| men's national records 1500m as at 31.12.1980 | |||||||
| Great Britain | Steve Ovett | 3:31,36 (1.) | Koblenz | 27.08.80 | Internationales von Rot-Weiß Koblenz | 1 | Europe |
| FR Germany | Thomas Wessinghage | 3:31,58 (2.) | Koblenz | 27.08.80 | Internationales von Rot-Weiß Koblenz | 2 | Europe |
| Tansania | Filbert Bayi | 3:32,16 (1.) | Christchurch | 02.02.74 | Commonwealth Games | 1 | Africa |
| New Zealand | John Walker | 3:32,4h (1.) | Oslo | 30.07.75 | International (A) | 2 | Ozeania |
| United States of America | Jim Ryun | 3:33,1h (1.) | Los Angeles | 08.07.67 | USA v. Commonwealth | 1 | America |
| Kenya | Ben Jipcho | 3:33,16 (3.) | Christchurch | 02.02.74 | Commonwealth Games | 3 | Africa |
| German DR | Jürgen Straub | 3:33,68 (1.) | Potsdam (GDR) | 31.08.79 | 6 | Europe | |
| Switzerland | Pierre Délèze | 3:33,80 (4.) | Zürich | 13.08.80 | Weltklasse Zürich | 10 | Europe |
| France | Jean Wadoux | 3:34,0h (1.) | Paris, Colombes | 23.07.70 | National | 2 | Europe |
| Sudan | Omar Khalifa | 3:34,11 (5.) | Koblenz | 27.08.80 | Internationales von Rot-Weiß Koblenz | 17 | Africa |
| Australia | Graeme Crouch | 3:34,22 (5.) | Christchurch | 02.02.74 | Commonwealth Games | 7 | Ozeania |
| Spain | Jose Luis Gonzalez | 3:35,1h (1.) | Barcelona | 10.09.80 | 23 | Europe | |
| Soviet Union | Vladimir Malosemlin | 3:35,4h (1.) | Sochi | 23.05.80 | 16 | Asia | |
| South Africa | Danie Malan | 3:35,98 (1.) | Zürich | 09.07.76 | 10 | Africa | |
| Poland | Miroslaw Zerkowski | 3:36,19 (3.) | Warszawa | 09.06.80 | 28 | Europe | |
| Belgium | Ivo Van Damme | 3:36,26 (2.) | Zürich | 09.07.76 | 14 | Europe | |
| Algerie | Abderrahmane Morceli | 3:36,26 (2.) | Tunis | 12.08.77 | 17 | Africa | |
| Finland | Antti Loikanen | 3:36,3h (1.) | Imatra (FIN) | 16.06.80 | 36 | Europe | |
| Italy | Francesco Arese | 3:36,3h (2.) | Milano | 01.07.71 | 7 | Europe | |
| Sweden | Ulf Högberg | 3:36,56 (1.) | Stockholm | 30.07.74 | 17 | Europe | |
| Ireland | Eamonn Coghaln | 3:36,57 (2.) | Praha | 03.09.78 | European Championships | 34 | Europe |
| Denmark | Tom Birger Hansen | 3:36,8h (2.) | Århus | 24.06.73 | 12 | Europe | |
| Hungary | Janos Zemen | 3:36,96 (1.) | Stockholm | 10.08.76 | 32 | Europe | |
| Czechoslovakia | Josef Plachý | 3:37,04 (1.) | Bratislava | 10.06.77 | 33 | Europe | |
| Morocco | Saïd Aouita | 3:37,08 (3.) | Paris, Charléty | 17.07.80 | International | 68 | Africa |
| Netherlands | Evert Hoving | 3:37,31 (6.) | Stockholm | 05.07.76 | 35 | Europe | |
| Ethopia | Takele Worku | 3:37,4h (2.) | Zanzibar (TAN) | 29.05.76 | 33 | Africa | |
| Norway | Lars-Martin Kaupang | 3:37,4h (3.) | Oslo | 30.06.76 | 37 | Europe | |
| Portugal | Hélder de Jesús | 3:37,33 (4.) | Paris, Charléty | 17.07.80 | International | 78 | Europe |
| Canada | Paul Craig | 3:38,00 (q.) | Montréal | 29.07.76 | Olympic Games/h3 | 58 | America |
| Yugoslavia | Dragan Zdravkovic | 3:38,00 (2.) | Beograd | 10.07.79 | 94 | Europe | |
| Austria | Robert Nemeth | 3:38,14 (4.) | Winterthur (SUI) | 14.06.80 | 116 | Europe | |
| Japan | Takashi Ishii | 3:38,2h (5.) | Düsseldorf | 03.09.77 | World Cup | 88 | Asia |
| Greece | Christos Papachristos | 3:38,3h (1.) | Athiná | 16.09.80 | Europe | ||
| Romania | Gheoerghe Ghipu | 3:38,4h (1.) | Bucureşti | 04.10.75 | Europe | ||
| Tunisia | Mansour Guettaya | 3:38,8h (2.) | Turku (FIN) | 19.07.72 | Africa | ||
| Cuba | Luis Medina | 3:39,0h (1.) | La Habana | 14.05.77 | America | ||
| Liechtenstein | Günther Hasler | 3:39,34 (n.) | Montréal | 29.07.76 | Olympic Games/h2 | (7.) | Europe |
| Luxemburg | Justin Gloden | 3:39,92 (11.) | Köln | 10.08.80 | ASV Meeting | Europe | |
| Jamaica | Byron Dyce | 3:40,0h (2.) | Oslo | 03.07.75 | Bislett Games | America | |
| Turkey | Mehmet Tümkan | 3:40,2h (2.) | Athiná | 14.06.72 | Asia | ||
| Puerto Rico | Antonio Colon | 3:40,20 (1.) | San Juan | 24.06.75 | America | ||
| Pakistan | Mohamed Younis | 3:41,4h (4.) | Köln | 11.08.70 | America | ||
| Brazil | Agberto Conceiço Guimarães | 3:41,5h (3.) | San Juan | 14.07.79 | Pan American Games | America | |
| Panama | Donaldo Arza | 3:41,73 (q.) | München | 08.09.72 | Olympic Games | America | |
| Rhodesia | Terence „Terry“ Sullivan | 3:42,96 (n.) | Roma | 03.09.60 | Olympic Games/sf1 | (4.) | Africa |
| Venezuela | José Gonzalez Tiapa | 3:43,35 (?.) | La Habana | 19.05.79 | America | ||
| India | Edward Sequeira | 3:43,7h (?.) | New Delhi | 27.11.66 | Asia | ||
| Madagascar | Edouard Rasoanaivo | 3:44,80 (6.) | Lagos | 13.01.73 | African Games | Africa | |
| Uganda | Vitus Ashaba | 3:45,15 (n.) | München | 08.09.72 | Olympic Games/h4 | (8.) | Africa |
| DPR Korea | Kang Hyong Man | 3:46,0h (?.) | Pyongyang | 15.04.66 | Asia | ||
| Guyana | Rayfield Beaton | 3:46,2h (?.) | Los Angeles | 01.05.76 | America | ||
| Nigeria | Jaiye Abidoye | 3:47,24 (8.) | Lagos | 13.01.73 | African Games | Africa | |
| Jaiye Abidoye | 3:47,2h (?.) | Lagos | 14.08.73 | ||||
| Guatemala | Gonzalo Javier | 3:47,7h (?.) | Houston | 10.06.60 | America | ||
| Chad | Ahmed Issa | 3:47,8h (3.) | Brazzaville | 22.07.65 | African Games | Africa | |
| Zambia | Ambrose Miyanda | 3:51,0h (?.) | Dar es Salaam | 02.12.72 | Africa | ||
| Ghana | Billy Fordjour | 3:47,82 (?.) | Lagos | 13.01.73 | Africa | ||
| Slovenia | Stanko Lisec | 3:42,9h (3.) | Helsinki | 28.06.78 | for Yugoslavia | Europe | |
| Croatia | bosko-bozinovic | 3:39,3h (4.) | Warszawa | 20.06.75 | for Yugoslavia | Europe | |