Evolution of the world record 3000 meters Men
| # | name | time | place | track type | date | |||
| 1 | Clas Thunberg | FIN | 5:19.2 | Davos | SUI | outdoor - natural | 8 Jan 1932 | |
| 2 | Michael Staksrud | NOR | 4:59.1 | Hamar | NOR | outdoor - natural | 25 Feb 1933 | |
| 3 | Ivar Ballangrud | NOR | 4:49.6 | Davos | SUI | outdoor - natural | 29 Jan 1935 | |
| 4 | Åke Seyffarth | SWE | 4:45.7 | Davos | SUI | outdoor - natural | 3 Feb 1942 | |
| 5 | Anton Huiskes | NED | 4:40.2 | Davos | SUI | outdoor - natural | 24 Jan 1953 | |
| 6 | Knut Johannesen | NOR | 4:33.9 | Tønsberg | NOR | outdoor - natural | 12 Jan 1963 | |
| 7 | Ivar Eriksen | NOR | 4:33.0 | Oslo | NOR | outdoor - natural | 28 Feb 1963 | |
| 8 | Jonny Nilsson | SWE | 4:27.6 | Tolga | NOR | outdoor - natural | 23 Mar 1963 | |
| 9 | Ants Antson | URS | 4:27.3 | Oslo | NOR | outdoor - natural | 11 Feb 1964 | |
| 10 | Rudie Liebrechts | NED | 4:26.8 | Oslo | NOR | outdoor - natural | 25 Feb 1965 | |
| 11 | Ard Schenk | NED | 4:26.2 | Inzell | FRG | outdoor - artificial | 29 Jan 1966 | |
| 12 | Ard Schenk | NED | 4:18.4 | Inzell | FRG | outdoor - artificial | 25 Feb 1967 | |
| 13 | Fred Anton Maier | NOR | 4:17.5 | Inzell | FRG | outdoor - artificial | 7 Mar 1968 | |
| 14 | Dag Fornæss | NOR | 4:17.4 | Cortina d'Ampezzo | ITA | outdoor - natural | 28 Jan 1969 | |
| 15 | Jan Bols | NED | 4:16.4 | Cortina d'Ampezzo | ITA | outdoor - natural | 27 Jan 1970 | |
| 16 | Ard Schenk | NED | 4:12.6 | Davos | SUI | outdoor - natural | 15 Jan 1971 | |
| 17 | Ard Schenk | NED | 4:08.3 | Inzell | FRG | outdoor - artificial | 2 Mar 1972 | |
| 18 | Eric Heiden | USA | 4:07.01 | Inzell | FRG | outdoor - artificial | 2 Mar 1978 | |
| 19 | Eric Heiden | USA | 4:06.91 | Savalen | NOR | outdoor - natural | 18 Mar 1979 | |
| 20 | Dmitry Ogloblin | URS | 4:04.06 | Medeo | URS | outdoor - artificial | 28 Mar 1979 | |
| 21 | André Hoffmann | GDR | 4:03.31 | Davos | SUI | outdoor - natural | 12 Jan 1985 | |
| 22 | Viktor Shasherin | URS | 4:03.22 | Davos | SUI | outdoor - natural | 18 Jan 1986 | |
| 23 | Leo Visser | NED | 3:59.27 | Heerenveen | NED | indoor - artificial | 19 Mar 1987 | |
| 24 | Johann Olav Koss | NOR | 3:57.52 | Heerenveen | NED | indoor - artificial | 13 Mar 1990 | |
| 25 | Thomas Bos | NED | 3:56.16 | Calgary | CAN | indoor - artificial | 3 Apr 1992 | |
| 26 | Bob de Jong | NED | 3:53.06 | Calgary | CAN | indoor - artificial | 8 Mar 1996 | |
| 27 | Jelmer Beulenkamp | NED | 3:52.67 | * | Heerenveen | NED | indoor - artificial | 25 Feb 1998 |
| 28 | Bart Veldkamp | BEL | 3:48.91 | * | Calgary | CAN | indoor - artificial | 20 Mar 1998 |
| 29 | Steven Elm | CAN | 3:45.23 | * | Calgary | CAN | indoor - artificial | 19 Mar 1999 |
| 30 | Steven Elm | CAN | 3:43.76 | * | Calgary | CAN | indoor - artificial | 17 Mar 2000 |
| 31 | Gianni Romme | NED | 3:42.75 | * | Calgary | CAN | indoor - artificial | 11 Aug 2000 |
| 32 | Chad Hedrick | USA | 3:39.02 | * | Calgary | CAN | indoor - artificial | 10 Mar 2005 |
| 33 | Eskil Ervik | NOR | 3:37.28 | * | Calgary | CAN | indoor - artificial | 5 Nov 2005 |
| * | = record skated on klap skates | |||||||
