| Final | time | | 1. Abdi Bile |  SOM | 3:36.80 | | 2. Jose Luis Gonzalez |  ESP | 3:38.03 | | 3. Jim Spivey |  USA | 3:38.82 | | 4. Joseph Chesire |  KEN | 3:39.36 | | 5. Omer Khalifa |  SUD | 3:39.81 | | 6. Jens-Peter Herold |  GDR | 3:40.14 | | 7. Mike Hillardt |  AUS | 3:40.23 | | 8. Steve Cram |  GBR | 3:41.19 | | 9. Han Kulker |  NED | 3:42.16 | | 10.Remy Geoffroy |  FRA | 3:43.03 | | 11.Kipkoech Cheruiyot | KEN | 3:44.54 | | 12.Steve Scott | USA | 3:45.92 |
|
|
| Semi 1 | time | | 1. Abdi Bile | SOM | 3:35.67 | | 2. Jose Luis Gonzalez | ESP | 3:35.68 | | 3. Steve Cram | GBR | 3:35.78 | | 4. Joseph Chesire | KEN | 3:35.82 | | 5. Steve Scott | USA | 3:35.91 | | 6. Han Kulker | NED | 3:36.08 | | 7. Remy Geoffroy | FRA | 3:37.47 | | 8. Leonid Masunov |  URS | 3:38.24 | | 9. Peter Bourke | AUS | 3:38.42 | | 10.Chuck Aragon | USA | 3:39.45 | | 11.Zeki Ozturk |  TUR | 3:42.17 | | 12.Dieter Baumann |  FRG | 3:47.71 |
|
|
| Semi 2 | time | | 1. Jens-Peter Herold | GDR | 3:40.57 | | 2. Jim Spivey | USA | 3:40.63 | | 3. Kipkoech Cheruiyot | KEN | 3:40.64 | | 4. Omer Khalifa | SUD | 3:40.79 | | 5. Mike Hillardt | AUS | 3:40.95 | | 6. Mario Silva |  POR | 3:41.12 | | 7. Marcus O'Sullivan |  IRL | 3:41.24 | | 8. Teofilo Benito | ESP | 3:41.89 | | 9. Steve Crabb | GBR | 3:42.12 | | 10.Uwe Becker | FRG | 3:43.73 | | 11.Peter Rono | KEN | 3:44.76 | | 12.Mogens Guldberg |  DEN | 3:50.79 |
|
| Heat 1 | time | | 1. Omer Khalifa | SUD | 3:41.93 | | 2. Steve Cram | GBR | 3:42.05 | | 3. Peter Rono | KEN | 3:42.26 | | 4. Steve Scott | USA | 3:42.43 | | 5. Remy Geoffroy | FRA | 3:42.45 | | 6. Mike Hillardt | AUS | 3:42.79 | | 7. Peter Wirz |  SUI | 3:43.00 | | 8. Ray Flynn | IRL | 3:43.06 | | 9. Andres Vera | ESP | 3:43.24 | | 10.David Campbell |  CAN | 3:43.80 | | 11.Dieudonne Kwizera |  BUR | 3:44.36 | | 12.Manuel Balmaceda |  CHI | 3:49.52 | | -. Ari Suhonen |  FIN | DNS |
|
| Heat 2 | time | | 1. Abdi Bile | SOM | 3:38.05 | | 2. Jens-Peter Herold | GDR | 3:38.10 | | 3. Steve Crabb | GBR | 3:38.11 | | 4. Peter Bourke | AUS | 3:38.18 | | 5. Marcus O'Sullivan | IRL | 3:38.20 | | 6. Dieter Baumann | FRG | 3:38.31 | | 7. Mogens Guldberg | DEN | 3:38.67 | | 8. Joseph Chesire | KEN | 3:38.71 | | 9. Teofilo Benito | ESP | 3:38.90 | | 10.Zeki Ozturk | TUR | 3:40.38 | | 11.Chuck Aragon | USA | 3:40.82 | | 12.Getahun Ayana |  ETH | 3:42.29 | | 13.Moubarak Mohamed Abdullah |  UAE | 3:51.04 |
|
| Heat 3 | time | | 1. Kipkoech Cheruiyot | KEN | 3:40.22 | | 2. Jose Luis Gonzalez | ESP | 3:40.28 | | 3. Han Kulker | NED | 3:40.32 | | 4. Jim Spivey | USA | 3:40.48 | | 5. Uwe Becker | FRG | 3:40.63 | | 6. Leonid Masunov | URS | 3:40.68 | | 7. Mario Silva | POR | 3:40.99 | | 8. Adrian Passey | GBR | 3:41.44 | | 9. Markus Hacksteiner | SUI | 3:42.04 | | 10.Pat Scammell | AUS | 3:44.93 | | 11.Gerry O'Reilly | IRL | 3:45.77 | | 12.Johnny Kroon |  SWE | 3:49.06 | | -. El Moctar |  MTN | DNF |
|
|
| 