| Date | 2 August 1936 — 17:30 | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Olympic | |
| Location | Olympiastadion, Reichssportfeld, Berlin | |
| Participants | 30 from 18 countries | |
| Format | Final only. | |
| Olympic Record | 30:11.4 / Janusz Kusociński  POL / 31 July 1932 / Details | |
The three Finns in the race, Ilmari Salminen, Arvo Askola, and Volmari Iso-Hollo, ran a team race. The only runner to stay with them was Japan’s Kohei Murakoso, who led the year lists going into the Olympics. At the bell, Murakoso was dropped and the Finns contested the medals amongst themselves, with Salminen winning the gold. It remains, thru 2024, the only medal sweep in this event.
In 1937, Ilmari Salminen ran a world record 30:05.6, removing from the record books the final world record set by the legendary Paavo Nurmi.
| Time | Athlete(s) | NOC | Result | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 800 m | Kohei Murakoso |  | 2:12.4 | ||
| 1000 m | Kohei Murakoso | | 2:48.6 | ||
| 1500 m | Kohei Murakoso | | 4:17.0 | ||
| 2000 m | Kohei Murakoso | | 5:54 | ||
| 3000 m | Kohei Murakoso | | 8:53 | ||
| 4000 m | Kohei Murakoso | | 11:56 | ||
| 5000 m | Kohei Murakoso | | 15:01 | ||
| 6000 m | Kohei Murakoso | | 18:05 | ||
| 7000 m | Arvo Askola |  | 21:12 | ||
| 8000 m | Volmari Iso-Hollo | | 24:19 | ||
| 9000 m | Arvo Askola | | 27:29 |
GBR
ARG
GER
USA
NOR
DEN
ITA
HUN
SWE
AUT
TCH
FRA
BEL
CAN
IND
COL
ESP
GRE
MEX
NZL