| Times held | 25 |
|---|---|
| Total participants | 982 |
| Total countries | 128 |
| Year | Event | Status | Participants | NOCs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 | 5,000 metres, Men | Olympic | 31 | 11 |
| 1920 | 5,000 metres, Men | Olympic | 38 | 16 |
| 1924 | 5,000 metres, Men | Olympic | 39 | 22 |
| 1928 | 5,000 metres, Men | Olympic | 38 | 18 |
| 1932 | 5,000 metres, Men | Olympic | 18 | 11 |
| 1936 | 5,000 metres, Men | Olympic | 41 | 23 |
| 1948 | 5,000 metres, Men | Olympic | 33 | 21 |
| 1952 | 5,000 metres, Men | Olympic | 45 | 24 |
| 1956 | 5,000 metres, Men | Olympic | 23 | 13 |
| 1960 | 5,000 metres, Men | Olympic | 48 | 31 |
| 1964 | 5,000 metres, Men | Olympic | 48 | 29 |
| 1968 | 5,000 metres, Men | Olympic | 39 | 25 |
| 1972 | 5,000 metres, Men | Olympic | 61 | 35 |
| 1976 | 5,000 metres, Men | Olympic | 36 | 23 |
| 1980 | 5,000 metres, Men | Olympic | 35 | 22 |
| 1984 | 5,000 metres, Men | Olympic | 56 | 40 |
| 1988 | 5,000 metres, Men | Olympic | 56 | 39 |
| 1992 | 5,000 metres, Men | Olympic | 56 | 41 |
| 1996 | 5,000 metres, Men | Olympic | 37 | 22 |
| 2000 | 5,000 metres, Men | Olympic | 36 | 23 |
| 2004 | 5,000 metres, Men | Olympic | 36 | 22 |
| 2008 | 5,000 metres, Men | Olympic | 39 | 24 |
| 2012 | 5,000 metres, Men | Olympic | 42 | 26 |
| 2016 | 5,000 metres, Men | Olympic | 51 | 28 |
| 2020 | 5,000 metres, Men | Olympic | 38 | 23 |
| NOC | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finland | FIN |
7 | 4 | 2 | 13 |
| Ethiopia | ETH |
3 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| Great Britain | GBR |
2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| Morocco | MAR |
2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Kenya | KEN |
1 | 4 | 4 | 9 |
| United States | USA |
1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Germany | GER |
1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| France | FRA |
1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Czechoslovakia | TCH |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| New Zealand | NZL |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Tunisia | TUN |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Belgium | BEL |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Burundi | BDI |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Soviet Union | URS |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Uganda | UGA |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| West Germany | FRG |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Algeria | ALG |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Canada | CAN |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Switzerland | SUI |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| United Republic of Tanzania | TAN |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Sweden | SWE |
0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| East Germany | GDR |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Netherlands | NED |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Poland | POL |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Portugal | POR |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Athlete | Nat | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lasse Virén | FIN |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Mo Farah | GBR |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Paavo Nurmi | FIN |
1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Lauri Lehtinen | FIN |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Ville Ritola | FIN |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Dieter Baumann | GER FRG |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Emil Zátopek | CZE TCH |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Mohamad Gammoudi | TUN |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Kenenisa Bekele | ETH |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |