What Does NR / SB / PB / WL Mean in Track & Field Results?

Sep 15

Summary

Track & field results often include abbreviations like NR, SB, PB, WL, or WR. These codes highlight performance context — whether it’s an athlete’s best-ever mark, a national milestone, or the top mark in the world this year. Understanding these terms makes watching meets more exciting and helps compare performances fairly.

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Common Abbreviations in Results

  
      Abbreviation
      Meaning
      Explanation
    
      PB
      Personal Best
      Fastest time or best distance of an athlete’s career.
    
      SB
      Season Best
      Best mark achieved during the current season.
    
      NR
      National Record
      Best mark ever achieved by an athlete from that country.
    
      WR
      World Record
      Best mark ever achieved globally in that event.
    
      WL
      World Lead
      Fastest or best mark in the world for the current year.
    
      MR
      Meet Record
      Best mark ever achieved at that specific competition.

Abbreviation	Meaning	Explanation
PB	Personal Best	Fastest time or best distance of an athlete’s career.
SB	Season Best	Best mark achieved during the current season.
NR	National Record	Best mark ever achieved by an athlete from that country.
WR	World Record	Best mark ever achieved globally in that event.
WL	World Lead	Fastest or best mark in the world for the current year.
MR	Meet Record	Best mark ever achieved at that specific competition.

Why These Labels Matter

PB/SB: Show individual progress.
NR: Signals a historic achievement for a country.
WL: Highlights global standing this season.
WR: Marks the absolute all-time standard.

They give context beyond raw times or distances, telling the story of how special a performance truly is.

Example: 100m Final Results

  
      Place
      Athlete
      Time
      Note
    

  
      1
      Runner A
      9.88
      PB
    

      2
      Runner B
      9.90
      SB
    

      3
      Runner C
      9.93
      NR
    

      4
      Runner D
      9.95
      WL
    

Place	Athlete	Time	Note
1	Runner A	9.88	PB
2	Runner B	9.90	SB
3	Runner C	9.93	NR
4	Runner D	9.95	WL

FAQs

Q1: Is SB always slower than PB?
Yes — PB is lifetime best, SB is within one season. PBs can also be SBs if they’re set that season.

Q2: What’s the difference between WL and WR?
WR = all-time global best. WL = best in the current calendar year.

Q3: Can multiple athletes have WL?
Yes — if they share the exact same mark.

Q4: What’s MR and why does it matter?
MR = Meet Record. Prestigious, but only within that event’s history (e.g., Diamond League, NCAA, Olympics).

Key Takeaways (TL;DR)

PB: Personal Best.
SB: Season Best.
NR: National Record.
WR: World Record.
WL: World Lead (this year).
MR: Meet Record.

👉 Track your own PBs and SBs with our free Performance Tracking Tools or explore our Training Guides to start hitting new personal records.

New to track & field? Start with our Beginner’s Guide

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