| Final 16:00 | time |  | 1. John Mikaelsson |  SWE | 45:02.8 |  | 2. Fritz Schwab |  SUI | 45:41.0 |  | 3. Bruno Junk |  URS | 45:41.0 |  | 4. Louis Chevalier |  FRA | 45:50.4 |  | 5. George Coleman |  GBR | 46:06.8 |  | 6. Ivan Jarmysh |  URS | 46:07.0 |  | 7. Emile Maggi |  FRA | 46:08.0 |  | 8. Bruno Fait |  ITA | 46:25.6 |  | 9. Gabriel Reymond |  SUI | 46:38.6 |  | 10.Donald Keane |  AUS | 47:37.0 |  | -. Lars Hindmar |  SWE | DQ |  | -. Josef Dolezal |  TCH |   |   
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 |  | Venue: Helsingin Olympiastadion. Capp.: 70,000. |  | 23 competitors from -- nations. |  | Heats |   
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  Heats - Thursday 24.07 10:00 |  | First 6 from each Heat advanced to Final. |   
| Heat 1 | time |  | 1. Bruno Junk |  URS | 45:05.8 |  | 2. John Mikaelsson |  SWE | 45:10.0 |  | 3. Louis Chevalier |  FRA | 45:58.0 |  | 4. Gabriel Reymond |  SUI | 46:35.2 |  | 5. Donald Keane |  AUS | 46:55.2 |  | 6. Ivan Jarmysh |  URS | 47:26.0 |  | 7. Knut Arne Borjesson |  SWE | 47:32.4 |  | 8. Kaare Hammer |  NOR | 49:08.4 |  | 9. Rangvald Thunestvedt |  DEN | 50:42.8 |  | -. Roland Hardy |  GBR | DQ |  | -. Henry Laskau |  USA | DQ |  | -. Allah Ditta |  PAK | DQ |   
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| Heat 2 | time |  | 1. George Coleman |  GBR | 46:12.4 |  | 2. Emile Maggi |  FRA | 46:47.8 |  | 3. Lars Hindmar |  SWE | 47:06.0 |  | 4. Fritz Schwab |  SUI | 47:06.0 |  | 5. Josef Dolezal |  TCH | 47:06.2 |  | 6. Bruno Fait |  ITA | 47:23.4 |  | 7. Telemaco Arcangeli |  ITA | 48:00.2 |  | 8. Ragnar Olsen |  NOR | 49:03.8 |  | 9. Sloss King |  USA | 51:08.6 |  | -. Pyotr Zeltynjsh |  URS | DQ |  | -. Lawrence Allen |  GBR | DQ |   
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