The men's K-1 500 metres event was an individual kayaking event conducted as part of the Canoeing at the 1996 Summer Olympics program that took place at Lake Lanier.
26 competitors first raced in three heats. The top three finishers from each of the heats advanced directly to the semifinals with the rest competing in the repechages.
| Heat 1 | |||||
| width=30 | 1. | width=80 | 1:42.391 | QS | |
| 2. | 1:42.731 | QS | |||
| 3. | 1:43.279 | QS | |||
| 4. | 1:43.343 | QR | |||
| 5. | 1:43.563 | QR | |||
| 6. | 1:47.823 | QR | |||
| 7. | 1:48.991 | QR | |||
| 8. | 1:49.695 | QR | |||
| Heat 2 | |||||
| 1. | 1:41.624 | QS | |||
| 2. | 1:42.160 | QS | |||
| 3. | 1:42.180 | QS | |||
| 4. | 1:42.652 | QR | |||
| 5. | 1:44.328 | QR | |||
| 6. | 1:45.328 | QR | |||
| 7. | 1:47.316 | QR | |||
| 8. | 1:52.760 | QR | |||
| 9. | 1:55.208 | QR | |||
| Heat 3 | |||||
| 1. | 1:40.411 | QS | |||
| 2. | 1:41.079 | QS | |||
| 3. | 1:41.171 | QS | |||
| 4. | 1:42.691 | QR | |||
| 5. | 1:43.810 | QR | |||
| 6. | 1:44.763 | QR | |||
| 7. | 1:45.623 | QR | |||
| 8. | 1:45.799 | QR | |||
| 9. | 1:56.827 | QR |
The top four finishers from each of the repechages along with the fastest fifth-place finisher advanced to the semifinals.
| Repechage 1 | |||||
| width=30 | 1. | width=80 | 1:43.184 | QS | |
| 2. | 1:43.384 | QS | |||
| 3. | 1:44.076 | QS | |||
| 4. | 1:44.204 | QS | |||
| 5. | 1:44.340 | ||||
| 6. | 1:45.220 | ||||
| 7. | 1:46.532 | ||||
| 8. | 1:53.432 | ||||
| Repechage 2 | |||||
| 1. | 1:42.851 | QS | |||
| 2. | 1:43.055 | QS | |||
| 3. | 1:43.343 | QS | |||
| 4. | 1:43.359 | QS | |||
| 5. | 1:44.143 | QS | |||
| 6. | 1:47.035 | ||||
| 7. | 1:47.815 | ||||
| 8. | 1:51.623 | ||||
| 9. | 1:55.103 |
The top four finishers in each of the two semifinals along with the fifth fastest advanced to the final.
| Semifinal 1 | |||||
| width=30 | 1. | width=60 | 1:39.185 | QF | |
| 2. | 1:39.929 | QF | |||
| 3. | 1:40.765 | QF | |||
| 4. | 1:41.425 | QF | |||
| 5. | 1:41.565 | QF | |||
| 6. | 1:41.749 | ||||
| 7. | 1:41.873 | ||||
| 8. | 1:42.505 | ||||
| 9. | 1:43.045 | ||||
| Semifinal 2 | |||||
| width=30 | 1. | width=60 | 1:40.319 | QF | |
| 2. | 1:40.615 | QF | |||
| 3. | 1:40.687 | QF | |||
| 4. | 1:41.083 | QF | |||
| 5. | 1:41.791 | ||||
| 6. | 1:41.883 | ||||
| 7. | 1:42.071 | ||||
| 8. | 1:42.335 | ||||
| 9. | 1:42.379 |
The final was held on August 4.
| width=30 bgcolor=gold | width=60 | 1:37.423 | ||
| bgcolor=silver | 1:38.339 | |||
| 1:38.615 | ||||
| 4. | 1:38.975 | |||
| 5. | 1:39.307 | |||
| 6. | 1:40.047 | |||
| 7. | 1:40.331 | |||
| 8. | 1:40.407 | |||
| 9. | 1:41.023 |