| men's national records 1500m as at 31.12.1940 | |||||||
| New Zealand | John Lovelock | 3:47,8h (1.) | Berlin | 06.08.36 | Olympic Games | Europe | |
| United States of America | Walter Mehl | 3:47,9h (?.) | Fresno | 29.06.40 | America | ||
| Hungary | Miklos Szabo | 3:48,6h (?.) | Budapest | 09.08.37 | Europe | ||
| Great Britain | Sydney Wooderson | 3:48,7h (1.) | Oslo | 15.09.38 | Europe | ||
| Sweden | Henry Kälarne | 3:48,7h (?.) | Göteborg | 07.08.40 | Europe | ||
| Italy | Luigi Beccali | 3:49,0h (?.) | Milano | 17.09.33 | Europe | ||
| France | Jules Ladoumegue | 3:49,2h (?.) | Paris | 05.10.30 | Europe | ||
| Finland | Niilo Hartikka | 3:50,0h (?.) | Stockholm | 28.07.39 | Europe | ||
| Belgium | Joseph Mostert | 3:50,0h (2.) | Oslo | 15.09.38 | Europe | ||
| Germany | Ludwig Kaindl | 3:50,2h (?.) | Köln | 20.08.39 | Europe | ||
| Canada | Philipp Edwards | 3:50,4h (5.) | Berlin | 06.08.36 | Olympic Games | Europe | |
| Norway | Hans Lehne | 3:53,2h (?.) | Oslo | 12.09.37 | Europe | ||
| Poland | Janusz Kusociński | 3:54,0h (?.) | Królewska Huta | 12.06.32 | Europe | ||
| Chile | Guillermo García Huidobro | 3:54,4h (1.) | Santiago de Chile | 01.05.40 | 10.?? | America | |
| Soviet Union | Aleksandr Pugachevskiy | 3:54,4h (?.) | Moskva | 25.07.40 | Asia | ||
| Swizerland | Willy Schärer | 3:55,0h (2.) | Colombes | 10.07.24 | Olympic Games | Europe | |
| Netherlands | Frits de Ruyter | 3:56,0h (?.) | Rotterdam | 30.07.39 | Europe | ||
| Japan | Kiyoshi Nakamura | 3:56,8h (1.) | Tokyo | 05.06.37 | Asia | ||
| Czechoslovakia | Tomas Sale | 3:57,0h (?.) | Brno | 19.07.40 | Europe | ||
| Austria | Franz Eichberger | 3:57,4h (?.) | Berlin | 08.07.39 | Europe | ||
| Denmark | Christian Markersen | 3:58,1h (?.) | Amsterdam | 12.06.32 | Europe | ||
| Argentina | Juan C. Gallardo | 3:58,8h (?.) | Buenos Aires | 10.11.34 | America | ||
| Latvia | Valdemars Vitols | 3:59,6h (?.) | Tallin | 26.07.38 | ?? | Africa | |
| Romania | Gheorghe Kiss | 3:59,9h (?.) | Klagenfurt | 30.07.39 | Europe | ||
| Australia | William Whythe | 3:59,9h (q.) | Amsterdam | 01.08.28 | Olympic Games/h2 | (2.) | Ozeania |
| Yugoslavia | Emil Gorsek | 4:01,2h (?.) | Klagenfurt | 30.07.39 | Europe | ||
| Greece | Grigoras | 4:01,4h (?.) | Alexandroupolis | 08.08.36 | Europe | ||
| Morocco | Tahar Ben Smaïn | 4:02,2h (1.) | Rabat | ??.??.37 | Africa | ||
| Turkey | Riza Isman | 4:02,2h (?.) | Cairo | 21.04.40 | Asia | ||
| Lithuania | Aleksiejus Simanus | 4:02,6h (?.) | Moskva | 23.07.40 | Europe | ||
| Spain | Jaime Angel | 4:03,0h (?.) | Barcelona | 14.07.35 | Europe | ||
| Brazil | Néstor Gomes | 4:04,4h (?.) | São Paulo | 27.05.37 | America | ||
| Portugal | Francisco Bastos | 4:11,0h (?.) | Lisboa | 02.07.39 | Europe | ||
| Ireland | Europe | ||||||
| Rhodesia | Africa | ||||||
| Luxemburg | Europe | ||||||
| Algerie | Africa | ||||||
| Island | Europe | ||||||
| Guatemala | America | ||||||
| Zaire | Africa | ||||||