# 1980 in marathon running

This page lists the World Best Year Performances in the year 1980 in the Marathon for both men and women. One of the main events during this season were the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Soviet Union, where the final of the men's competition was held on Friday August 1, 1980. The competition had an entry list of 76 competitors, with 53 runners actually finishing the race.
Norway's Grete Waitz clocked 2:25:41 winning the New York City Marathon on October 26, 1980, but her time was disputed and therefore not recognized as a world record because remeasurements of a nearly identical course in 1981 was 150 m short.

## Men
### Records

Standing records prior to the 1980 season in track and field :
| World Record | Derek Clayton (AUS) | 2:08:33.6 | May 30, 1969 | Antwerp, Belgium |

### 1980 World Year Ranking

| Rank | Time | Athlete | Venue | Date | Note |
| 1 | 2:09:01 | Gerard Nijboer (NED) | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 26-05-1980 | NR |
| 2 | 2:09:41 | Alberto Salazar (USA) | New York, United States | 26-10-1980 | |
| 3 | 2:09:45 | Toshihiko Seko (JPN) | Fukuoka, Japan | 07-12-1980 | |
| 4 | 2:09:49 | Takeshi So (JPN) | Fukuoka, Japan | 07-12-1980 | |
| 5 | 2:10:05 | Kunimitsu Itō (JPN) | Fukuoka, Japan | 07-12-1980 | |
| 6 | 2:10:09 | Garry Henry (AUS) | Fukuoka, Japan | 07-12-1980 | |
| 7 | 2:10:13.9 | Rodolfo Gómez (MEX) | New York, United States | 26-10-1980 | |
| 8 | 2:10:18.6 | Anthony Sandoval (USA) | Buffalo, United States | 24-05-1980 | |
| 9 | 2:10:19.9 | Garry Bjorklund (USA) | Duluth, United States | 21-06-1980 | |
| 10 | 2:10:23 | Shigeru So (JPN) | Fukuoka, Japan | 07-12-1980 | |
| 11 | 2:10:24 | Waldemar Cierpinski (GDR) | Fukuoka, Japan | 07-12-1980 | |
| 12 | 2:10:29 | Kirk Pfeffer (USA) | Fukuoka, Japan | 07-12-1980 | |
| 13 | 2:10:40.3 | Benji Durden (USA) | Buffalo, United States | 24-05-1980 | |
| 14 | 2:10:44 | Robert de Castella (AUS) | Fukuoka, Japan | 07-12-1980 | |
| 15 | 2:10:47 | Dick Quax (NZL) | Eugene, United States | 07-09-1980 | |
| 16 | 2:10:52 | Go Chun-Son (PRK) | Essonne, France | 16-03-1980 | |
| 17 | 2:10:54.1 | Kyle Heffner (USA) | Buffalo, United States | 24-05-1980 | |
| 18 | 2:10:58 | Vladimir Kotov (URS) | Moscow, Soviet Union | 24-05-1980 | |
| 19 | 2:10:59 | Robert Hodge (USA) | Eugene, United States | 07-09-1980 | |
| 20 | 2:11:00 | Ron Tabb (USA) | Metairie, United States | 10-02-1980 | |
| 21 | 2:11:02 | Tommy Persson (SWE) | Columbus, United States | 16-11-1980 | |
| 22 | 2:11:09 | Dave Smith (USA) | Eugene, United States | 07-09-1980 | |
| 23 | 2:11:16 | Satymkul Dzhumanazarov (URS) | Moscow, Soviet Union | 24-05-1980 | |
| 24 | 2:11:21.8 | David Cannon (ENG) | Montréal, Canada | 06-09-1980 | |
| 25 | 2:11:22 | Richard Callison (USA) | Metairie, United States | 10-02-1980 | |

## Women
### Records

Standing records prior to the 1980 season in track and field :
| World Record | Christa Vahlensieck (FRG) | 2:34:47.5 | September 10, 1977 | Berlin, West Germany |

### 1980 World Year Ranking

| Rank | Time | Athlete | Venue | Date |
| 1 | 2:30:27 | Joyce Smith (ENG) | Tokyo, Japan | 16-11-1980 |
| 2 | 2:30:57.1 | Patti Catalano (USA) | Montréal, Canada | 06-09-1980 |
| 3 | 2:30:58 | Jacqueline Gareau (CAN) | Tokyo, Japan | 16-11-1980 |
| 4 | 2:31:23 | Joan Samuelson (USA) | Auckland, New Zealand | 03-02-1980 |
| 5 | 2:31:42 | Lorraine Moller (NZL) | Eugene, United States | 07-09-1980 |
| 6 | 2:32:29 | Marja Wokke (NED) | Eugene, United States | 07-09-1980 |
| 7 | 2:34:29 | Allison Roe (NZL) | Eugene, United States | 07-09-1980 |
| 8 | 2:35:57 | Vreni Forster (SUI) | Sandbach, United Kingdom | 22-06-1980 |
| 9 | 2:36:02 | Nancy Conz (USA) | London, United Kingdom | 03-08-1980 |
| 10 | 2:36:47 | Christa Vahlensieck (FRG) | Waldkraiburg, West Germany | 15-05-1980 |
| 11 | 2:37:27 | Joëlle Audibert (FRA) | Montataire, France | 12-10-1980 |
| 12 | 2:37:39 | Linda Staudt (CAN) | London, United Kingdom | 03-08-1980 |
| 13 | 2:38:04 | Charlotte Teske (FRG) | Waldkraiburg, West Germany | 15-05-1980 |
| 14 | 2:38:45 | Ingrid Kristiansen (NOR) | Stockholm, Sweden | 23-08-1980 |
| 15 | 2:39:10 | Lyubov Putilova (URS) | Uzhgorod, Soviet Union | 05-10-1980 |
| 16 | 2:39:17 | Gillian Horovitz (ENG) | Boston, United States | 21-04-1980 |
| 17 | 2:39:22 | Laurie Binder (USA) | Boston, United States | 21-04-1980 |
| 18 | 2:39:29 | Sylviane Levesque (FRA) | Montataire, France | 12-10-1980 |
| 19 | 2:39:49 | Jane Wipf (USA) | Honolulu, United States | 07-12-1980 |
| 20 | 2:40:35.7 | Dorthe Rasmussen (DEN) | Miami, United States | 12-01-1980 |
| 21 | 2:41:01 | Marty Cooksey (USA) | London, United Kingdom | 03-08-1980 |
| 22 | 2:41:14.9 | Martha Sartain (USA) | Dallas, United States | 06-12-1980 |
| 23 | 2:41:22 | Magda Ilands (BEL) | Berchem, Belgium | 12-09-1980 |
| 24 | 2:41:44 | Beth Guerin (USA) | London, United Kingdom | 03-08-1980 |
| 25 | 2:41:47 | Chantal Langlacé (FRA) | Montataire, France | 12-10-1980 |