This page lists the World Best Year Performances in the year 1981 in the Marathon for both men and women. Australia's Robert de Castella broke the world record on December 6, 1981, at the Fukuoka Marathon, clocking a total time of 2:08:18. In the men's competition there were two editions of the Tokyo International Marathon run in the same year; the first one was held on February 8, 1981, and the second one on March 1, 1981.

Men

Records

Standing records prior to the 1981 season in track and field
World Record	Derek Clayton (AUS)	2:08:33.6	May 30, 1969	Antwerp, Belgium
Broken records during the 1981 season in track and field
World Record	Robert de Castella (AUS)	2:08:18	December 6, 1981	Fukuoka, Japan

1981 World Year Ranking

Rank	Time	Athlete	Pos	Venue	Date	Note
1	2:08:18	Robert de Castella (AUS)	1	Fukuoka, Japan	06-12-1981
2	2:09:26	Toshihiko Seko (JPN)	1	Boston, United States	20-04-1981
3	2:09:28	John Graham (SCO)	1	Rotterdam, Netherlands	23-05-1981
4	2:09:37	Dick Beardsley (USA)	1	Duluth, United States	20-06-1981
5	2:09:37	Kunimitsu Itō (JPN)	2	Fukuoka, Japan	06-12-1981
6	2:10:19	Shigeru So (JPN)	3	Fukuoka, Japan	06-12-1981
7	2:10:26	Craig Virgin (USA)	2	Boston, United States	20-04-1981
8	2:10:34	Bill Rodgers (USA)	3	Boston, United States	20-04-1981
9	2:11:00	Rodolfo Gómez (MEX)	1	Tokyo, Japan	01-03-1981
10	2:11:11	Kebede Balcha (ETH)	1	Montréal, Canada	13-09-1981
11	2:11:19	Gianni Poli (ITA)	4	Fukuoka, Japan	06-12-1981
12	2:11:29	Takeshi So (JPN)	5	Fukuoka, Japan	06-12-1981
13	2:11:32	Garry Bjorklund (USA)	2	Duluth, United States	20-06-1981
14	2:11:33	John Lodwick (USA)	4	Boston, United States	20-04-1981
15	2:11:35	Malcolm East (ENG)	5	Boston, United States	20-04-1981
16	2:11:44	David Cannon (ENG)	1	Paris, France	24-05-1981
16	2:11:44	Ron Tabb (USA)	1	Paris, France	24-05-1981
18	2:11:48	Inge Simonsen (NOR)	1	London, United Kingdom	29-03-1981
19	2:11:53	Jukka Toivola (FIN)	6	Boston, United States	20-04-1981
20	2:11:53	Steve Kenyon (ENG)	1	Manchester, United Kingdom	18-10-1981
21	2:12:02	Dennis Rinde (USA)	7	Boston, United States	20-04-1981
22	2:12:04	Hideki Kita (JPN)	1	Tokyo, Japan	08-02-1981
23	2:12:07	Tommy Persson (SWE)	2	Tokyo, Japan	01-03-1981
24	2:12:11	Anelio Bocci (ITA)	2	Tokyo, Japan	08-02-1981
24	2:12:11	Kevin Ryan (NZL)	1	Wiri, New Zealand	22-11-1981
26	2:12:12	Benji Durden (USA)	1	Eugene, United States	13-09-1981
27	2:12:14	Dereje Nedi (ETH)	3	Tokyo, Japan	08-02-1981
28	2:12:17	Rik Schoofs (BEL)	4	Tokyo, Japan	08-02-1981
29	2:12:22	Domingo Tibaduiza (COL)	2	Montréal, Canada	13-09-1981
30	2:12:24	David Chettle (AUS)	8	Boston, United States	20-04-1981
31	2:12:25	Vladimir Kotov (URS)	8	Fukuoka, Japan	06-12-1981
32	2:12:31	Satymkul Dzhumanazarov (URS)	5	Tokyo, Japan	08-02-1981
32	2:12:31	Randy Thomas (USA)	3	Tokyo, Japan	01-03-1981
34	2:12:32	Kyle Heffner (USA)	9	Boston, United States	20-04-1981
35	2:12:34	Gordon Minty (USA)	2	Eugene, United States	13-09-1981
36	2:12:41	Pete Pfitzinger (USA)	3	Eugene, United States	13-09-1981
37	2:12:53	Trevor Wright (ENG)	3	London, United Kingdom	29-03-1981
38	2:12:55	Víctor Manuel Mora (COL)	10	Boston, United States	20-04-1981
39	2:12:57	Bernard Rose (RSA)	1	Durban, South Africa	02-08-1981
40	2:13:02	John Halberstadt (RSA)	4	Eugene, United States	13-09-1981
41	2:13:05	Michael Layman (USA)	5	Eugene, United States	13-09-1981
42	2:13:06	Hugh Jones (ENG)	1	Oslo, Norway	12-07-1981
43	2:13:08	Greg Meyer (USA)	11	Boston, United States	20-04-1981
44	2:13:14	Tom Fleming (USA)	1	Los Angeles, United States	29-03-1981
45	2:13:15	Jouni Kortelainen (FIN)	12	Boston, United States	20-04-1981
46	2:13:15	Robert Wallace (AUS)	3	Duluth, United States	20-06-1981
47	2:13:16	Norman Wilson (GBR)	13	Boston, United States	20-04-1981
48	2:13:20	Kjell-Erik Ståhl (SWE)	1	Frankfurt, West Germany	17-05-1981
49	2:13:21	Steve Ortiz (USA)	6	Eugene, United States	13-09-1981
50	2:13:22	Mineteru Sakamoto (JPN)	5	Tokyo, Japan	01-03-1981

Women

Records

Standing records prior to the 1981 season in track and field
World Record	Christa Vahlensieck (FRG)	2:34:47.5	September 10, 1977	Berlin, West Germany

1981 World Year Ranking

Rank	Time	Athlete	Pos	Venue	Date	Note
1	2:26:47	Allison Roe (NZL)	1	Boston, United States	20-04-1981
2	2:27:52	Patti Catalano (USA)	2	Boston, United States	20-04-1981
3	2:29:35.5	Lorraine Moller (NZL)	1	Duluth, United States	20-06-1981
4	2:29:57	Joyce Smith (ENG)	1	London, United Kingdom	29-03-1981
5	2:30:17	Joan Samuelson (USA)	3	Boston, United States	20-04-1981
6	2:30:55	Julie Shea (USA)	4	Boston, United States	20-04-1981
7	2:31:27	Jacqueline Gareau (CAN)	5	Boston, United States	20-04-1981
8	2:33:03	Sissel Grottenberg (NOR)	6	Boston, United States	20-04-1981
9	2:33:13	Charlotte Teske (FRG)	1	Orsoy, West Germany	25-04-1981
10	2:33:32.8	Linda Staudt (CAN)	1	Montréal, Canada	13-09-1981
11	2:34:49	Nancy Conz (USA)	7	Boston, United States	20-04-1981
12	2:35:19	Laurie Binder (USA)	2	Eugene, United States	13-09-1981
13	2:35:24	Glenys Quick (NZL)	2	Dallas, United States	05-12-1981
14	2:35:37	Christa Vahlensieck (FRG)	2	Orsoy, West Germany	25-04-1981
15	2:35:57	Laura deWald (USA)	8	Boston, United States	20-04-1981
16	2:36:46.8	Janis Klecker (USA)	2	Duluth, United States	20-06-1981
17	2:36:55	Kiki Sweigart (USA)	9	Boston, United States	20-04-1981
18	2:36:59	Carey May (IRL)	1	Scottsdale, United States	05-12-1981
19	2:37:12	Ngaire Drake (NZL)	2	London, United Kingdom	29-03-1981
20	2:37:44	Elena Tsukhlo (URS)	1	Uzhgorod, Soviet Union	11-10-1981
21	2:37:56	Magda Ilands (BEL)	1	Berchem, Belgium	11-09-1981
22	2:37:57	Raisa Smekhnova (URS)	1	Kaliningrad, Soviet Union	16-08-1981
23	2:38:04	Lorrie Dierdorff (USA)	10	Boston, United States	20-04-1981
24	2:38:20	Jane Wipf (USA)	2	Tokyo, Japan	15-11-1981
25	2:38:25.9	Julie Isphording (USA)	3	Ottawa, Canada	23-08-1981
26	2:38:29.6	Kellie Archuletta (USA)	3	Dallas, United States	05-12-1981
27	2:38:49	Anna Domoratskaya (URS)	2	Uzhgorod, Soviet Union	11-10-1981
28	2:38:58	Zoya Ivanova (URS)	1	Agen, France	13-09-1981
29	2:39:07.3	Michele Bush (USA)	6	Ottawa, Canada	23-08-1981
30	2:39:11	Jan Yerkes (USA)	1	Philadelphia, United States	05-12-1981
31	2:39:32.7	Cindy Dalrymple (USA)	1	Los Angeles, United States	29-03-1981
32	2:39:43	Chantal Langlacé (FRA)	1	Essonne, France	15-03-1981
33	2:39:48	Eileen Claugus (USA)	2	Honolulu, United States	29-03-1981
34	2:40:28	Irina Bondarchuk (URS)	1	Leningrad, Soviet Union	13-08-1981
35	2:40:44	Gillian Horovitz (ENG)	3	London, United Kingdom	29-03-1981
36	2:40:48	Nancy Mieszczak (USA)	1	Niagara Falls, Canada	17-10-1981
37	2:40:58.4	Doreen Ennis (USA)	2	Los Angeles, United States	29-03-1981
38	2:41:04.0	Jennifer White (USA)	1	Toronto, Canada	29-03-1981
39	2:41:34	Ingrid Kristiansen (NOR)	1	Stockholm, Sweden	15-08-1981
40	2:41:40	Carol Gould (ENG)	1	Miami, United States	17-01-1981
41	2:41:44	Jane Buch (USA)	4	Columbus, United States	11-10-1981
42	2:41:48	Nanae Sasaki (JPN)	13	Boston, United States	20-04-1981
43	2:41:50	Karlene Herrell (USA)	1	Omaha, United States	07-11-1981
44	2:42:00	Annick Loir (FRA)	1	Neuf Brisach, France	25-10-1981
45	2:42:11	Chantal Navarro (FRA)	1	Beuvrages, France	20-06-1981
46	2:42:12	Suzan Morris (ENG)	2	Essonne, France	15-03-1981
47	2:42:12	Jackie Turney (AUS)	1	Melbourne, Australia	29-03-1981
48	2:42:26	Kathy Molitor (USA)	4	London, United Kingdom	29-03-1981
49	2:42:27	Isavel Roche-Kelly (RSA)	1	Stellenbosch, South Africa	21-11-1981
50	2:42:41.3	Monika Lövenich (FRG)	2	Monchengladbach, West Germany	27-06-1981