The following tables shows the world record progression in the Men's 3000 metres. The International Amateur Athletics Federation, now known as the International Association of Athletics Federations, ratified its first world record in the event in 1912.
To June 21, 2009, 26 world records have been ratified by the IAAF in the event.[1]
| Time | Athlete | Date | Place | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:02.4 | 1904-06-19 | Paris, France | ||
| 8:55.0 | 1907-10-27 | Norrköping, Sweden | ||
| 8:54.0 | 1908-08-21 | Stockholm, Sweden | ||
| 8:49.6 | 1911-06-11 | Colombes, France | ||
| 8:48.5 | 1911-09-24 | Oulunkylä, Finland | ||
| 8:46.6 | 1912-05-24 | Stockholm, Sweden |
| Time | Athlete | Date | Place | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:36.8 | 1912-07-12 | Stockholm, Sweden | ||
| 8:33.2 | 1918-08-07 | Stockholm, Sweden | ||
| 8:28.6 | 1922-08-27 | Turku, Finland | ||
| 8:27.6 | 1925-06-07 | Halmstad, Sweden | ||
| 8:25.4 | 1926-05-24 | Berlin, Germany | ||
| 8:20.4 | 1926-07-13 | Stockholm, Sweden | ||
| 8:18.8 | 1932-06-19 | Antwerp, Belgium | ||
| 8:18.4 | 1934-07-24 | Stockholm, Sweden | ||
| 8:14.8 | 1936-09-16 | Stockholm, Sweden | ||
| 8:09.0 | 1940-08-14 | Stockholm, Sweden | ||
| 8:01.2 | 1942-08-28 | Stockholm, Sweden | ||
| 7:58.8 | 1949-08-12 | Gävle, Sweden | ||
| 7:55.6 | 1955-05-14 | Budapest, Hungary | ||
| 7:55.6 | 1956-06-22 | Trondheim, Norway | ||
| 7:52.8 | 1956-09-04 | Malmö, Sweden | ||
| 7:49.2 | 1962-06-27 | Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, France | ||
| 7:49.0+ | 1965-06-23 | Melun, France | ||
| 7:46.0 | 1965-08-05 | Erfurt, East Germany | ||
| 7:39.6 | 1965-08-27 | Helsingborg, Sweden | ||
| 7:37.6 | 1972-09-14 | Aarhus, Denmark | ||
| 7:35.2 | 1974-08-03 | Gateshead, England | ||
| 7:32.1 | 1978-06-27 | Oslo, Norway | ||
| 7:29.45 | 1989-08-20 | Cologne, West Germany | ||
| 7:28.96 | 1992-08-16 | Cologne, Germany | ||
| 7:25.11 | 1994-08-02 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | ||
| 7:20.67 | 1996-09-01 | Rieti, Italy |
(+) - indicates en route time during longer race.
Auto times to the hundredth of a second were accepted by the IAAF for events up to and including 10,000 m from 1981.[1]