The IAAF Congress during the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, passed a motion to change the criteria by which women athletes will attain the world record. By the new criterion states that only the finish times achieved in all-women competitions would be recognized for world record purposes. The performances attained in mixed conditions will be recognized as “world best”.

With this new criterion, Paula Radcliffe’s 2003 London Marathon mark of 2:15:25 is no longer the world record but now a world best, and that her 2005 London Marathon time of 2:17:42 is the world record.

World Major Marathons (WMM) and the Association of International Marathons (AIMS) believes that the new criterion is “unfair” and “confusing”.

According to WMM and AIMS, “The vast majority of women’s road races throughout the world are held in mixed conditions. The current situation where the fastest time is not now recognised as a record is confusing and unfair and does not respect the history of our sport.”

Photo from espn.co.uk