Sketch of a lanky runner wearing a singlet

Black Male Marathon History

Photograph of a runner sprinting on road

American Born – Male African Americans All-Time Best Marathon Performance Progression

Nathan Martin – 2:10:45 – Grandma’s Marathon - 2023
Nathan Martin – 2:11:05 – The Marathon Project, Chandler, Arz - 2020
Herman Atkins – 2:11:52 – Nike OTC Marathon - 1979
Arthur Hall – 2:22:07 – Boston Marathon - 1978
Moses Mayfield – 2:24:29 – Philadelphia Marathon - 1970
Ted Corbitt – 2:26:44 – Shanahan (Philadelphia) Marathon - 1958
Ted Corbitt – 2:31:40 – Shanahan (Philadelphia) Marathon - 1955
Ted Corbitt – 2:35:50 – Junior National & Open Detroit Marathon - 1954
Ted Corbitt – 2:36:06 – Shanahan (Philadelphia) Marathon - 1954
Louis White – 2:36:48 – Boston Marathon – 1949
Aaron Morris – 2:37:31 – Boston Marathon - 1919

The List of American Born Black Marathoners All-Time Marathon Rankings

Elite Tier Sub-2:20 Marathoners

  1. Nathan Martin – 2:10:45 – Grandma’s Marathon – 4th place – 2023
  2. Stephen Jones – 2:11:17 – The Marathon Project – 8th place – 2025
  3. Herm Atkins – 2:11:52 – Nike OTC Marathon – 5th place – 1979
  4. Tai Smith – 2:13:27 – California International Marathon – 5th place – 2024
  5. JaQuavious Harris – 2:13:49 – California International Marathon – 18th place – 2025
  6. Odis Sanders – 2:14:01 – New York City Marathon – 15th place – 1981
  7. Darrell General – 2:14:42 – New Jersey Waterfront Marathon – 4th place – 1989
  8. Xavier Smith – 2:15:01 – California International Marathon – 41st place – 2025
  9. Phillip Reid – 2:16:46 – Houston Marathon – 11th place – 2023
  10. Adam Wood – 2:16:56 – California International Marathon – 63rd place – 2025
  11. Eduardo Garcia – 2:17:09 – McKirdy Micro Marathon – 21st place – 2023
  12. Jordan Daniel – 2:17:10 – McKirdy Micro Marathon – 24th place – 2023
  13. Ricky Cox – 2:17:42 – Boston Marathon – 57th place – 1983
  14. Michael Hairston – 2:17:49 – Dallas White Rock Marathon – 3rd place – 1979
  15. Duriel Hardy – 2:17:58 – California International Marathon – 31st place – 2023
  16. Brandon Johnson – 2:18:13 – California International Marathon – 32nd place – 2017
  17. Joseph Gray – 2:18:45 – Boston Marathon – 17th place – 2013
  18. Charles Hillig – 2:19:23 – California International Marathon – 13th place – 2011
  19. Darryl Brown – 2:19:26 – Houston Marathon – 23rd place – 2020
  20. Zacchaeus Widner – 2:19:53 – Grandma’s Marathon – 44th place – 2022

Elite Tier One Sub-2:30 Marathoners

  1. Bryant White Jr. – 2:20:50 – Houston Marathon – 31st place – 2025
  2. Arthur Hall – 2:22:07 – Boston Marathon – 45th place – 1978
  3. Victor Cary – 2:22:44 – San Francisco Marathon – 3rd place – 1978
  4. Derrick Jones – 2:22:47 – Twin Cities Marathon – 11th place – 2001
  5. Roosevelt Cook – 2:23:36 – Rock ‘n Roll Arizona Marathon – 3rd place – 2014
  6. Moses Mayfield – 2:24:29 – Philadelphia Marathon – 1st place – 1970
  7. Rudy Robinson – 2:24:31 – Marine Corps Marathon – 3rd place – 1986
  8. Fred Ritcherson – 2:24:36 – Trail’s End Marathon – 3rd place – 1975
  9. Verrelle Wyatt – 2:24:57 – Akron Marathon – 2nd place – 2017
  10. Will Christian – 2:25:14 – Richmond Marathon – 6th place – 2018
  11. Johnnie Engelhardt – 2:25:19 – Carolina Marathon – 2nd place – 1983
  12. Frederick Gordon Jr. – 2:25:29 – Boston Marathon – 76th place – 1978
  13. Wesley Brown – 2:25:35 – Cowtown Marathon – 1st place – 1991
  14. Ted Corbitt – 2:26:44 – Shanahan (Philadelphia) Marathon – 1st place – 1958
  15. Coree Woltering – 2:26:44 – Chicago Marathon – 44th place – 2016
  16. Fay Bradley – 2:26:45 – Boston Marathon – 212th place – 1983
  17. Louis Floyd – 2:27:20 – Tallahassee Marathon – 1st place – 1993
  18. Malik Mahmud – 2:28:22 – Boston Marathon – 241st place – 2026
  19. Ronald Joseph – 2:28:31 – Big Bear Marathon – 3rd place – 2019
  20. Jessie Close – 2:28:41 – Tallahassee Marathon – 1st place – 1992
  21. Lucius Anderson – 2:29:14 – Marine Corps Marathon – 16th place – 1985
  22. Joseph Tyler – 2:29:17 – Boston Marathon – 8th place – 1956 (*course was 1100 meters short)
  23. Keith Kilgore Jr. – 2:29:44 – California International Marathon – 203rd place – 2025

Tier Two Sub-2:37 Marathoners

  1. John Piggott – 2:30:14 – Shamrock Marathon – 5th place – 2003
  2. Larry Smith – 2:30:33 – Boston Marathon – 16th place – 1965
  3. Ronald Chisholm – 2:30:43 – Heart of America Marathon – 1st place – 1996
  4. Benjamin Tucker – 2:30:58 – San Francisco Marathon – 29th place – 1979
  5. Joseph Hurd – 2:31:11 – Oakland Marathon – 12th place – 1979
  6. Tony Floyd – 2:31:12 – Detroit Free Press Marathon – 17th place – 2024
  7. James Washington – 2:31:24 – Avenue of the Giants Marathon – 8th place – 1985
  8. David W. Smith Jr. – 2:31:28 – Woodlands Marathon – 4th place – 2016
  9. Earl Bradley – 2:31:45 – Boston Marathon – 69th place – 1974
  10. Darryl Stewart – 2:31:56 – Washington D.C. Marathon – 4th place – 1984
  11. Terry Williams – 2:31:59 – Indianapolis Monumental Marathon – 93rd place – 2025
  12. Oscar Moore – 2:32:08 – Pearl Harbor Memorial Marathon – 1st place – 1964
  13. Daniel Wallace-Periac – 2:32:29 – Florence Marathon – 19th place – 2016
  14. Aaron Truesdale – 2:32:38 – California International Marathon – 220th place – 2022
  15. Trever Reed – 2:32:52 – California International Marathon – 254th place – 2025
  16. Valentin Emmanuel – 2:33:25 – Montreal Marathon – 8th place – 2025
  17. Robert Jackson – 2:33:30 – Glass City Marathon – 17th place – 2025
  18. Marquis Bowden – 2:33:31 – California International Marathon – 154th place – 2024
  19. Dorrian Gordon – 2:33:32 – Greater St. Louis Marathon – 5th place – 2026
  20. Alex Grady – 2:33:35 – Berlin Marathon – 360th place – 2023
  21. Knox Robinson – 2:33:39 – Berlin Marathon – 156th place – 2017
  22. Sandy Dittell – 2:33:48 – Vancouver Marathon – 11th place – 2024
  23. Braxton Clark Jr. – 2:34:00 – Salisbury Marathon – 2nd place – 2025
  24. Orinthal Striggles – 2:34:04 – Tallahassee Marathon – 2nd place – 2010
  25. Jordon Garman – 2:34:07 – Ameris Bank Marathon – 3rd place – 2025
  26. Jon Rankin – 2:34:27 – California International Marathon – 42nd place – 2010
  27. Harry McCalla – 2:34:40 – Los Angeles Marathon – 11th place – 1968
  28. Jonathan Ladson – 2:35:12 – Big Sur Marathon – 3rd place – 2024
  29. Steve Holman – 2:35:15 – New York City Marathon – 70th place – 2004
  30. Anthony M. Young II – 2:35:33 – Chicago Marathon – 399th place – 2025
  31. Louis White – 2:35:53 – Boston Marathon – 4th place – 1951
  32. Brian Lindsey – 2:36:06 – Indianapolis Monumental Marathon – 52nd place – 2021
  33. Robert Kelly – 2:36:29 – Marine Corps Marathon – place unknown – 1981
  34. James Pryde Jr. – 2:36:41 – Northern Central Trail Marathon – 4th place – 1995
  35. Winthrope Wellington – 2:36:45 – Boston Marathon – 189th place – 2021
  36. Mark Baugh – 2:36:47 – New York City Marathon – 143rd place – 1984
  37. Malik Jordan – 2:36:52 – Chicago Marathon – 491st place – 2025

Honorable Mention Sub-2:48 Marathoners

  1. Paul Hayes – 2:37:13 – Harrisburg Marathon – 6th place – 2024
  2. Barrett Hopper – 2:37:27 – Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon – 6th place – 2001
  3. Aaron Morris – 2:37:31 – Boston Marathon – 6th place – 1919
  4. Da’Rel Patterson – 2:37:31 – Big Bear Marathon – 6th place – 2019
  5. John Goff – 2:37:35 – Boston Marathon – 9th place – 1921
  6. Warren Elzy – 2:37:37 – Las Vegas Marathon – place unknown – 1989
  7. Herbert Robinson – 2:37:55 – Marine Corps Marathon – place unknown – 1988
  8. Aaron Anderson – 2:38:13 – Berlin Marathon – 592nd place – 2023
  9. Kwaku Ofori-Atta – 2:38:29 – Boston Marathon – 993rd place – 2026
  10. Errol Jones – 2:38:32 – Boston Marathon – 756th place – 1981
  11. Jimmy Borden – 2:38:42 – Shanahan (Philadelphia) Marathon – 4th place – 1956
  12. Jeremiah Cooley – 2:38:42 – Chicago Marathon – 607th place – 2025
  13. Al Williams – 2:39:12 – Road Runners Club National Marathon – 9th place – 1967
  14. Naim Bell – 2:39:20 – Chicago Marathon – 653rd place – 2025
  15. Harold Harris – 2:39:31 – Windy City Marathon – 4th place – 1964
  16. Julian Curry – 2:40:00 – Eugene Marathon – 80th place – 2026
  17. Clifton Mitchell – 2:40:12 – Boston Marathon – 13th place – 1921
  18. Marcus Lafleur – 2:40:17 – Seville Marathon – 541st place – 2024
  19. Eric Sandifer – 2:40:39 – California International Marathon – 35th place – 1996
  20. Keefe “Butch” Walker – 2:40:52 – Harrisburg Marathon – 24th place – 1980
  21. B. Joel Hackett – 2:41:03 – Tokyo Marathon – 428th place – 2024
  22. Remus Medley – 2:41:30 – Philadelphia Marathon – 44th place – 2005
  23. Reggie Humdy – 2:41:33 – Oakland Marathon – 42nd place – 1981
  24. Jerry Francois – 2:41:40 – Berlin Marathon – 218th place – 2023
  25. John Flamer – 2:42:15 – Yonkers Marathon – 7th place – 1963
  26. Keldy Ortiz – 2:42:17 – Chicago Marathon – 908th place – 2025
  27. Richard Evans – 2:42:48 – Boston Marathon – place unknown – 1981
  28. Steven Barnes – 2:42:54 – California International Marathon – 411th place – 2019
  29. Jared Beads – 2:42:xx – Boston Marathon – place unknown – 1974
  30. Jaren Gilliam – 2:43:00 – Glass City Marathon – 43rd place – 2025
  31. Josh Jackson – 2:43:11 – Delaware Marathon – 1st place – 2026
  32. Augustus “Gus” Johnson – 2:43:13 – Boston Marathon – 11th place – 1936
  33. Kwami Ketosugbo – 2:43:26 – Jersey City Marathon – 70th place – 2026
  34. Carmichael Caldwell III – 2:43:59 – London Marathon – 924th place – 2025
  35. Isiah Johnson – 2:44:16 – Chicago Marathon – 1140th place – 2025
  36. Malik Dorris – 2:44:19 – Indianapolis Monumental Marathon – 67th place – 2018
  37. Lance Woods – 2:44:21 – Berlin Marathon – 1060th place – 2023
  38. Richard Scott – 2:44:30 – London Marathon – 1045th place – 2026
  39. Alfred Tucker – 2:44:50 – JFK Marathon – 102nd place – 1994
  40. Jarrhett Butler – 2:44:53 – Chicago Marathon – 1219th place – 2025
  41. Daryl Murphy – 2:44:59 – Chicago Marathon – 1231st place – 2025
  42. Shaka Dukes – 2:45:26 – Boston Marathon – 1130th place – 2023
  43. Malcolm Peacock – 2:45:50 – Woodlands Marathon – 26th place – 2021
  44. David Dorsey – 2:46:17 – Marine Corps Marathon – 46th place – 2006
  45. Sylvester Franklin – 2:46:18 – California International Marathon – 117th place – 2015
  46. Abo Jimata – 2:46:18 – Houston Marathon – 213th place – 2026
  47. Adam Burum – 2:46:23 – Houston Marathon – 212th place – 2026
  48. Sid Howard – 2:46:27 – New York City Marathon – 608th place – 1982
  49. Michael Pulliam – 2:46:28 – America’s (Chicago) Marathon – place unknown – 1986
  50. Leon Dreher – 2:46:58 – Shanahan (Philadelphia) Marathon – 3rd place – 1962
  51. Thomas Bailey (aka Tommie Runz) – 2:46:59 – Boston Marathon – 1323rd place – 2023
  52. Phil McNeal – 2:47:14 – Quad Cities Marathon – 9th place – 2014
  53. Derwin Graham – 2:47:14 – Boston Marathon – 2389th place – 2026
  54. Ronald Wallace – 2:47:17 – Houston Marathon – 231st place – 2026
  55. Kevin Acevedo – 2:47:38 – Boston Marathon – 2470th place – 2026
  56. Reginald Cross – 2:47:40 – Berlin Marathon – 1267th place – 2023
  57. Christopher Howard – 2:47:40 – Chicago Marathon – 1553rd place – 2025
  58. Samuel Harvell – 2:47:42 – California International Marathon – 128th place – 1995
  59. Frederic Wilson – 2:47:56 – Vancouver Marathon – 60th place – 1985

Sub-3:00

  1. Quintin Moses – 2:48:09 – Jersey City Marathon – 122nd place – 2026
  2. Alexander Whittaker – 2:48:11 – Adirondack Marathon – 1st place – 2023
  3. Akil Defour – 2:48:19 – Berlin Marathon – 2032nd place – 2024
  4. Jeff Williams – 2:48:35 – Atlanta Marathon – 20th place – 2025
  5. Dashawn Williams – 2:48:21 – Boston Marathon – 2629th place – 2026
  6. Sean Hicks – 2:48:51 – Cheap Marathon – 11th place – 2023
  7. Deonta Pittman – 2:48:55 – Chicago Marathon – 1226th place – 2024
  8. Hagos Mesgoun – 2:48:57 – Chicago Marathon – 1231st place – 2024
  9. Philip King – 2:48:58 – Chicago Marathon – 1227th place – 2023
  10. Adonis Graham – 2:49:05 – Boston Marathon – 2796th place – 2026
  11. Abdullah Kaba – 2:49:14 – Jack & Jill’s Downhill Marathon – 9th place – 2026
  12. Jason Phillips – 2:49:17 – Steamtown Marathon – 9th place – 2018
  13. Simeon Omorodion – 2:49:17 – Erie Marathon – 54th place – 2025
  14. Chandler Cole – 2:49:20 – Marine Corps Marathon – 122nd place – 2024
  15. Christopher Chandler – 2:49:33 – Chicago Marathon – 1315th place – 2024
  16. Bernard Lyles – 2:49:36 – Chicago Marathon – 165th place – 1994
  17. Anayo Osueke – 2:49:40 – New York City Marathon – 513th place – 2023
  18. Terence Piggins – 2:49:48 – U.S. Air Force Marathon – 17th place – 1999
  19. Eugene Pinder – 2:49:48 – California International Marathon – 787th place – 2025
  20. William Sollers – 2:49:49 – Shamrock Marathon – 17th place – 1975
  21. Bjorn Trowery – 2:50:04 – Houston Marathon – 302nd place – 2026
  22. TaMar Hicks – 2:50:19 – Deseret News Marathon – 13th place – 2025
  23. Joseph X – 2:50:36 – Eugene Marathon – 257th place – 2026
  24. Chris Dougé – 2:50:49 – Amsterdam Marathon – 441st place – 2024
  25. Abel Girma – 2:50:57 – Boston Marathon – 3183rd place – 2026
  26. Omar Moore – 2:51:01 – Houston Marathon – 135th place – 2016
  27. Alphonzo Jackson – 2:51:04 – California International Marathon – 143rd place – 1984
  28. Robert Johnson – 2:51:10 – Chicago Marathon – 462nd place – 1999
  29. Jacques Morel – 2:51:28 – Jersey City Marathon – 177th place – 2026
  30. Joseph Shayne – 2:51:53 – Paris Marathon – 713th place – 2022
  31. Robert Denmark – 2:52:00 – SunTrust National Marathon – 33rd place – 2011
  32. Markelle Taylor – 2:52:00 – Boston Marathon – 1664th place – 2022
  33. Najib Jai – 2:52:09 – Marine Corps Marathon – 206th place – 2025
  34. Jason Crawford – 2:52:34 – Boston Marathon – 2730th place – 2025
  35. Corey Joyner – 2:52:54 – Chicago Marathon – 1112th place – 2022
  36. Jambaar Stills – 2:52:57 – Shamrock Marathon – 29th place – 2023
  37. Christopher Bordenave – 2:52:57 – Tokyo Marathon – 1120th place – 2024
  38. Isaiah Douglas – 2:52:59 – Savannah Marathon – place unknown – 1992
  39. Ryan Burrell – 2:53:01 – Houston Marathon – 390th place – 2026
  40. Mark Glover – 2:53:06 – Indianapolis Monumental Marathon – 332nd place – 2024
  41. Joseph X – 2:50:36 – Eugene Marathon – 257th place – 2026
  42. Tunde Akinyeke – 2:53:26 – Berlin Marathon – 2810th place – 2024
  43. Mike Moreau – 2:53:39 – California International Marathon – 655th place – 2018
  44. Aaron Potts – 2:54:01 – OC Marathon – 45th place – 2025
  45. Nigel McGregor – 2:54:25 – Chicago Marathon – 1971st place – 2023
  46. Jabari Johnson – 2:54:25 – Mesa Marathon – 118th place – 2026
  47. Derrick Bates Jr. – 2:54:35 – Seattle Marathon – 54th place – 2025
  48. Dylan Harwell – 2:55:09 – White Mountains Marathon – 40th place – 2024
  49. Raymond Norris – 2:55:22 – Los Angeles Marathon – 104th place – 2026
  50. Robert Anthony – 2:55:26 – Surf City Marathon – 17th place – 2025
  51. Donovan Anderson – 2:55:32 – Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon – 7th place – 2023
  52. Lionel Adams – 2:55:38 – Marine Corps Marathon – 212th place – 2024
  53. Ty Torrance – 2:55:43 – Tidewater Strider Marathon – 8th place – 2025
  54. Samuel Weaver – 2:55:54 – Philadelphia Marathon – 103rd place – 2024
  55. Michael Rodgers – 2:56:02 – Boston Marathon – 882nd place – 2010
  56. Errol Daniels Jr. – 2:56:13 – Jacksonville Marathon – 31st place – 2020
  57. Olajuwon Core – 2:56:14 – Chicago Marathon – 2325th place – 2024
  58. Geraldt Stewart – 2:56:17 – California International Marathon – 924th place – 2024
  59. Justin Gerald – 2:56:25 – Chicago Marathon – 674th place – 2015
  60. Mosi King – 2:56:30 – Steamtown Marathon – 46th place – 2004
  61. David Sanders – 2:56:38 – Mesa Marathon – 85th place – 2023
  62. Peter Campbell – 2:56:38 – California International Marathon – 1136th place – 2025
  63. Armani McDonald – 2:56:39 – Marine Corps Marathon – 295th place – 2025
  64. Frank Martin – 2:56:41 – Boston Marathon – 25th place – 1921
  65. Damón Manning – 2:56:43 – Philadelphia Marathon – 285th place – 2012
  66. Joshua Potts – 2:56:45 – New York City Marathon – 1660th place – 2024
  67. Lester Crockett III – 2:56:45 – Marine Corps Marathon – 302nd place – 2025
  68. Jaylen Hall – 2:56:51 – Chicago Marathon – 3195th place – 2025
  69. Ralph Jackson – 2:57:01 – Boston Marathon – 731st place – 1977
  70. Ryan Smith – 2:57:01 – Cowtown Marathon – 17th place – 2023
  71. Joe Robinson – 2:57:16 – Sri Chinmoy Marathon – 29th place – 2024
  72. Julian Alston – 2:57:17 – Jersey City Marathon – 233rd place – 2025
  73. Brian Adams – 2:57:25 – Athens Ohio Marathon – 25th place – 2026
  74. Melvin Van Peebles – 2:57:33 – Skylon International Marathon – 165th place – 1982
  75. Michael Grier – 2:57:36 – Newport News One City Marathon – 11th place – 2019
  76. Jesse Warren – 2:57:40 – Los Angeles Marathon – 147th place – 2024
  77. Jesse Determann – 2:58:03 – Berlin Marathon – 2007th place – 2022
  78. Aaron Barnett – 2:58:03 – Glass City Marathon – 127th place – 2026
  79. Cadelro Frank – 2:58:09 – Houston Marathon – 573rd place – 2026
  80. Edwin Peets – 2:58:20 – Skylon International Marathon – 180th place – 1982
  81. Edwin Caceres – 2:58:25 – Boston Marathon – 2871st place – 2022
  82. Lorne Reminick – 2:58:26 – New York City Marathon – 2119th place – 2025
  83. Darin Lawrence – 2:58:30 – Indianapolis Monumental Marathon – 491st place – 2024
  84. Larry Lewis – 2:58:37 – New Jersey Waterfront Marathon – place unknown – 1989
  85. Jarred Ervin – 2:58:38 – Mesa Marathon – 94th place – 2022
  86. Leroy McCoy – 2:58:38 – Hartford Marathon – 88th place – 2025
  87. Glen Shane – 2:58:41 – New York City Marathon – 1463rd place – 1981
  88. Estus Barron – 2:58:43 – Boston Marathon – 2309th place – 2015
  89. Ralph Cooke – 2:58:47 – Boston Marathon – 1194th place – 2000
  90. DeVaughn Woodyard – 2:59:03 – Cowtown Marathon – 17th place – 2025
  91. Frederick Davis III – 2:59:14 – Niagara Falls International Marathon – 42nd place – 1985
  92. Xavier McFadden – 2:59:25 – Shamrock Marathon – 60th place – 2023
  93. Maurice Pointer – 2:59:27 – Northern Central Trail Marathon – 6th place – 2015
  94. Shannon Sangster – 2:59:30 – Rhode Island Marathon – 21st place – 2022
  95. Casey Evans – 2:59:33 – Santa Rosa Marathon – 13th place – 2011
  96. Eric Campbell – 2:59:37 – Pocatello Marathon – 7th place – 2024
  97. Joshua Marshall – 2:59:39 – Fort Lauderdale Marathon – 6th place – 2026
  98. Christopher Davius – 2:59:51 – Houston Marathon – 657th place – 2025
  99. Paul Turner – 2:59:54 – Baltimore Running Festival – 40th place – 2022
  100. Alex Abrante – 2:59:57 – London Marathon – 2943rd place – 2025
Runner in green singlet passing cheering crowd
Nathan Martin
Three runners competing in an outdoor road race
Herman “Herm” Atkins
Runners racing on wet road
Arthur “Art” Hall
Runner with number 3 passing old wooden barn
Moses Mayfield
Runner approaching finish line amid crowds
Theodore “Ted” Corbitt
Four runners racing down a city street
Louis “Lou” White
Vintage portrait of smiling man in suit
Aaron Morris