World Records for Backwards Running

Corrections and information about new record attempts is more than welcome. Please send an e-mail to info@recordholders.org.
LINKS:
RetroRunning World Championship 2016,
Retrorunning.de,
Retrorunning Austria,
Associazione Italiana Retrorunning,
Reverse Running UK

MEN

distance runner time when and where
50 yards (1) C. Metcalf (USA) 9 1/4 sec
 4 October 1883, Faribault, Minn., USA

S. S. Schuyler (USA) 7 4/5 sec
 8 October 1887, New York
100 yards (1) Murrumgunerrimin (Jimmy Tarpot) (AUS) 14 sec
 28 Dec 1866

Bill Robinson (USA) 13.5 sec 1930

Paul Wilson (NZL) 13.3 sec 10 April 1977, Hastings, New Zealand

Paul Wilson (NZL) 13.1 sec
 22 Sept 1979, Tokyo, Japan

Ferdie Ato Adoboe (GHA) 12.8 sec
 28 July 1983, Amherst, USA

Ferdie Ato Adoboe (GHA) 12.7 sec 25 July 1991 at Smith's College, Northampton, Mass. USA
100 m
 Vaclav Fiser (TCH) 18 sec 1972

Paul Wilson (NZL) 14.4 sec
 22 Sept 1979, Tokyo, Japan

Ferdie Ato Adoboe (GHA) 14.0 sec
 28 July 1983, Amherst, USA

Ferdie Ato Adoboe (GHA) 13.6 sec 25 July 1991 at Smith's College, Northampton, Mass., USA

Roland Wegner (GER) 13.6 sec
 4 August 2007, Horgau, Germany

Christian López Rodríguez (ESP)
 13.17 sec
 5 June 2022 in Cabañas de la Sagra, Spain
100 m, Double Leg Amputees (T43) Dwayne Fernandes (AUS)
 29.89 sec
 15 July 2016 in Essen, Germany
200 m Bud Badyna (USA) 32.78 sec 17 Jan 2001, Santa Clarita, USA

Roland Wegner (GER) 32.38 sec
 13 June 2004, Hof/Saale, Germany

Roland Wegner (GER) 31.56 sec
 28 September 2008 in Landsberg, Germany

David Winterstein (GER) 30.44 sec
 15 July 2016 in Essen, Germany

Fleury Contreras Urbano (DOM) 30.33 s
 14 July 2018 in Bologna, Italy
200 m, Double Leg Amputees (T43)
 Dwayne Fernandes (AUS) 1:22.44 min
 15 July 2016 in Essen, Germany
400 m Gerard Cornelissen (NED) 1:24 min 1993

Stefano Morselli (ITA) 1:22 min 1995

Stefano Morselli (ITA) 1:16.92 min 1 May 2002, Utrecht, Netherlands

Thomas Dold (GER) 1:14.04 min
 20 June 2004, Gengenbach, Germany

Thomas Dold (GER) 1:09.56 min
 17 June 2005, Utrecht, Netherlands

Dan Yoder (USA) 1:08.34 min
 14 July 2018 in Bologna, Italy
800 m Gerard Cornelissen (NED) 3:01 min 1993

Stefano Morselli (ITA) 2:57.39 min 18 Nov 1995, Castelnovo Monti, Italy

Brian Godsey (USA) 2:50.4 min 15 June 2004, Miami University Track, Oxford, Ohio (USA)

Thomas Dold (GER) 2:40 min
 20 June 2004, Gengenbach, Germany

Thomas Dold (GER) 2:31.3 min
 20 Sept 2008, Pietrasanta, Italy
4 x 100 m Relay (2) Stefaan Sonck, Luc Vits, Peter de Winter, Jos Cammaerts (BEL) 1:23.75 min 28 June 2002, Brussels

Jos Cammaerts, Stefaan Sonck, Ivan Sonck, ChrisVan San (BEL) 1:17.70 min 27 June 2003, Brussels

Dwain Brown, Scott Fraser, Christo King, Ryan Kyle (RSA)
 1:10.08 min
 12 Oct 2004, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Franz Meier, Franz Wirth, Roland Wegner, Thomas Dold (GER) 1:06.96 min
 10 June 2006, Rotkreuz, Switzerland

SpVgg Auerbach/Streitheim (Stefan Siegert, Franz Wirth, Roland Wegner, Stefan Weigel) (GER)
 1:03.7 min
 4 August 2007, Horgau, Germany

Sebastian Krauser, Stefan Siegert, Roland Wegner, Gene Allen (GER) VIDEO 1:02.55 min 11 August 2007, Neustadt a.d. Waldnaab, Germany

Aleksandar Askovic, Stefan Siegert, Roland Wegner, Roland Hailer (GER) 1:02.07 min
 19 September 2015, Augsburg, Germany

Elias Becker, David Winterstein, Philipp Delfosse and Florian Jocher (GER) VIDEO
 1:01.05 min
 12 July 2017, Emmendingen, Germany
1000 x 100 m Mass Relay
 "Geschwister Scholl"-School Krauschwitz (GER) 9:51:08 hrs
 17 June 2005, Krauschwitz, Germany
4 x 200 m Relay Bart De Vos, Michaël Lebrecht, Gabriel Ouli, Jimmy Gatachew (BEL)
 3:22.97 min
 25 June 2004, Brussels

SpVgg Auerbach/Streitheim (Albert Vogg, Werner Holl, Peter Hildensperger, Franz Wirth) (GER)
 2:40.85 min
 3 August 2005, Horgau, Germany

SV Werder Bremen (Olaf Kelterborn, Philipp Arlt, Hauke John, Bela Renk) (GER)
 2:29.63 Min
 29 May 2010, Bremen, Germany
100 x 200 m Mass Relay
 "Geschwister Scholl"-School Krauschwitz (GER) 1:57.08 St
 17 June 2005, Krauschwitz, Germany
4 x 400 m Relay (2) Italy
 6:37.4 Min
 2008

Germany (Albert Vogg, Gerhard Maier, Roland Wegner, Thomas Dold)
 5:36.40 Min
 7 August 2010, Kapfenberg, Austria

America (Aaron Yoder (USA), Diego Polino (MEX), Wilfredo Díaz García (CUB), Fleury Contreras Urbano (DOM)) 5:29.61 Min
 16 July 2016 in Essen, Germany

Germany (Markus Jürgens, Florian Jocher, David Winterstein, Philipp Delfosse) 5:11,54 Min
 14 July 2018 in Bologna, Italy
Half Mile
 Rob Gottlieb (USA)
 3:30 min
 2002, Long Island

Ronald Provenzano (USA)
 3:23 min
 2003, Long Island
1000 m Reinhard Thurner (GER)
 4:34 min
 24 Febr 2001, Augsburg, Germany

Andreas Seitel (GER) 4:27.4 min
 9 Febr 2002, Augsburg, Germany

Bud Badyna (USA) 3:55 min
 6 October 2002,  Albignasego, Italy

Thomas Dold (GER) 4:07 min
 1 March 2003, Augsburg, Germany

Berno Ottermann (RSA) 3:39 min
 12 July 2003, Ismaning, Germany

Thomas Dold (GER) 3:36.27 min
 13 July 2003, Meßkirch, Germany

Thomas Dold (GER) 3:35 min
 21 Febr 2004, Augsburg, Germany DETAILS (in German language)

Thomas Dold (GER) 3:32.35 min
 18 July 2004, Meßkirch, Germany

Thomas Dold (GER) 3:20.09 min 13 July 2008, Nußloch, Germany

Thomas Dold (GER) 3:18.43 min
 19 July 2014, Linz, Austria VIDEO
1500 m Thomas Dold (GER) 5:55 min
 7 May 2004, Weiz, Austria

Michele Ermacora (ITA)
 5:53 min
 4 June 2004, Padova, Italy

Thomas Dold (GER) 5:24 min
 7 May 2006, Gengenbach, Germany

Thomas Dold (GER) 5:01 min
 18 September, Trier, Germany
1 Mile
 Ron Austin (USA) 6:23 min
 1981

Donald A. Davis (USA)
 6:07.1 min
 21 Feb 1983, University of Hawai

D. Joseph James (IND) 6:02.35 min
 10 Aug 2002, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India

Thomas Dold (GER) 5:46.59 min 18 July 2004, Meßkirch, Germany
2000 m
 Bud Badyna (USA) 9:19 min
 13 Oct 2002, Hamburg, Germany

Stefano Morselli (ITA) 9:15 min
 6 Sept 2003, Collesalvetti, Italy

Stefano Morselli (ITA) 8:36 min
 27 Sept 2003, Camaiore, Italy

Thomas Dold (GER) 7:13.00 min 18 July 2004, Meßkirch, Germany
3000 m
 Stefano Morselli (ITA) 12:48 min
 25 July 1996, Poviglio, Italy

Brian Godsey (USA) 11:54 min
 3 July 2004, Poviglio, Italy

Thomas Dold (GER) 11:32.9 min
 14 May 2005, Gengenbach, Germany

Thomas Dold (GER) 11:25.85 min
 13 September 2006, Düsseldorf, Germany

Brian Godsey (USA) 11:19.98 min
 13 July 2008, Nußloch, Germany

Thomas Dold (GER) 11:11.76 min
 2 August 2014, Aosta, Italy

Thomas Dold (GER) 11:00.90 min
 13 July 2018 in Bologna, Italy
5000 m
 Bud Badyna (USA) 21:50.6 min
 3 August 1991, Oregon, USA

Brian Godsey (USA) 19:31.89 min
 13 July 2008, Nußloch, Germany

Thomas Dold (GER) 19:07.13 min
 23 May 2018, Dresden, Germany
10000 m Achim Aretz (GER)   VIDEO
 41:26.13 min
 8 August 2010, Kapfenberg, Austria

Thomas Dold (GER)  VIDEO 40:58 min
 8 May 2011, Dresden, Germany

Achim Aretz (GER) 40:02 min
 10 June 2011, Frauen-Elitefeld, Germany

Thomas Dold (GER) 39:20 min
 26 April 2015, Dresden, Germany

Thomas Dold (GER) 38:50,01 min
 15 July 2016 in Essen, Germany
Half Marathon
 Yves Pol (FRA) 1:42 hrs
 7 August 1987

Achim Aretz (GER)
 1:40:29 hrs
 28 November 2009, Essen, Germany

Achim Aretz (GER) 1:35:49 hrs
 28 May 2011, Koblenz, Germany
Marathon Ernest C. Conner jr (USA)
 5:18 hrs
 26 Oct 1980, New York

Anthony Weiland (USA) 4:07:54 hrs
 3 Oct 1982, Detroit, USA

Albert Freese (USA)
 3:59:07 hrs
 Feb 1985, Seal Beach, USA

Yves Pol (FRA) 3:57:56 hrs
 16 Sept 1987, Montamagny

Yves Pol (FRA) 3:57:26 hrs
 13 May 1990, Budapest

Bud Badyna (USA) 3:53:17 hrs 24 April 1994 Toledo, USA

Xu Zhenjun (CHN)
 3:43:39 hrs
 17 October 2004, Beijing, China

Achim Aretz (GER) 3:42:41 hrs
 31 October 2010, Frankfurt/Main, Germany

Markus Jürgens (GER) VIDEO 3:38:27 St.
 9 April 2017 in Hannover, Germany
100 km Hassan Kurt (GER)(3)
 21:34 hrs
 11-12 June 2016, Eschborn/Niederhöchstadt, Germany

Ralf Klug (GER) VIDEO 21:20:31 hrs
 9-10 June 2017, Bienne, Switzerland

Hassan Kurt (GER) 16:53:13 hrs 23-24 June 2018, Eschborn/Niederhöchstadt, Germany

Markus Jürgens (GER) 12:20:37 hrs 4 May 2019, WHEW Ultramarathon, Germany
24 Hours Lindsay R. Dodd (GBR)
 ca. 129 km [80 mi]
 9-10 April 1976, Leeds - Kendal, Great Britain

Veikko Matias (FIN)
 129.55 km [80.5 mi]
 7-8 Oct 1978, Niinisalo, Finland

Donald A. Davis (USA)
 133.5 km [82.95 mi]
 22-23 April 1983, Honolulu

Anthony Thornton (USA) 135.2 km [84.0 mi]
 Minneapolis 31 Dec 1985 - 1 Jan 1986

Anthony Thornton (USA)
 153.52 km
[95.40 mi]
 Minneapolis 31 Dec 1988-1 Jan 1989

(1) 100 yd  was a classic sprint distance. Like other Imperial distances, it was removed from the athletics world record lists in 1977. The last records for 100 yd were in fact 100 m times, calculated down to 100 yd.
(2) The record for 4x400 m for national teams is 5:33.50 min by Germany (Achim Aretz, Eric Salomon, Christoph Diehl, Marc-Andre Ocklenburg), achieved on 16 July 2016 in Essen, Germany.
(3) (3) Ching-Kuang Hsueh (TPE) was reported to have run the 100 km at Kaohsiung (Taiwan) on 2. February 2009  in 13:20:43 hours. Unfortunately, we do not have a documentation of this record claim.

12 hours on a treadmill: Martin Trimmel (GER), 61.47 km on 3 September 2022
Trans-USA: Arvind Pandya (IND) walked backwards from Los Angeles to New York (5,100 km) in 107 days on 18 Aug - 3 Dec 1984.
Longest Distance: Plennie L. Wingo (USA) walked from Santa Monica (California) to Istanbul (Turkey) (about 13,000 km [8,000 mi])  from 15 April 1931 to 24 October 1932.

WOMEN

distance
 runner
 time
 when and where
100 m Riana Truter (RSA) 20.3 sec
 12 Oct 2004, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Anke Lang (GER) 19.93 sec
3 June 2006, Horgau, Germany

Simone Kühn (AUT) 17.80 sec
 10 June 2006, Rotkreuz, Switzerland

Isabella Wagner (GER)
 16.8 sec
 4 August 2007, Horgau, Germany
200 m Marjorie Isaks (RSA)
 43.5 sec
 12 Oct 2004, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Isabella Wagner (GER) 38.47 sec
 13 July 2008, Nußloch, Germany

Melanie Albrecht (GER)
 37.94 sec
 25 August 2012, Lleida, Spain
400 m
 Karien Coppens (NED)
 1:45.65 min
 9 May 2002, Netherlands

Sabrina Bianchi (ITA) 1:34.63 min
 25 September 2004, Versilia, Italy

Claudia Wirth (GER) 1:32.85 min
 2 August 2006, Horgau, Germany

Isabella Wagner (GER) 1:29.0 min
 4 August 2007, Horgau, Germany
4 x 100 m Relay
 Hilde Meesters, Stephany Baxter, Annmieke Demaeghdt and Edith Grollé 1:48.79 min
 28 June 2002, Brussels

Deidré Gerstner, Marjorie Isaks, Ilse Gideons, Eloïze Fry (RSA)
 1:26.9 min
 12 Oct 2004, Stellenbosch, South Africa

SpVgg Auerbach/Streitheim  (Jasmin Mareth, Maria Schimunek, Anke Lang, Isabella Wagner) (GER)
 1:21.79 min 3 June 2006, Horgau, Germany

Claudia Treu, Gertrud Wagner, Isabella Wagner,  Claudia Wirth (GER) 1:19.06 min
 10 June 2006, Rotkreuz, Switzerland

SpVgg Auerbach/Streitheim  (Jasmin Mareth, Anke Lang, Claudia Wex, Isabella Wagner) (GER) 1:17.8 min 4 August 2007, Horgau, Germany
4 x 200 m Relay Hilde Meesters, Riet Vandeputte, Inneke Beirnaert, Karoline Denies (BEL) 3:46.55 min
 25 June 2004, Brussels

SpVgg Auerbach/Streitheim (Jasmin Mareth, Julia Graber, Anke Lang, Isabella Wagner) (GER) 3:32.09 min 3 August 2005, Horgau, Germany

LC Solbad Ravensberg (Ilona Pfeiffer, Cordula Reinhardt, Antje Strothmann, Ingeborg Vogt) (GER)
 3:11.78 min
 14 August 2009, Borgholzhausen, Germany
100 x 200 m Mass Relay
 "Geschwister Scholl"-School Krauschwitz (GER) 2:18:32 hr
 17 June 2005, Krauschwitz, Germany
800 m Claudia Treu (GER)
 4:00,65 min
 3 June 2006, Horgau, Germany

Marga Dolfi (ITA)
 3:50.7 min
 20 September 2008, Pietrasanta, Italy

Antje Strothmann (GER)
 3:13.86 min
 15 August 2009, Borgholzhausen, Germany
1000 m
 Stefania Zambello (ITA)
 4:25 min
 2001, Italy

Stefania Zambello (ITA) 4:20 min
 1 March 2003, Augsburg, Germany
1 Mile
 Stefania Zambello (ITA) 7:34 min
 September  1998, Albignasego, Italy
2000 m
 Ann Ebner (GER)
 12:31.6 min
 27 July 2003, Hamburg, Germany

Sabrina Bianchi (ITA) 10:09 min
 17 July 2004, Camaiore, Italy
3000 m
 Stefania Zambello (ITA) 13:57 min
 July 1998, Prato,  Italy

Stefania Zambello (ITA) 13:42 min
 3 July 2004, Poviglio, Italy

Stefania Zambello (ITA) 13:19.4 min
 3 October 2004, Albignasego, Italy
5000 m
 Paula Mairer (AUT) 29:13 min
 8 January 2005, Salsburg, Austria

Kerstin Metzler-Mennenga (LIE)
 28:47
 16 March 2008, Rome

Kerstin Metzler-Mennenga (LIE) 24:11.6 min
 20 Sept 2008, Pietrasanta, Italy
10000 m Paula Mairer (AUT) 1:01:31 hrs
 12 December 2004, Vienna, Austria

Kerstin Metzler-Mennenga (LIE) 58:48 min
 16 March 2008, Rome

Kerstin Metzler-Mennenga (LIE) 51:53.2 min
 21 Sept 2008, Pietrasanta, Italy
Half Marathon
 Paula Mairer (AUT) 2:49:48 hrs
 10 October 2004, Salsburg, Austria

Kerstin Mennenga (LIE) 2:15:38 hrs
 9 September 2006, Munich, Germany

Kerstin Metzler-Mennenga (LIE) 2:11:42 hrs
 16 March 2008, Rome

Kerstin Metzler (LIE)
 1:57:08 hrs
 19 September 2009, Perugia, Italy
Marathon Paula Mairer (AUT) 6:05:42 hrs(1) 7 November 2004, Starnberg, Germany

Kerstin Metzler-Mennenga (LIE) 4:42:39 hrs
 16 March 2008, Rome

Kathryn Clewley (CAN)
 4:26:06 hrs
 5 November 2017, Hamilton, Canada

(1) This record has been achieved on a 400 m track. Paula Mairer later set another record for the fastest backwards marathon in a sanctioned marathon race - 6:27:11 hrs at the Vienna Marathon 2005.

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