| Final 17:25 | time | | | | 1. Jerzy Chromik | POL | 8:38.2 | CR | | 2. Semyon Rzhishchin | URS | 8:38.8 | | | 3. Hans Hüneke | FRG | 8:43.6 | | | 4. Sergey Ponomaryev | URS | 8:44.0 | | | 5. Vlastimil Brlica | TCH | 8:46.6 | | | 6. Gyula Varga | HUN | 8:48.4 | | | 7. Lars Helander | SWE | 8:50.2 | | | 8. Georgios Papavasiliou | GRE | 8:51.2 | NR | | 9. Olavi Rinteenpää | FIN | 8:52.6 | | | 10.Reidar Næss | NOR | 8:54.6 | | | 11.Hermann Bühl | DDR | 9:03.0 | | | 12.Bohumír Zháňal | TCH | 9:24.4 | |
|
| History Men 3000m Steeplechase | | World and European Record: Chromik (POL) 8:32 | | Championship Record: Roznyo (HUN) 8:49.6 - 1954 |
|
Heats - Wednesday 20.08 15:10 | | First 6 to Final |
| Heat 1 | time | | | 1. Semyon Rzhishchin | URS | 8:47.6 | CR Q | | 2. Vlastimil Brlica | TCH | 8:47.6 | CR Q | | 3. Jerzy Chromik | POL | 8:49.2 | Q | | 4. Hans Hüneke | FRG | 8:50.6 | Q | | 5. Olavi Rinteenpää | FIN | 8:53.0 | Q | | 6. Reidar Næss | NOR | 8:53.6 | Q | | 7. Manuel Alonso | ESP | 8:56.2 | NR | | 8. Hedwig Leenaert | BEL | 9:09.6 | | | 9. Eric Shirley | GBR | 9:17.2 | |
|
|
| Heat 2 | time | | | 1. Georgios Papavasiliou | GRE | 8:55.4 | Q | | 2. Sergey Ponomaryev | URS | 8:56.2 | Q | | 3. Gyula Varga | HUN | 8:59.8 | Q | | 4. Hermann Bühl | DDR | 9:01.8 | Q | | 5. Lars Helander | SWE | 9:04.8 | Q | | 6. Bohumír Zháňal | TCH | 9:09.4 | Q | | 7. Walter Kammermann | SUI | 9:17.2 | |
|
|