The following table shows the world record progression in the Women's 3,000 metres. The first record officially recognised by the IAAF was set on 6 July 1974 by Lyudmila Bragina from the Soviet Union.
As of June 21, 2009, the IAAF has ratified nine world records in the event.[1]
| Time | Athlete | Date | Place | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14:44.4 | 1927 | - | ||
| 10:56.0 | 1954-05-22 | London, United Kingdom | ||
| 10:55.2 | 1955-06-25 | London, United Kingdom | ||
| 10:25.8 | 1955-08-27 | London, United Kingdom | ||
| 10:16.2 | 1956-08-25 | London, United Kingdom | ||
| 10:16.0 | 1956-10-27 | London, United Kingdom | ||
| 9:44.0 | 1966-07-23 | Don Mills, Canada | ||
| 9:42.8 | 1969-05-11 | Formia, Italy | ||
| 9:38.0 | 1969-09-02 | Milan, Italy | ||
| 9:26.9 | 1971-07-10 | Bakersfield, United States | ||
| 9:23.4 | 1971-07-16 | London, United Kingdom | ||
| 9:09.2 | 1972-05-11 | Formia, Italy | ||
| 8:53.0 | 1972-08-12 | Moscow, Soviet Union |
| Time | Athlete | Date | Place | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:52.8* | 1974-07-06 | Durham, United States | ||
| 8:46.6 | 1975-06-24 | Oslo, Norway | ||
| 8:45.4 | 1976-06-21 | Oslo, Norway | ||
| 8:27.2* | 1976-08-07 | College Park, United States | ||
| 8:26.78 | 1982-07-25 | Kiev, Soviet Union | ||
| 8:22.62 | 1984-08-26 | Leningrad, Soviet Union | ||
| 8:22.06 | 1993-09-12 | Beijing, PR China | ||
| 8:12.19 | 1993-09-12 | Beijing, PR China | ||
| 8:06.11 | 1993-09-13 | Beijing, PR China |
* - indicates ratified time. Auto times for Bragina's 8:52.8 and 8:27.2 were 8:52.74 and 8:27.12 respectively.