Black Male Marathon History

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 male marathoners All-Time Marathon Rankings

Elite Tier (sub-2:20)

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

Elite Tier One (sub-2:30)

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

Tier Two (sub-2:37)

John Piggott – 2:30:14 – Shamrock Marathon – 5th place – 2003
Larry Smith – 2:30:33 – Boston Marathon – 16th place – 1965
Ronald Chisholm – 2:30:43 – Heart of America Marathon – 1st place – 1996
Benjamin Tucker – 2:30:58 – San Francisco Marathon – 29th place – 1979
Joseph Hurd – 2:31:11 – Oakland Marathon – 12th place – 1979
Tony Floyd – 2:31:12 – Detroit Free Press Marathon – 17th place – 2024
James Washington – 2:31:24 – Avenue of the Giants Marathon – 8th place – 1985
David W. Smith Jr. – 2:31:28 – Woodlands Marathon – 4th place – 2016
Earl Bradley – 2:31:45 – Boston Marathon – 69th place – 1974
Darryl Stewart – 2:31:56 – Washington D.C. Marathon – 4th place – 1984
Terry Williams – 2:31:59 – Indianapolis Monumental Marathon – 93rd place – 2025
Oscar Moore – 2:32:08 – Pearl Harbor Memorial Marathon – 1st place – 1964
Daniel Wallace-Periac – 2:32:29 – Florence Marathon – 19th place – 2016
Aaron Truesdale – 2:32:38 – California International Marathon – 220th place – 2022
Trever Reed – 2:32:52 – California International Marathon – 254th place – 2025
Valentin Emmanuel – 2:33:25 – Montreal Marathon – 8th place – 2025
Robert Jackson – 2:33:30 – Glass City Marathon – 17th place – 2025
Marquis Bowden – 2:33:31 – California International Marathon – 154th place – 2024
Alex Grady – 2:33:35 – Berlin Marathon – 360th place – 2023
Knox Robinson – 2:33:39 – Berlin Marathon – 156th place – 2017
Sandy Dittell – 2:33:48 – Vancouver Marathon – 11th place – 2024
Braxton Clark Jr. – 2:34:00 – Salisbury Marathon – 2nd place – 2025
Orinthal Striggles – 2:34:04 – Tallahassee Marathon – 2nd place – 2010
Jordon Garman – 2:34:07 – Ameris Bank Marathon – 3rd place – 2025
Jon Rankin – 2:34:27 – California International Marathon – 42nd place – 2010
Harry McCalla – 2:34:40 – Los Angeles Marathon – 11th place – 1968
Dorrian Gordon – 2:35:08 – Chicago Marathon – 377th place – 2025
Jonathan Ladson – 2:35:12 – Big Sur Marathon – 3rd place – 2024
Steve Holman – 2:35:15 – New York City Marathon – 70th place – 2004
Anthony M. Young II – 2:35:33 – Chicago Marathon – 399th place – 2025
Louis White – 2:35:53 – Boston Marathon – 4th place – 1951
Brian Lindsey – 2:36:06 – Indianapolis Monumental Marathon – 52nd place – 2021
Robert Kelly – 2:36:29 – Marine Corps Marathon – place unknown – 1981
James Pryde Jr. – 2:36:41 – Northern Central Trail Marathon – 4th place – 1995
Winthrope Wellington – 2:36:45 – Boston Marathon – 189th place – 2021
Mark Baugh – 2:36:47 – New York City Marathon – 143rd place – 1984
Malik Jordan – 2:36:52 – Chicago Marathon – 491st place – 2025

Honorable Mention (sub-2:48)

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

Sub-3:00

Alexander Whittaker – 2:48:11 – Adirondack Marathon – 1st place – 2023
Akil Defour – 2:48:19 – Berlin Marathon – 2032nd place – 2024
Jeff Williams – 2:48:35 – Atlanta Marathon – 20th place – 2025
Sean Hicks – 2:48:51 – Cheap Marathon – 11th place – 2023
Deonta Pittman – 2:48:55 – Chicago Marathon – 1226th place – 2024
Hagos Mesgoun – 2:48:57 – Chicago Marathon – 1231st place – 2024
Philip King – 2:48:58 – Chicago Marathon – 1227th place – 2023
Richard Scott – 2:49:03 – New York City Marathon – 1022nd place – 2025
Jason Phillips – 2:49:17 – Steamtown Marathon – 9th place – 2018
Chandler Cole – 2:49:20 – Marine Corps Marathon – 122nd place – 2024
Christopher Chandler – 2:49:33 – Chicago Marathon – 1315th place – 2024
Bernard Lyles – 2:49:36 – Chicago Marathon – 165th place – 1994
Anayo Osueke – 2:49:40 – New York City Marathon – 513th place – 2023
Kevin Acevedo – 2:49:47 – Jersey City Marathon – 111th place – 2025
Terence Piggins – 2:49:48 – U.S. Air Force Marathon – 17th place – 1999
William Sollers – 2:49:49 – Shamrock Marathon – 17th place – 1975
Bjorn Trowery – 2:50:04 – Houston Marathon – 302nd place – 2026
TaMar Hicks – 2:50:19 – Deseret News Marathon – 13th place – 2025
Quintin Moses – 2:50:37 – Houston Marathon – 314th place – 2026
Chris Dougé – 2:50:49 – Amsterdam Marathon – 441st place – 2024
Julian Curry – 2:50:53 – Boston Marathon – 1357th place – 2024
Omar Moore – 2:51:01 – Houston Marathon – 135th place – 2016
Alphonzo Jackson – 2:51:04 – California International Marathon – 143rd place – 1984
Robert Johnson – 2:51:10 – Chicago Marathon – 462nd place – 1999
Kwami Ketosugbo – 2:51:34 – Erie Marathon – 71st place – 2025
Joseph Shayne – 2:51:53 – Paris Marathon – 713th place – 2022
Robert Denmark – 2:52:00 – SunTrust National Marathon – 33rd place – 2011
Markelle Taylor – 2:52:00 – Boston Marathon – 1664th place – 2022
Dashawn Williams – 2:52:45 – Marine Corps Marathon – 221st place – 2025
Corey Joyner – 2:52:54 – Chicago Marathon – 1112nd place – 2022
Jambaar Stills – 2:52:57 – Shamrock Marathon – 29th place – 2023
Christopher Bordenave – 2:52:57 – Tokyo Marathon – 1120th place – 2024
Isaiah Douglas – 2:52:59 – Savannah Marathon – place unknown – 1992
Ryan Burrell – 2:53:01 – Houston Marathon – 390th place – 2026
Mark Glover – 2:53:06 – Indianapolis Monumental Marathon – 332nd place – 2024
Joseph X – 2:53:11 – Sydney Marathon – 599th place – 2025
Tunde Akinyeke – 2:53:26 – Berlin Marathon – 2810th place – 2024
Mike Moreau – 2:53:39 – California International Marathon – 655th place – 2018
Nigel McGregor – 2:54:25 – Chicago Marathon – 1971st place – 2023
Richard Scott – 2:54:45 – Chicago Marathon – 1205th place – 2019
Dylan Harwell – 2:55:09 – White Mountains Marathon – 40th place – 2024
Robert Anthony – 2:55:26 – Surf City Marathon – 17th place – 2025
Donovan Anderson – 2:55:32 – Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon – 7th place – 2023
Lionel Adams – 2:55:38 – Marine Corps Marathon – 212th place – 2024
Ty Torrance – 2:55:43 – Tidewater Strider Marathon – 8th place – 2025
Samuel Weaver – 2:55:54 – Philadelphia Marathon – 103rd place – 2024
Michael Rodgers – 2:56:02 – Boston Marathon – 882nd place – 2010
Errol Daniels Jr. – 2:56:13 – Jacksonville Marathon – 31st place – 2020
Olajuwon Core – 2:56:14 – Chicago Marathon – 2325th place – 2024
Geraldt Stewart – 2:56:17 – California International Marathon – 924th place – 2024
Justin Gerald – 2:56:25 – Chicago Marathon – 674th place – 2015
Mosi King – 2:56:30 – Steamtown Marathon – 46th place – 2004
David Sanders – 2:56:38 – Mesa Marathon – 85th place – 2023
Peter Campbell – 2:56:38 – California International Marathon – 1136th place – 2025
Armani McDonald – 2:56:39 – Marine Corps Marathon – 295th place – 2025
Najib Jai – 2:56:40 – Jersey City Marathon – 225th place – 2025
Frank Martin – 2:56:41 – Boston Marathon – 25th place – 1921
Damón Manning – 2:56:43 – Philadelphia Marathon – 285th place – 2012
Joshua Potts – 2:56:45 – New York City Marathon – 1660th place – 2024
Lester Crockett III – 2:56:45 – Marine Corps Marathon – 302nd place – 2025
Jaylen Hall – 2:56:51 – Chicago Marathon – 3195th place – 2025
Ralph Jackson – 2:57:01 – Boston Marathon – 731st place – 1977
Ryan Smith – 2:57:01 – Cowtown Marathon – 17th place – 2023
Joe Robinson – 2:57:16 – Sri Chinmoy Marathon – 29th place – 2024
Julian Alston – 2:57:17 – Jersey City Marathon – 233rd place – 2025
Melvin Van Peebles – 2:57:33 – Skylon International Marathon – 165th place – 1982
Michael Grier – 2:57:36 – Newport News One City Marathon – 11th place – 2019
Jesse Warren – 2:57:40 – Los Angeles Marathon – 147th place – 2024
Jesse Determann – 2:58:03 – Berlin Marathon – 2007th place – 2022
Cadelro Frank – 2:58:09 – Houston Marathon – 573rd place – 2026
Jacques Morel – 2:58:12 – Philadelphia Marathon – 426th place – 2024
Edwin Peets – 2:58:20 – Skylon International Marathon – 180th place – 1982
Aaron Potts – 2:58:22 – New York City Marathon – 1893rd place – 2024
Edwin Caceres – 2:58:25 – Boston Marathon – 2871st place – 2022
Darin Lawrence – 2:58:30 – Indianapolis Monumental Marathon – 491st place – 2024
Larry Lewis – 2:58:37 – New Jersey Waterfront Marathon – place unknown – 1989
Jarred Ervin – 2:58:38 – Mesa Marathon – 94th place – 2022
Leroy McCoy – 2:58:38 – Hartford Marathon – 88th place – 2025
Glen Shane – 2:58:41 – New York City Marathon – 1463rd place – 1981
Estus Barron – 2:58:43 – Boston Marathon – 2309th place – 2015
Ralph Cooke – 2:58:47 – Boston Marathon – 1194th place – 2000
DeVaughn Woodyard – 2:59:03 – Cowtown Marathon – 17th place – 2025
Frederick Davis III – 2:59:14 – Niagara Falls International Marathon – 42nd place – 1985
Xavier McFadden – 2:59:25 – Shamrock Marathon – 60th place – 2023
Maurice Pointer – 2:59:27 – Northern Central Trail Marathon – 6th place – 2015
Shannon Sangster – 2:59:30 – Rhode Island Marathon – 21st place – 2022
Casey Evans – 2:59:33 – Santa Rosa Marathon – 13th place – 2011
Eric Campbell – 2:59:37 – Pocatello Marathon – 7th place – 2024
Paul Turner – 2:59:54 – Baltimore Running Festival – 40th place – 2022
Alex Abrante – 2:59:57 – London Marathon – 2943rd place – 2025