| Event: | Men's 3000 metres steeplechase |
| Competition: | European Athletics Championships |
The men's 3000 metres steeplechase at the 1978 European Athletics Championships was held in Prague, then Czechoslovakia, at Stadion Evžena Rošického on 1 and 3 September 1978.
| Gold | Bronisław Malinowski | |
| Silver | Patriz Ilg | |
| Bronze | Ismo Toukonen |
3 September
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=left | align=left | | 8:15.08 | ||||
| align=left | align=left | 8:16.92 | |||||
| align=left | align=left | | 8:18.29 | ||||
| 4 | align=left | align=left | 8:19.01 | ||||
| 5 | align=left | align=left |  | 8:20.41 | |||
| 6 | align=left | align=left | | 8:24.86 | |||
| 7 | align=left | align=left | 8:38.0 | ||||
| 8 | align=left | align=left | 8:40.1 | ||||
| 9 | align=left | align=left |  | 8:42.8 | |||
| 10 | align=left | align=left |  | 8:44.0 | |||
| 11 | align=left | align=left | | 8:46.4 | |||
| 12 | align=left | align=left | 9:00.5 |
1 September
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | align=left | | 8:29.10 | Q | ||
| 2 | align=left | align=left | | 8:29.5 | Q | ||
| 3 | align=left | align=left | | 8:30.0 | Q | ||
| 4 | align=left | align=left | 8:31.94 | q | |||
| 5 | align=left | align=left | 8:34.2 | q | |||
| 6 | align=left | align=left |  | 8:34.5 | |||
| 7 | align=left | align=left | | 8:34.9 | |||
| 8 | align=left | align=left | 8:39.0 | ||||
| 9 | align=left | align=left |  | 8:43.8 | |||
| 10 | align=left | align=left |  | 8:43.9 |
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | align=left | | 8:33.29 | Q | ||
| 2 | align=left | align=left | 8:33.7 | Q | |||
| 3 | align=left | align=left | | 8:34.7 | Q | ||
| 4 | align=left | align=left | 8:36.7 | ||||
| 5 | align=left | align=left | | 8:39.1 | |||
| 6 | align=left | align=left | 8:43.2 | ||||
| 7 | align=left | align=left | | 8:48.4 | |||
| 8 | align=left | align=left | 8:51.7 | ||||
| 9 | align=left | align=left | | 8:53.8 | |||
| 10 | align=left | align=left | 8:59.6 | ||||
| 11 | align=left | align=left |  | 9:07.8 |
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | align=left | | 8:25.43 | Q | ||
| 2 | align=left | align=left | | 8:25.58 | Q | ||
| 3 | align=left | align=left | 8:30.4 | Q | |||
| 4 | align=left | align=left | 8:31.4 | q | |||
| 5 | align=left | align=left | 8:36.1 | ||||
| 6 | align=left | align=left |  | 8:38.0 | |||
| 7 | align=left | align=left | | 8:38.2 | |||
| 8 | align=left | align=left | 8:41.4 | ||||
| 9 | align=left | align=left | | 8:46.0 | |||
| 10 | align=left | align=left | | 8:57.4 | |||
| 11 | align=left | align=left | | 9:21.1 |
According to an unofficial count, 32 athletes from 16 countries participated in the event.
(1) (1) (2) (1) (2) (3) (3) (2) (3) (2)