68Berlin19765.75Berlin19775.74Berlin19785.77Berlin19795.76Daly City19805.72Syracuse19815.61San Diego19825.76Sherbrooke19835.72Chicago19845.69San Diego19855.73PragueKobe19865.62Kobe19875.76Prague19885.72Berlin19895.68Hamilton19905.73Los Angeles19915.69Los Angeles19925.62Los Angeles5.62Liévin19935.67Hamilton19945.64Moscow19955.63 Reno19965.56 Reno19975.61Liévin19985.65Eaubonne19995.56Los Angeles20005.61MadridMadrid20015.63Madrid20025.62Liévin20035.65Liévin20045.68Liévin20055.58Liévin20065.68Liévin20075.73Aubière20085.76Saskatoon20095.70Liévin20105.71Saskatoon5.71Liévin20115.67Saskatoon20125.63Liévin20135.79Saskatoon20145.72Saskatoon20155.83Saskatoon201620175.76Saskatoon20185.67Saskatoon20195.77Saskatoon20205.73Istanbul20265.73Saskatoon
Women YearMarkAthletePlace19686.24Madrid19726.25Grenoble19746.19Berlin19766.30Berlin19786.28BerlinGrenoble19796.28Berlin19806.11Grenoble19816.13Edmonton19826.20Daly City19836.16Chicago19846.16Toronto19856.21ZwolleKobe19866.13Berlin19876.13Berlin19886.12Berlin19896.18Berlin19906.34Los AngelesCleveland19916.15Berlin19926.13Los Angeles19936.09Moscow19946.00Moscow19955.96Madrid19966.07 Reno19976.08Liévin19986.04Liévin19996.02Liévin20006.05LiévinLiévin20016.12Madrid20026.17Los Angeles20036.14Liévin20046.12Aubière20056.15Liévin20066.11Aubière20076.28Landover20086.23Bordeaux20096.26Liévin20106.21Liévin20116.27Minsk20126.08New York City20136.30Saskatoon20146.34Saskatoon20156.34Saskatoon201620176.30Saskatoon20186.30Saskatoon20196.35Saskatoon20266.09Ostrava
References