| 2021 | ||||
| (Tokyo, August 6) | ||||
| 1. | Joshua Cheptegei (Uganda) | 12:58.15 | ||
| 2. | Moh Ahmed (Canada) | 12:58.61 | ||
| 3. | Paul Chelimo (USA) | 12:59.05 | ||
| 4. | Nicholas Kimeli (Kenya) | 12:59.17 | ||
| 5. | Jacob Kiplimo (Uganda) | 13:02.40 | ||
| 6. | Birhanu Yemataw (Bahrain) | 13:03.20 | ||
| 7. | Justyn Knight (Canada) | 13:04.38 | ||
| 8. | Mohamed Katir (Spain) | 13:06.60 | ||
| 9. | Grant Fisher (USA) | 13:08.40 | ||
| 14. | Woody Kincaid (USA) | 13:17.20 | ||
| 2016 | ||||
| (Rio de Janeiro, August 20) | ||||
| 1 | Mo Farah (Great Britain) | 13:03.30 | ||
| 2 | Paul Chelimo (USA) | 13:03.90 | ||
| 3 | Hagos Gebrhiwet (Ethiopia) | 13:04.35 | ||
| 4 | Moh Ahmed (Canada) | 13:05.94 | ||
| 5 | Bernard Lagat (USA) | 13:06.78 | ||
| 6 | Andrew Butchart (Great Britain) | 13:08.61 | ||
| 7 | Albert Rop (Bahrain) | 13:08.79 | ||
| 8 | Joshua Cheptegei (Uganda) | 13:09.17 | ||
| 11 | Hassan Mead (USA) | 13:09.81 | ||
| 2012 | ||||
| (London, August 11) | ||||
| 1 | Mo Farah (Great Britain) | 13:41.66 | ||
| 2 | Dejen Gebremeskel (Ethiopia) | 13:41.98 | ||
| 3 | Thomas Longosiwa (Kenya) | 13:42.36 | ||
| 4 | Bernard Lagat (USA) | 13:42.99 | ||
| 5 | Isiah Koech (Kenya) | 13:43.83 | ||
| 6 | Abdelaati Iguider (Morocco) | 13:44.19 | ||
| 7 | Galen Rupp (USA) | 13:45.04 | ||
| 8 | Juan Luis Barrios (Mexico) | 13:45.30 | ||
| [Lopez Lomong (USA) 10th 13.48.19] | ||||
| 2008 | ||||
| 1 | Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) | 12:57.82 | ||
| 2 | Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) | 13:02.80 | ||
| 3 | Edwin Soi (Kenya) | 13:06.22 | ||
| 4 | Moses Kipsiro (Uganda) | 13:10.56 | ||
| 5 | Abreham Cherkos (Ethiopia) | 13:16.46 | ||
| 6 | Tariku Bekele (Ethiopia) | 13:19.06 | ||
| 7 | Juan Luis Barrios (Mexico) | 13:19.79 | ||
| 8 | James Kwalia (Qatar) | 13:23.48 | ||
| [9 | Bernard Lagat (USA) 13:26.89] | |||
| [13 | Matt Tegenkamp (USA) 13:33.13] | |||
| [Ian Dobson (USA) 9th in heat] | ||||
| 2004 | ||||
| 1 | Hicham El Guerrouj (Morocco) | 13:14.39 | ||
| 2 | Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) | 13:14.59 | ||
| 3 | Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) | 13:15.10 | ||
| 4 | Gebre Gebremariam (Ethiopia) | 13:15.35 | ||
| 5 | Dejene Berhanu (Ethiopia) | 13:16.92 | ||
| 6 | John Kibowen (Kenya) | 13:18.24 | ||
| 7 | Zersenay Tadese (Eritrea) | 13:24.31 | ||
| 8 | Craig Mottram (Australia) | 13:25.70 | ||
| [11 | Tim Broe (USA) 13:33.06] | |||
| [Jonathon Riley (USA) 14th in heat] | ||||
| [No third USA entrant] | ||||
| 2000 | ||||
| 1 | Million Wolde (Ethiopia) | 13:35.49 | ||
| 2 | Ali Saïdi Sief (Algeria) | 13:36.20 | ||
| 3 | Brahim Lahlafi (Morocco) | 13:36.47 | ||
| 4 | Fita Bayissa (Ethiopia) | 13:37.03 | ||
| 5 | David Chelule (Kenya) | 13:37.13 | ||
| 6 | Alemu Dagne (Ethiopia) | 13:37.17 | ||
| 7 | Sergey Lebed (Ukraine) | 13:37.80 | ||
| 8 | Jirka Arndt (Germany) | 13:38.57 | ||
| [13 | Adam Goucher (USA) 13:43.20] | |||
| [Nick Rogers (USA) 12th in heat] | ||||
| [Brad Hauser (USA) 11th in heat] | ||||
| 1996 | ||||
| 1 | Vénuste Niyongabo (Burundi) | 13:07.96 | ||
| 2 | Paul Bitok (Kenya) | 13:08.16 | ||
| 3 | Khalid Boulami (Morocco) | 13:08.37 | ||
| 4 | Dieter Baumann (Germany) | 13:08.81 | ||
| 5 | Tom Nyariki (Kenya) | 13:12.29 | ||
| 6 | Bob Kennedy (USA) | 13:12.56 | ||
| 7 | Enrique Molina (Spain) | 13:12.91 | ||
| 8 | Brahim Lahlafi (Morocco) | 13:13.26 | ||
| [Jim Spivey (USA) 13th in semi] | ||||
| [Matt Giusto (USA) 9th in heat] | ||||
| 1992 | ||||
| 1 | Dieter Baumann (Germany) | 13:12.52 | ||
| 2 | Paul Bitok (Kenya) | 13:12.71 | ||
| 3 | Fita Bayissa (Ethiopia) | 13:13.03 | ||
| 4 | Brahim Boutaïb (Morocco) | 13:13.27 | ||
| 5 | Yobes Ondieki (Kenya) | 13:17.50 | ||
| 6 | Worku Bikila (Ethiopia) | 13:23.52 | ||
| 7 | Rob Denmark (Great Britain) | 13:27.76 | ||
| 8 | Abel Antón (Spain) | 13:27.80 | ||
| [12 | Bob Kennedy (USA) 13:39.72] | |||
| [Reuben Reina (USA) 5th in heat] | ||||
| [John Trautmann (USA) DNF in heat] | ||||
| 1988 | ||||
| 1 | John Ngugi (Kenya) | 13:11.70 | ||
| 2 | Dieter Baumann (West Germany) | 13:15.52 | ||
| 3 | Hansjörg Kunze (East Germany) | 13:15.73 | ||
| 4 | Domingos Castro (Portugal) | 13:16.09 | ||
| 5 | Sydney Maree (USA) | 13:23.69 | ||
| 6 | Jack Buckner (Great Britain) | 13:23.85 | ||
| 7 | Stefano Mei (Italy) | 13:26.17 | ||
| 8 | Evgeny Ignatov (Bulgaria) | 13:26.41 | ||
| [Doug Padilla (USA) 11th in semi] | ||||
| [Terry Brahm (USA) 15th in semi] | ||||
| 1984 | ||||
| 1 | Saïd Aouita (Morocco) | 13:05.59 | ||
| 2 | Markus Ryffel (Switzerland) | 13:07.54 | ||
| 3 | António Leitão (Portugal) | 13:09.20 | ||
| 4 | Tim Hutchings (Great Britain) | 13:11.50 | ||
| 5 | Paul Kipkoech (Kenya) | 13:14.40 | ||
| 6 | Charles Cheruiyot (Kenya) | 13:18.41 | ||
| 7 | Doug Padilla (USA) | 13:23.56 | ||
| 8 | John Walker (New Zealand) | 13:24.46 | ||
| [Steve Lacy (USA) 10th in semi] | ||||
| [Don Clary (USA) 12th in heat] | ||||
| [Aouita 13:05.59 OR] | ||||
| 1980 | ||||
| 1 | Miruts Yifter (Ethiopia) | 13:20.91 | ||
| 2 | Suleiman Nyambui (Tanzania) | 13:21.60 | ||
| 3 | Kaarlo Maaninka (Finland) | 13:22.00 | ||
| 4 | Eamonn Coghlan (Ireland) | 13:22.74 | ||
| 5 | Markus Ryffel (Switzerland) | 13:23.03 | ||
| 6 | Dietmar Millonig (Austria) | 13:23.25 | ||
| 7 | John Treacy (Ireland) | 13:23.62 | ||
| 8 | Aleksandr Fedotkin (Soviet Union) | 13:24.10 | ||
| 1976 | ||||
| 1 | Lasse Viren (Finland) | 13:24.76 | ||
| 2 | Dick Quax (New Zealand) | 13:25.16 | ||
| 3 | Klaus‑Peter Hildenbrand (West Germany) | 13:25.38 | ||
| 4 | Rod Dixon (New Zealand) | 13:25.50 | ||
| 5 | Brendan Foster (Great Britain) | 13:26.19 | ||
| 6 | Willy Polleunis (Belgium) | 13:26.99 | ||
| 7 | Ian Stewart (Great Britain) | 13:27.65 | ||
| 8 | Aniceto Simoes (Portugal) | 13:29.38 | ||
| [12 | Paul Geis (USA) 13:42.51] | |||
| [Duncan Macdonald (USA) 7th in heat] | ||||
| [Dick Buerkle (USA) 9th in heat] | ||||
| [Foster 13:20.34 OR {heat}] | ||||
| 1972 | ||||
| 1 | Lasse Viren (Finland) | 13:26.42 | ||
| 2 | Mohamed Gammoudi (Tunisia) | 13:27.33 | ||
| 3 | Ian Stewart (Great Britain) | 13:27.61 | ||
| 4 | Steve Prefontaine (USA) | 13:28.25 | ||
| 5 | Emiel Puttemans (Belgium) | 13:30.82 | ||
| 6 | Harald Norpoth (West Germany) | 13:32.58 | ||
| 7 | Per Halle (Norway) | 13:34.38 | ||
| 8 | Nikolay Sviridov (Soviet Union) | 13:39.31 | ||
| [Len Hilton (USA) 8th in heat] | ||||
| [George Young (USA) 4th in heat] | ||||
| [Puttemans13:31.65 OR {heat}; Viren 13:26.42 OR] | ||||
| 1968 | ||||
| (high altitude) | ||||
| 1 | Mohamed Gammoudi (Tunisia) | 14:05.0 (14:05.01) | ||
| 2 | Kip Keino (Kenya) | 14:05.2 (14:05.16) | ||
| 3 | Naftali Temu (Kenya) | 14:06.4 (14:06.41) | ||
| 4 | Juan Martinez (Mexico) | 14:10.8 (14:10.76) | ||
| 5 | Ron Clarke (Australia) | 14:12.4 (14:12.45) | ||
| 6 | Wohib Masresha (Ethiopia) | 14:17.6 (14:17.70) | ||
| 7 | Nikolay Sviridov (Soviet Union) | 14:18.4 (14:18.40) | ||
| 8 | Fikru Deguefu (Ethiopia) | 14:19.0 (14:18.98) | ||
| [DNC(sick)—Jack Bacheler (USA)] | ||||
| [Lou Scott (USA) 11th in heat] | ||||
| [Bob Day (USA) 6th in heat] | ||||
| 1964 | ||||
| 1 | Bob Schul (USA) | 13:48.8 | ||
| 2 | Harald Norpoth (West Germany) | 13:49.6 | ||
| 3 | Bill Dellinger (USA) | 13:49.8 | ||
| 4 | Michel Jazy (France) | 13:49.8 | ||
| 5 | Kip Keino (Kenya) | 13:50.4 | ||
| 6 | Bill Baillie (New Zealand) | 13:51.0 | ||
| 7 | Nikolay Dutov (Soviet Union) | 13:53.8 | ||
| 8 | Thor Helland (Norway) | 13:57.0 | ||
| [Oscar Moore (USA) 8th in heat] | ||||
| 1960 | ||||
| 1 | Murray Halberg (New Zealand) | 13:43.4 (13:43.76) | ||
| 2 | Hans Grodotzki (East Germany) | 13:44.6 (13:45.01) | ||
| 3 | Kazimierz Zimny (Poland) | 13:44.8 (13:47.14) | ||
| 4 | Friedrich Janke (East Germany) | 13:46.8 (13:52.38) | ||
| 5 | Dave Power (Australia) | 13:51.8 (13:52.38) | ||
| 6 | Nyandika Maiyoro (Kenya) | 13:52.8 (13:53.25) | ||
| 7 | Michel Bernard (France) | 14:04.2 (14:04.68) | ||
| 8 | Horst Flossbach (West Germany) | 14:06.6 (14:07.03) | ||
| [Jim Beatty (USA) 9th in heat] | ||||
| [Bill Dellinger (USA) 4th in heat] | ||||
| [Bob Soth (USA) 7th in heat] | ||||
| 1956 | ||||
| 1 | Vladimir Kuts (Soviet Union) | 13:39.6 (13:39.86) | ||
| 2 | Gordon Pirie (Great Britain) | 13:50.6 (13:50.78) | ||
| 3 | Derek Ibbotson (Great Britain) | 13:54.4 (13:54.60) | ||
| 4 | Miklos Szabó (Hungary) | 14:03.4 (14:03.38) | ||
| 5 | Albie Thomas (Australia) | 14:04.6 (14:05.03) | ||
| 6 | László Tábori (Hungary) | 14:09.8 (14:09.99) | ||
| 7 | Nyandika Maiyoro (Kenya) | 14:19.0 (14:18.99) | ||
| 8 | Thyge Thörgersen (Denmark) | 14:21.0 (14:21.81) | ||
| [DNF—Bill Dellinger (USA)] | ||||
| [Curt Stone (USA) 7th in heat] | ||||
| [Max Truex (USA) injured, did not run heat] | ||||
| [Kuts 13:39.6 OR] | ||||
| 1952 | ||||
| 1 | Emil Zátopek (Czechoslovakia) | 14:06.6 (14:06.72) | ||
| 2 | Alain Mimoun (France) | 14:07.4 (14:07.58) | ||
| 3 | Herbert Schade (West Germany) | 14:08.6 (14:08.80 | ||
| 4 | Gordon Pirie (Great Britain) | 14:18.0 (14:18.31) | ||
| 5 | Chris Chataway (Great Britain) | 14:18.0 (14:18.38) | ||
| 6 | Les Perry (Australia) | 14:23.6 (14:23.16) | ||
| 7 | Ernö Béres (Hungary) | 14:24.8 | ||
| 8 | Åke Andersson (Sweden) | 14:26.0 | ||
| [Charley Capozzoli (USA) 7th in heat] | ||||
| [Wes Santee (USA) 13th in heat] | ||||
| [Curt Stone (USA) 8th in heat] | ||||
| [Schade 14:15.4 OR {heat}; Zátopek 14:06.6 OR] | ||||
| 1948 | ||||
| 1 | Gaston Reiff (Belgium) | 14:17.6 | ||
| 2 | Emil Zátopek (Czechoslovakia) | 14:17.8 | ||
| 3 | Wim Slykhuis (Holland) | 14:26.8 | ||
| 4 | Erik Ahldén (Sweden) | 14:28.6 | ||
| 5 | Bertil Albertsson (Sweden) | 14:39.0 | ||
| 6 | Curt Stone (USA) | 14:39.4 | ||
| 7 | Vaino Koskela (Finland) | 14:41.0 | ||
| 8 | Vaino Makela (Finland) | 14:43.0 | ||
| [Clarence Robison (USA) DNF in heat] | ||||
| [Jerry Thompson (USA) 5th in heat] | ||||
| [Reiff 14:17.6 OR] | ||||
| 1936 | ||||
| 1 | Gunnar Höckert (Finland) | 14:22.2 | ||
| 2 | Lauri Lehtinen (Finland) | 14:25.8 | ||
| 3 | Henry Jonsson (Sweden) | 14:29.0 | ||
| 4 | Kohei Murakoso (Japan) | 14:30.0 | ||
| 5 | Józef Noji (Poland) | 14:33.4 | ||
| 6 | Ilmari Salminen (Finland) | 14:39.8 | ||
| 7 | Umberto Cerati (Italy) | 14:44.4 | ||
| 8 | Lou Zamperini (USA) | 14:46.8 | ||
| [13 | Don Lash (USA)] | |||
| [Tom Deckard (USA) 9th in heat] | ||||
| [Höckert 14:22.2 OR] | ||||
| 1932 | ||||
| 1 | Lauri Lehtinen (Finland) | 14:30.0 (14:29.91) | ||
| 2 | Ralph Hill (USA) | 14:30.0 | ||
| 3 | Lauri Virtanen (Finland) | 14:44.0 | ||
| 4 | John Savidan (New Zealand) | 14:49.6 | ||
| 5 | Jean-Gunnar Lindgren (Sweden) | 14:54.8 | ||
| 6 | Max Syring (Germany) | 14:59.0 | ||
| 7 | Alec Burns (Great Britain) | 15:04.0 | ||
| 8 | Erik Pettersson (Sweden) | 15:13.4 | ||
| [DNF—Paul Rekers (USA)] | ||||
| [Daniel Dean (USA) 7th in heat] | ||||
| [Lehtinen 14:30.0 OR; Hill 14:30.0 =OR] | ||||
| 1928 | ||||
| 1 | Ville Ritola (Finland) | 14:38.0 | ||
| 2 | Paavo Nurmi (Finland) | 14:40.0 | ||
| 3 | Edvin Wide (Sweden) | 14:41.2 | ||
| 4 | Leo Lermond (USA) | 14:50.0 | ||
| 5 | Ragnar Magnusson (Sweden) | 14:59.6 | ||
| 6 | Armas Kinnunen (Finland) | 15:02.0 | ||
| 7 | Stanislavs Petkevits (Latvia) | nt | ||
| 8 | Herbert Johnston (Great Britain) | nt | ||
| [10 | Macauley Smith (USA) nt] | |||
| [Dave Abbott (USA) ?] | ||||
| 1924 | ||||
| 1 | Paavo Nurmi (Finland) | 14:31.2 | ||
| 2 | Ville Ritola (Finland) | 14:31.4 | ||
| 3 | Edvin Wide (Sweden) | 15:01.8 | ||
| 4 | John Romig (USA) | 15:12.4 | ||
| 5 | Eino Seppälä (Finland) | 15:18.4 | ||
| 6 | Charles Clibbon (Great Britain) | 15:29.0 | ||
| 7 | Lucien Dolques (France) | 15:33.0 | ||
| 8 | Axel Eriksson (Sweden) | 15:38.0 | ||
| [Harold Phelps (USA) 6th in heat] | ||||
| [Rilus Doolittle (USA) 7th in heat] | ||||
| [Nurmi 14:31.2 OR] | ||||
| 1920 | ||||
| 1 | Joseph Guillemot (France) | 14:55.6 | ||
| 2 | Paavo Nurmi (Finland) | 15:00.0 | ||
| 3 | Eric Backman (Sweden) | 15:13.0 | ||
| 4 | Teodor Koskenniemi (Finland) | 15:17.0 | ||
| 5 | Charles Blewitt (Great Britain) | 15:19.0 | ||
| 6 | William Seagrove (Great Britain) | 15:21.0 | ||
| 7 | Carlo Speroni (Italy) | nt | ||
| 8 | Alfred Nichols (Great Britain) | nt | ||
| [Clifford Furnas (USA) 4th in heat] | ||||
| [Hal Brown (USA) 3rd in heat] | ||||
| [Charles Hunter (USA) 7th in heat] | ||||
| [Ivan Dresser (USA) 3rd in heat] | ||||
| 1912 | ||||
| 1 | Hannes Kolehmainen (Finland) | 14:36.6 | ||
| 2 | Jean Bouin (France) | 14:36.7 | ||
| 3 | George Hutson (Great Britain) | 15:07.6 | ||
| 4 | George Bonhag (USA) | 15:09.8 | ||
| 5 | Tell Berna (USA) | 15:10.0 | ||
| 6 | Mauritz Karlsson (Sweden) | 15:18.6 | ||
| 7 | Henry Scott (USA) | nt | ||
| 8 | Alex Decoteau (Canada) | nt | ||
| [John Fitzgerald (USA) 7th in heat] | ||||
| [Garnett Wikoff (USA) 5th in heat] | ||||
| [Tell Berna (USA) 3rd in heat] | ||||
| [Wallace McCurdy (USA) 8th in heat] | ||||
| [Bouin 15:05.0 OR {heat}; Kolehmainen 14:36.6 WR, OR] | ||||
| 1908 | ||||
| (not contested before 1912) | ||||
| [08—Charles Bennett (Great Britain) 15:20.0 OR {team | ||||
| race}] |