| Heat 1 | time | | | 1. Harald Norpoth |  FRG | 3:44.9 | Q | | 2. Michel Jazy |  FRA | 3:45.1 | Q | | 3. Walter Wilkinson |  GBR | 3:45.4 | Q | | 4. Stanislav Hoffman |  TCH | 3:45.4 | Q | | 5. Arne Kvalheim |  NOR | 3:45.7 | | | 6. Oleg Rayko |  URS | 3:46.7 | | | 7. Roland Brehmer |  POL | 3:49.0 | | | 8. Henk Snepvangers |  NED | 3:51.5 | | | 9. Frank Murphy |  IRL | 3:52.4 | | | 10.Gani Alia |  ALB | 3:57.2 | |
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| Heat 2 | time | | | 1. André De Hertoghe |  BEL | 3:40.7 | CR NR Q | | 2. Bodo Tümmler | FRG | 3:41.1 | Q | | 3. Jürgen May |  GDR | 3:41.2 | Q | | 4. Claude Nicolas | FRA | 3:41.4 | Q | | 5. Josef Odložil | TCH | 3:42.1 | | | 6. Mart Vilt | URS | 3:42.7 | | | 7. Roman Tkaczyk | POL | 3:45.1 | | | 8. Simo Važić |  YUG | 3:45.6 | | | 9. Preben Glue |  DEN | 3:45.9 | | | 10.Gergely Szentivanyi |  HUN | 3:47.2 | |
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