World record scoring history

The World Athletics scoring tables attempt to assign scores to all performances so that equivalent performances in different events can be compared. For example, a time of 10.63 seconds for 100m (men) scores 999 points, and that score is assigned to 47.71 seconds for 400m, so those two performances are considered equivalent.

The tables were first compiled in the early 1950s, and are updated periodically, the last time on Jan 9, 2025. The following bar chart races trace the scores of the world records over time, showing which records have evolved fastest.