Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 1500 metres

Asbel Kiprop entered as the highest ranked athlete of the year with his run of 3:29.33 minutes, and was the gold medallist at the 2008 Olympics and the previous three World Championships in Athletics. In his race immediately prior to the Olympics, however, he had been beaten by his compatriot Ronald Kwemoi and Elijah Motonei Manangoi (second and third in the seasonal rankings). The reigning Olympic champion from 2012, Taoufik Makhloufi of Algeria, was fourth on the world lists, but faced the challenge of also running the 800 m which overlapped on the programme. The next highest ranked runners, Abdalaati Iguider and Ayanleh Souleiman, also entered for doubles.[3][4]

In the first round the main protagonists progressed, although a notable elimination was reigning European champion Filip Ingebrigtsen, who was disqualified for impeding Charlie Grice and Homiyu Tesfaye (both runners were advanced as a result). İlham Tanui Özbilen of Turkey (a 2012 World Indoor medallist) was knocked out, having shown poor form that year. Jakub Holuša of the Czech Republic was fastest in the heats with 3:38.31 minutes, leading a race which saw ten men run under 3:40.[5]

Although the semi-finals produced slower times, heats leader Holuša was among those eliminated. Former European champion Henrik Ingebrigtsen and reigning African Games champion Mekonnen Gebremedhin also failed to make the final and Kenya's Elijah Manangoi did not start after suffering a hamstring injury. The two remaining Kenyans, Kiprop and Kwemoi won the two semi-final races.[6][7] American Robby Andrews initially made the grade, with his typical fast finish, but as he made his way on the inside, he initially tried to take open space between Gebremedhin and the rail, but Gebremedhin defended his position and Andrews had nowhere to go except inside the rail, where he executed the pass to get into the final qualifying spot. He was later disqualified for stepping off the track.[8]

This was the 28th appearance of the event, which is one of 12 athletics events to have been held at every Summer Olympics. Eight of the twelve finalists from 2012 returned: gold medalist Taoufik Makhloufi of Algeria, bronze medalist Abdalaati Iguider of Morocco, fourth-place finisher Matthew Centrowitz, Jr. of the United States, fifth-place finisher Henrik Ingebrigtsen of Norway, sixth-place finisher Mekonnen Gebremedhin of Ethiopia, eighth-place finisher İlham Tanui Özbilen of Turkey, ninth-place finisher Nick Willis of New Zealand, and twelfth-place finisher Asbel Kiprop of Kenya. Kiprop and Willis had won gold and silver in 2008; Iguider had been in the 2008 final, as well. Kiprop was the three-time reigning world champion; he and Makhloufi were favored in this race.[2]

East Timor, South Sudan, and the Refugee Olympic Team each made their first appearance in the event. The United States made its 27th appearance, most of all nations (having missed only the boycotted 1980 Games).

A National Olympic Committee (NOC) could enter up to 3 qualified athletes in the men's 1500 metres event if all athletes meet the entry standard during the qualifying period. (The limit of 3 has been in place since the 1930 Olympic Congress.) The qualifying standard was 3:36.20. The qualifying period was from 1 May 2015 to 11 July 2016. The qualifying time standards could be obtained in various meets during the given period that have the approval of the IAAF. Indoor and outdoor meets were accepted. NOCs could also use their universality place—each NOC could enter one male athlete regardless of time if they had no male athletes meeting the entry standard for an athletics event—in the 1500 metres.[11][12]

The competition was again three rounds (used previously in 1952 and since 1964). The "fastest loser" system introduced in 1964 was used for both the first round and semifinals. The 12-man semifinals and finals introduced in 1984 and used since 1992 were retained.

There were three heats in the first round, each with 14 or 15 runners (before withdrawals). The top six runners in each heat, along with the next six fastest overall, advanced to the semifinals. The 24 semifinalists were divided into two semifinals, each with 12 runners (13 each after two runners were advanced due to obstruction, though one was back down to 12 after a withdrawal). The top five men in each semifinal, plus the next two fastest overall, advanced to the 12-man final (again, 13 after a runner was advanced due to obstruction).[2]

Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows.

World record	Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR)	3:26.00	Rome, Italy	14 July 1998	Video on YouTube
Olympic record	Noah Ngeny (KEN)	3:32.07	Sydney, Australia	29 September 2000	[13]

Area
	Time (s)	Athlete	Nation
Africa (records)	3:26.00 WR	Hicham El Guerrouj	Morocco
Asia (records)	3:29.14	Rashid Ramzi	Bahrain
Europe (records)	3:28.81	Mo Farah	Great Britain
North, Central America and Caribbean (records)	3:29.30	Bernard Lagat	United States
Oceania (records)	3:29.66	Nick Willis	New Zealand
South America (records)	3:33.25	Hudson de Souza	Brazil

No new records were set during the competition.

All times are Brasília Time (UTC−3).