Athletics at the 1988 Summer Games: Previous Summer Games ▪ Next Summer Games
Host City: Seoul, South Korea
Venue(s): Olympic Stadium, Seoul Sports Complex, Seoul
Date Started: September 30, 1988
Date Finished: September 30, 1988
Format: Top five in each heat and next two fastest advanced to the final.
| Gold: | Peter Rono |
| Silver: | Peter Elliott |
| Bronze: | Jens-Peter Herold |
| Rank | Athlete | Age | Team | NOC | T(A) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kipkoech Cheruiyot | 23 | Kenya | KEN | 3:38.09 | QU |
| 2 | Steve Cram | 27 | Great Britain | GBR | 3:38.30 | QU |
| 3 | Peter Elliott | 25 | Great Britain | GBR | 3:38.56 | QU |
| 4 | Han Kulker | 29 | Netherlands | NED | 3:39.06 | QU |
| 5 | Jeff Atkinson | 25 | United States | USA | 3:39.12 | QU |
| 6 | Joseph Chesire | 30 | Kenya | KEN | 3:39.17 | QC |
| 7 | Mogens Guldberg | 25 | Denmark | DEN | 3:39.86 | |
| 8 | Rémy Geoffroy | 25 | France | FRA | 3:40.96 | |
| 9 | Rachid Kram | 25 | Algeria | ALG | 3:41.39 | |
| 10 | Spyros Spyrou | 30 | Cyprus | CYP | 3:43.49 | |
| AC | Abdel Majid Moncef | 27 | Morocco | MAR | DNF | |
| AC | Peter Wirz | 28 | Switzerland | SUI | DNF |
| Rank | Athlete | Age | Team | NOC | T(A) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steve Scott | 32 | United States | USA | 3:38.20 | QU |
| 2 | Peter Rono | 21 | Kenya | KEN | 3:38.25 | QU |
| 3 | Omer Khalifa | 31 | Sudan | SUD | 3:38.40 | QU |
| 4 | Mário da Silva | 27 | Portugal | POR | 3:38.56 | QU |
| 5 | Jens-Peter Herold | 23 | East Germany | GDR | 3:38.59 | QU |
| 6 | Marcus O'Sullivan | 26 | Ireland | IRL | 3:38.84 | QC |
| 7 | Markus Hacksteiner | 23 | Switzerland | SUI | 3:39.18 | |
| 8 | Mark Deady | 21 | United States | USA | 3:39.47 | |
| 9 | Steve Crabb | 24 | Great Britain | GBR | 3:39.55 | |
| 10 | Mbiganyi Thee | 26 | Botswana | BOT | 3:42.62 | |
| 11 | Gennaro Di Napoli | 20 | Italy | ITA | 3:43.58 | |
| 12 | Moustafa Lachaal | 24 | Morocco | MAR | 3:45.65 |