An aspect of the present invention provides a magnetic recording medium comprising following layers in this order on at least one surface of a nonmagnetic support: a nonmagnetic layer including a nonmagnetic powder and a binder; and a magnetic layer including a magnetic powder and a binder, wherein the nonmagnetic support has an enthalpy relaxation (ΔH) equal to or more than 0.5 J/g and equal to or less than 2.0 J/g. According to the aspect of the present invention, a magnetic recording medium is provided that is superior in electromagnetic conversion (e.g., with a high S/N ratio for surface recording density) and running durability (e.g., with a small number of dropouts and a low error rate).