| 2021 | ||||
| (Tokyo, August 2) | ||||
| 1. | Soufiane El Bakkali (Morocco) | 8:08.90 | ||
| 2. | Lamecha Girma (Ethiopia) | 8:10.38 | ||
| 3. | Benjamin Kigen (Kenya) | 8:11.45 | ||
| 4. | Getnet Wale (Ethiopia) | 8:14.97 | ||
| 5. | Yemane Hailesilassie (Eritrea) | 8:15.34 | ||
| 6. | Matt Hughes (Canada) | 8:16.03 | ||
| 7. | Ryuji Miura (Japan) | 8:16.90 | ||
| 8. | Topi Raitanen (Finland) | 8:17.44 | ||
| 11. | Benard Keter (USA) | 8:22.12 | ||
| [Hillary Bor (USA) 6th in heat] | ||||
| [Mason Ferlic (USA) 8th in heat] | ||||
| 2016 | ||||
| (Rio de Janeiro, August 17) | ||||
| 1 | Conseslus Kipruto (Kenya) | 8:03.28 | ||
| 2 | Evan Jager (USA) | 8:04.28 | ||
| 3 | Mahiedine Mekhissi (France) | 8:11.52 | ||
| 4 | Soufiane El Bakkali (Morocco) | 8:14.35 | ||
| 5 | Yoann Kowal (France) | 8:16.75 | ||
| 6 | Brimin Kipruto (Kenya) | 8:18.79 | ||
| 7 | Amor Benyahia (Tunisia) | 8:21.67 | ||
| 8 | Hillary Bor (USA) | 8:22.74 | ||
| 9 | Donn Cabral (USA) | 8:25.81 | ||
| 2012 | ||||
| (London, August 5) | ||||
| 1 | Ezekiel Kemboi (Kenya) | 8:18.56 | ||
| 2 | Mahiedine Mekhissi (France) | 8:19.08 | ||
| 3 | Abel Mutai (Kenya) | 8:19.73 | ||
| 4 | Roba Gari (Ethiopia) | 8:20.00 | ||
| 5 | Brimin Kipruto (Kenya) | 8:23.03 | ||
| 6 | Evan Jager (USA) | 8:23.87 | ||
| 7 | Hamid Ezzine (Morocco) | 8:24.90 | ||
| 8 | -Donn Cabral (Princeton) | 8:25.91 | ||
| [Kyle Alcorn (USA) 9th heat II] | ||||
| 2008 | ||||
| 1 | Brimin Kipruto (Kenya) | 8:10.34 | ||
| 2 | Mahiedine Mekhissi (France) | 8:10.49 | ||
| 3 | Richard Matelong (Kenya) | 8:11.01 | ||
| 4 | Yacob Jarso (Ethiopia) | 8:13.47 | ||
| 5 | Bob Tahri (France) | 8:14.79 | ||
| 6 | Youcef Abdi (Australia) | 8:16.36 | ||
| 7 | Ezekiel Kemboi (Kenya) | 8:16.38 | ||
| 8 | Ali Abubaker Kamal (Qatar) | 8:16.59 | ||
| [13 | Anthony Famiglietti (USA) 8:31.21] | |||
| [Billy Nelson (USA) 10th in heat] | ||||
| [Josh McAdams (USA) 9th in heat] | ||||
| 2004 | ||||
| 1 | Ezekiel Kemboi (Kenya) | 8:05.81 | ||
| 2 | Brimin Kipruto (Kenya) | 8:06.11 | ||
| 3 | Paul Kipsele Koech (Kenya) | 8:06.64 | ||
| 4 | Moussa Obaid (Qatar) | 8:07.18 | ||
| 5 | Luis Miguel Martín (Spain) | 8:11.64 | ||
| 6 | Simon Vroeman (Holland) | 8:13.25 | ||
| 7 | Bob Tahri (France) | 8:14.26 | ||
| 8 | Ali Ezzine (Morocco) | 8:15.58 | ||
| [11 | Daniel Lincoln (USA) 8:16.86] | |||
| [Robert Gary (USA) 12th in heat] | ||||
| [Anthony Famiglietti (USA) 8th in heat] | ||||
| 2000 | ||||
| 1 | Reuben Kosgei (Kenya) | 8:21.43 | ||
| 2 | Wilson Boit (Kenya) | 8:21.77 | ||
| 3 | Ali Ezzine (Morocco) | 8:22.15 | ||
| 4 | Bernard Barmasai (Kenya) | 8:22.23 | ||
| 5 | Luis Martín (Spain) | 8:22.75 | ||
| 6 | Eliseo Martín (Spain) | 8:23.00 | ||
| 7 | Brahim Boulami (Morocco) | 8:24.32 | ||
| 8 | Günther Weidlinger (Austria) | 8:26.70 | ||
| [Mark Croghan (USA) 5th in heat] | ||||
| [Tony Cosey (USA) 10th in heat] | ||||
| [Pascal Dobert (USA) 6th in heat] | ||||
| 1996 | ||||
| 1 | Joseph Keter (Kenya) | 8:07.12 | ||
| 2 | Moses Kiptanui (Kenya) | 8:08.33 | ||
| 3 | Alessandro Lambruschini (Italy) | 8:11.28 | ||
| 4 | Matthew Birir (Kenya) | 8:17.18 | ||
| 5 | Mark Croghan (USA) | 8:17.84 | ||
| 6 | Steffen Brand (Germany) | 8:18.52 | ||
| 7 | Brahim Boulami (Morocco) | 8:23.13 | ||
| 8 | Jim Svenøy (Norway) | 8:23.39 | ||
| [12 | Marc Davis (USA) 9:51.96 (injured)] | |||
| [Robert Gary (USA) 11th in heat] | ||||
| 1992 | ||||
| 1 | Matthew Birir (Kenya) | 8:08.84 | ||
| 2 | Patrick Sang (Kenya) | 8:09.55 | ||
| 3 | William Mutwol (Kenya) | 8:10.74 | ||
| 4 | Alessandro Lambruschini (Italy) | 8:15.52 | ||
| 5 | Steffen Brand (Germany) | 8:16.60 | ||
| 6 | Tom Hanlon (Great Britain) | 8:18.14 | ||
| 7 | Brian Diemer (USA) | 8:18.77 | ||
| 8 | Azzedine Brahmi (Algeria) | 8:20.71 | ||
| [Mark Croghan (USA) 7th in semi] | ||||
| [Danny Lopez (USA) 11th in semi] | ||||
| 1988 | ||||
| 1 | Julius Kariuki (Kenya) | 8:05.51 | ||
| 2 | Peter Koech (Kenya) | 8:06.79 | ||
| 3 | Mark Rowland (Great Britain) | 8:07.96 | ||
| 4 | Alessandro Lambruschini (Italy) | 8:12.17 | ||
| 5 | William Van Dijck (Belgium) | 8:13.99 | ||
| 6 | Henry Marsh (USA) | 8:14.39 | ||
| 7 | Patrick Sang (Kenya) | 8:15.22 | ||
| 8 | Boguslaw Maminski (Poland) | 8:15.97 | ||
| [Brian Diemer (USA) 7th in semi] | ||||
| [Brian Abshire (USA) 9th in semi] | ||||
| [Kariuki 8:05.51 OR] | ||||
| 1984 | ||||
| 1 | Julius Korir (Kenya) | 8:11.80 | ||
| 2 | Joseph Mahmoud (France) | 8:13.31 | ||
| 3 | Brian Diemer (USA) | 8:14.06 | ||
| 4 | Henry Marsh (USA) | 8:14.25 | ||
| 5 | Colin Reitz (Great Britain) | 8:15.48 | ||
| 6 | Domingo Ramón (Spain) | 8:17.27 | ||
| 7 | Julius Kariuki (Kenya) | 8:17.47 | ||
| 8 | Pascal Debacker (France) | 8:21.51 | ||
| [John Gregorek (USA) 8th in heat] | ||||
| 1980 | ||||
| 1 | Bronislaw Malinowski (Poland) | 8:09.70 | ||
| 2 | Filbert Bayi (Tanzania) | 8:12.48 | ||
| 3 | Eshetu Tura (Ethiopia) | 8:13.57 | ||
| 4 | Domingo Ramón (Spain) | 8:15.74 | ||
| 5 | Francisco Sanchez (Spain) | 8:17.93 | ||
| 6 | Giuseppe Gerbi (Italy) | 8:18.47 | ||
| 7 | Boguslaw Maminski (Poland) | 8:19.43 | ||
| 8 | Anatoliy Dimov (Soviet Union) | 8:19.75 | ||
| 1976 | ||||
| 1 | Anders Gärderud (Sweden) | 8:08.02 | ||
| 2 | Bronislaw Malinowski (Poland) | 8:09.11 | ||
| 3 | Frank Baumgartl (East Germany) | 8:10.36 | ||
| 4 | Tapio Kantanen (Finland) | 8:12.60 | ||
| 5 | Michael Karst (West Germany) | 8:20.14 | ||
| 6 | Euan Robertson (New Zealand) | 8:21.08 | ||
| 7 | Dan Glans (Sweden) | 8:21.53 | ||
| 8 | Antonio Campos (Spain) | 8:22.65 | ||
| [10 | Henry Marsh (USA) 8:23.99] | |||
| [Doug Brown (USA) 8th in heat] | ||||
| [Mike Roche (USA) 10th in heat] | ||||
| [Malinowski 8:18.5 (8:18.56) OR {heat}; Gärderud 8:08.02 | ||||
| WR, OR] | ||||
| 1972 | ||||
| 1 | Kip Keino (Kenya) | 8:23.64 | ||
| 2 | Ben Jipcho (Kenya) | 8:24.62 | ||
| 3 | Tapio Kantanen (Finland) | 8:24.66 | ||
| 4 | Bronislaw Malinowski (Poland) | 8:27.92 | ||
| 5 | Dusan Moravcik (Czechoslovakia) | 8:29.06 | ||
| 6 | Amos Biwott (Kenya) | 8:33.48 | ||
| 7 | Romualdas Bite (Soviet Union) | 8:34.64 | ||
| 8 | Pekka Paivarinta (Finland) | 8:37.17 | ||
| [Steve Savage (USA) 7th in heat] | ||||
| [Doug Brown (USA) 9th in heat] | ||||
| [Mike Manley (USA) 10th in heat] | ||||
| [Kantanen 8:24.78 OR {heat}; Biwott 8:23.73 OR {heat}; Keino | ||||
| 8:23.06 OR] | ||||
| 1968 | ||||
| (high-altitude) | ||||
| 1 | Amos Biwott (Kenya) | 8:51.0 (8:51.02) | ||
| 2 | Ben Kogo (Kenya) | 8:51.6 (8:51.56) | ||
| 3 | George Young (USA) | 8:51.8 (8:51.86) | ||
| 4 | Kerry O’Brien (Australia) | 8:52.0 (8:52.08) | ||
| 5 | Aleksandr Morozov (Soviet Union) | 8:55.8 (8:55.61) | ||
| 6 | Mikhail Zhelev (Bulgaria) | 8:58.4 (8:58.41) | ||
| 7 | Gaston Roelants (Belgium) | 8:59.4 (8:59.50) | ||
| 8 | Arne Risa (Norway) | 9:09.0 (9:08.98) | ||
| [Conrad Nightingale (USA) 6th in heat] | ||||
| [Bill Reilly (USA) 5th in heat] | ||||
| 1964 | ||||
| 1 | Gaston Roelants (Belgium) | 8:30.8 | ||
| 2 | Maurice Herriott (Great Britain) | 8:32.4 | ||
| 3 | Ivan Belyayev (Soviet Union) | 8:33.8 | ||
| 4 | Manuel de Oliveira (Portugal) | 8:36.2 | ||
| 5 | George Young (USA) | 8:38.2 | ||
| 6 | Guy Texereau (France) | 8:38.6 | ||
| 7 | Adolfas Aleksejunas (Soviet Union) | 8:39.0 | ||
| 8 | Lars-Erik Gustafsson (Sweden) | 8:41.8 | ||
| [Vic Zwolak (USA) 4th in heat] | ||||
| [Jeff Fishback (USA) 4th in heat] | ||||
| [Herriott 8:33.0 OR {heat}; Aleksejunas 8:31.8 OR {heat}; | ||||
| Roelants 8:30.8 OR] | ||||
| 1960 | ||||
| 1 | Zdzislaw Krzyszkowiak (Poland) | 8:34.2 (8:34.30) | ||
| 2 | Nikolay Sokolov (Soviet Union) | 8:36.4 (8:36.55) | ||
| 3 | Semyon Rzhishchin (Soviet Union) | 8:42.2 (8:42.34) | ||
| 4 | Gaston Roelants (Belgium) | 8:47.6 (8:47.85) | ||
| 5 | Gunnar Tjörnebo (Sweden) | 8:58.6 (8:58.87) | ||
| 6 | Ludwig Müller (West Germany) | 9:01.6 (9:01.57) | ||
| 7 | Deacon Jones (USA) | 9:18.2 (9:18.22) | ||
| 8 | Aleksey Konov (Soviet Union) | 9:18.2 (9:18.23) | ||
| [Phil Coleman (USA) 5th in heat] | ||||
| [George Young (USA) 4th in heat] | ||||
| [Krzyszkowiak 8:34.2 OR] | ||||
| 1956 | ||||
| 1 | Chris Brasher (Great Britain) | 8:41.2 (8:41.35) | ||
| 2 | Sándor Rozsnyói (Hungary) | 8:43.6 (8:43.68) | ||
| 3 | Ernst Larsen (Norway) | 8:44.0 (8:44.05) | ||
| 4 | Heinz Laufer (West Germany) | 8:44.4 (8:44.53) | ||
| 5 | Semyon Rzhishchin (Soviet Union) | 8:44.6 (8:44.58) | ||
| 6 | John Disley (Great Britain) | 8:44.6 (8:44.79) | ||
| 7 | Neil Robbins (Australia) | 8:50.0 (8:50.36) | ||
| 8 | Eric Shirley (Great Britain) | 8:57.0 | ||
| [9 | Deacon Jones (USA) 9:13.7] | |||
| [Horace Ashenfelter (USA) 6th in heat] | ||||
| [Phil Coleman (USA) 9th in heat] | ||||
| [Brasher 8:41.2 OR] | ||||
| 1952 | ||||
| 1 | Horace Ashenfelter (USA) | 8:45.4 (8:45.68) | ||
| 2 | Vladimir Kazantsev (Soviet Union) | 8:51.6 (8:51.52) | ||
| 3 | John Disley (Great Britain) | 8:51.8 (8:51.94) | ||
| 4 | Olavi Rinteenpää (Finland) | 8:55.2 (8:55.60) | ||
| 5 | Kurt Söderberg (Sweden) | 8:55.6 (8:55.87) | ||
| 6 | Günther Hesselmann (West Germany) | 8:55.8 (8:55.98) | ||
| 7 | Mikhail Saltykov (Soviet Union) | 8:56.2 (8:56.47) | ||
| 8 | Helmut Gude (West Germany) | 9:01.4 (9:01.36) | ||
| [Bill Ashenfelter (USA) DNF in heat] | ||||
| [Browning Ross (USA) 12th in heat] | ||||
| [Kazantsev 8:58.0 (8:58.17) OR {heat}; Ashfenfelter 8:51.0 | ||||
| (8:51.18) OR {heat}, 8:45.4 WR, OR] | ||||
| 1948 | ||||
| 1 | Tore Sjöstrand (Sweden) | 9:04.6 | ||
| 2 | Erik Elmsäter (Sweden) | 9:08.2 (3.81 behind) | ||
| 3 | Göte Hagström (Sweden) | 9:11.8 (7.54) | ||
| 4 | Alex Guyodo (France) | 9:13.6 (8.92) | ||
| 5 | Pentti Siitaloppi (Finland) | 9:19.6 (15.39) | ||
| 6 | Petar Segedin (Yugoslavia) | 9:20.4 (16.08) | ||
| 7 | Browning Ross (USA) | 9:23.2 (19.42) | ||
| 8 | Constantino Miranda (Spain) | 9:25.0 (22.00) | ||
| [Bob McMillen (USA) 8th in heat (fell 3 times)] | ||||
| [Bill Overton (USA) 6th in heat] | ||||
| 1936 | ||||
| 1 | Volmari Iso‑Hollo (Finland) | 9:03.8 | ||
| 2 | Kaarlo Tuominen (Finland) | 9:06.8 | ||
| 3 | Alfred Dompert (Germany) | 9:07.2 | ||
| 4 | Martti Matilainen (Finland) | 9:09.0 | ||
| 5 | Hal Manning (USA) | 9:11.2 | ||
| 6 | Lars Larsson (Sweden) | 9:16.6 | ||
| 7 | Woldemars Wihtols (Lat) | 9:18.8 | ||
| 8 | Glen Dawson (USA) | 9:21.1 | ||
| [10 | Joe McCluskey (USA) 9:29.4] | |||
| [Iso-Hollo 9:03.8 WR, OR] | ||||
| 1932 | ||||
| (lap long) | ||||
| 1 | Volmari Iso‑Hollo (Finland) | 10:33.4 | ||
| 2 | Thomas Evenson (Great Britain) | 10:46.0 | ||
| 3 | Joe McCluskey (USA) | 10:46.2 | ||
| 4 | Martti Matilainen (Finland) | 10:52.4 | ||
| 5 | George Bailey (Great Britain) | 10:53.2 | ||
| 6 | Glen Dawson (USA) | nt | ||
| 7 | Giuseppe Lippi (Italy) | nt | ||
| 8 | Walter Pritchard (USA) | nt | ||
| 1928 | ||||
| 1 | Toivo Loukola (Finland) | 9:21.8 (9:21.70) | ||
| 2 | Paavo Nurmi (Finland) | 9:31.2 | ||
| 3 | Ove Andersen (Finland) | 9:35.6 | ||
| 4 | Nils Eklöf (Sweden) | 9:38.0 | ||
| 5 | Henri Dartigues (France) | 9:40.0 | ||
| 6 | Lucien Duquesne (France) | 9:40.6 | ||
| 7 | Melvin Dalton (USA) | nt | ||
| 8 | William Spencer (USA) | nt | ||
| [Walter Gegan (USA) 4th in heat] | ||||
| [William Spencer (USA) 3rd in heat] | ||||
| [Loukola 9:21.8 OR] | ||||
| 1924 | ||||
| 1 | Ville Ritola (Finland) | 9:33.6 | ||
| 2 | Elias Katz (Finland) | 9:44.0 | ||
| 3 | Paul Bontemps (France) | 9:45.2 | ||
| 4 | Marvin Rick (USA) | 9:56.4 | ||
| 5 | Karl Ebb (Finland) | 9:57.6 | ||
| 6 | Evelyn Montague (Great Britain) | c9:58.0 | ||
| 7 | Michael Devaney (USA) | c10:01.0 | ||
| 8 | Albert Isola (France) | 10:14.9 | ||
| [Russell Payne (USA) 5th in heat] | ||||
| [Katz 9:43.8 OR {heat}; Ritola 9:33.6 OR] | ||||
| 1920 | ||||
| 1 | Percy Hodge (Great Britain) | 10:00.4 | ||
| 2 | Patrick Flynn (USA) | c10:21.1 | ||
| 3 | Ernesto Ambrosini (Italy) | c10:32.0 | ||
| 4 | Gustaf Mattsson (Sweden) | c10:32.1 | ||
| 5 | Michael Devaney (USA) | c10:34.3 | ||
| 6 | Albert Hülsebosch (USA) | c10:37.7 | ||
| 7 | Lars Hedwall (Sweden) | c10:42.2 | ||
| 8 | Ray Watson (USA) | c10:50.3 | ||
| [Devaney 10:23.0 OR {heat}; Hodge 10:17.4 OR {heat}, 10:00.4 OR] | ||||
| 1912 | ||||
| (not contested) |
| 1908 | ||||
| (3200m) | ||||
| 1 | Arthur Russell (Great Britain) | 10:47.8 | ||
| 2 | Archie Robertson (Great Britain) | 10:48.4 | ||
| 3 | John Eisele (USA) | nt | ||
| 4 | Guy Holdaway (Great Britain) | nt | ||
| 5 | Harry Sewell (Great Britain) | nt | ||
| 6 | William Galbraith (Canada) | nt | ||
| [Edward Carr (USA) DNF in heat] | ||||
| [Gayle Dull (USA) 2nd in heat] | ||||
| [George Bonhag (USA) DNF in heat] | ||||
| [Roger Spitzer (USA) 3rd in heat] | ||||
| [Charles Hall (USA) 4th in heat] | ||||
| [James Lightbody (USA) 2nd in heat] | ||||
| [Russell 10:56.2 OR {heat}, 10:47.8 OR] | ||||
| 1904 | ||||
| (2590m) | ||||
| 1 | James Lightbody (USA) | 7:39.6 | ||
| 2 | John Daly (Ireland) | 7:40.6 | ||
| 3 | Arthur Newton (USA) | nt | ||
| 4 | Frank Verner (USA) | nt | ||
| Also ran—Harvey Cohn (USA) | ||||
| Also ran—David Munson (USA) | ||||
| Also ran—Richard Sanford (USA) | ||||
| 1900 | ||||
| (2 races) | ||||
| (2500m) | ||||
| 1 | George Orton (Canada) | 7:34.4 | ||
| 2 | Sidney Robinson (Great Britain) | c7:36.4 | ||
| 3 | Jacques Chastanié (France) | c7:44.5 | ||
| 4 | Arthur Newton (USA) | nt | ||
| 5 | Hermann Wraschtil (Austria) | nt | ||
| 6 | Franz Dühne (Germany) | nt | ||
| (4000m) | ||||
| 1 | John Rimmer (Great Britain) | 12:58.4 | ||
| 2 | Charles Bennett (Great Britain) | c12:58.6 | ||
| 3 | Sidney Robinson (Great Britain) | c12:58.8 | ||
| 4 | Jacques Chastanié (France) | c13:00.5 | ||
| 5 | George Orton (Canada) | nt | ||
| 6 | Franz Dühne (Germany) | nt | ||
| Also ran—Alexander Grant (USA) | ||||
| Also ran—Thaddeus McClain (USA) | ||||
| 1896 | ||||
| (not contested) |