| Final 16:50 | time |  | 1. Steve Cram |  GBR | 3:41.09 |  | 2. Sabastian Coe |  GBR | 3:41.67 |  | 3. Han Kulker |  NED | 3:42.11 |  | 4. José Luis González |  ESP | 3:42.54 |  | 5. John Gladwin |  GBR | 3:42.57 |  | 6. Marcus O'Sullivan |  IRL | 3:42.60 |  | 7. Johnny Kroon |  SWE | 3:42.61 |  | 8. Frank O'Mara |  IRL | 3:42.90 |  | 9. José Luis Carreira |  ESP | 3:44.09 |  | 10.Peter Wirz |  SUI | 3:44.09 |  | 11.Igor Lotorev |  URS | 3:44.80 |  | 12.Niels Kim Hjorth |  DEN | 3:45.06 |   
 | 
 |  
|
  Heats - Friday 28.08 18:40 |   
| Heat 1 | time |  | 1. Marcus O'Sullivan |  IRL | 3:39.02 |  | 2. Sebastian Coe |  GBR | 3:39.03 |  | 3. Han Kulker |  NED | 3:39.08 |  | 4. José Manuel Abascal |  ESP | 3:39.20 |  | 5. Klaus-Peter Nabein |  FGR | 3:40.44 |  | 6. Pascal Thiebaut |  FRA | 3:40.81 |  | 7. Mario Silva |  POR | 3:42.04 |  | 8. Markus Hacksteiner |  SUI | 3:44.81 |  | 9. Ronny Olsson |  SWE | 3:50.17 |  | 10.Zeki Oeztuerk |  TUR | 3:51.72 |   
 | 
| Heat 2 | time |  | 1. Steve Cram |  GBR | 3:40.66 |  | 2. Johnny Kroon |  SWE | 3:41.22 |  | 3. José Luis Carreira |  ESP | 3:41.33 |  | 4. Cyrille Laventure |  FRA | 3:41.41 |  | 5. Andreas Busse |  GDR | 3:42.06 |  | 6. Eddy Stevens |  BEL | 3:42.21 |  | 7. Mogens Guldberg |  DEN | 3:42.84 |  | 8. Dave Taylor |  IRL | 3:44.57 |  | 9. Ari Suhonen |  FIN | 3:49.60 |  | -. Sergej Afanasiev |  URS | DQ |   
 | 
 
| Heat 3 | time |  | 1. John Gladwin |  GBR | 3:36.85 |  | 2. José Luis González |  ESP | 3:36.92 |  | 3. Frank O'Mara |  IRL | 3:37.06 |  | 4. Igor Lotorev |  URS | 3:37.53 |  | 5. Niels Kim Hjorth |  DEN | 3:37.60 |  | 6. Peter Wirz |  SUI | 3:37.75 |  | 7. Bruno Levant |  FRA | 3:40.82 |  | 8. Rainer Thau |  FRG | 3:41.10 |  | 9. Oesten Buskas |  SWE | 3:42.88 |   
 | 
 |  
 |