| POS | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | MARK | 
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saad Shaddad Al-Asmari |  KSA | 8:20.18 Q | 
| 2 | Mark Ostendarp |  GER | 8:20.40 Q PB | 
| 3 | Moses Kiptanui |  KEN | 8:20.76 Q | 
| 4 | Hicham Bouaouiche |  MAR | 8:20.88 Q | 
| 5 | Elarbi Khattabi |  MAR | 8:20.94 Q SB | 
| 6 | Jim Svenøy |  NOR | 8:21.16 q | 
| 7 | Vladimir Pronin |  RUS | 8:29.39 | 
| 8 | Ramiro Morán |  ESP | 8:31.73 | 
| 9 | Rafal Wójcik |  POL | 8:33.28 | 
| 10 | Simon Vroemen |  NED | 8:48.66 | 
| Thomas Nohilly |  USA | DNF | |
| Alessandro Lambruschini |  ITA | DNF | 
| POS | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | MARK | 
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bernard Barmasai |  KEN | 8:17.95 Q | 
| 2 | Wilson Boit Kipketer |  KEN | 8:18.92 Q | 
| 3 | Mark Croghan |  USA | 8:19.98 Q | 
| 4 | Angelo Carosi |  ITA | 8:20.82 Q | 
| 5 | Brahim Boulami |  MAR | 8:21.99 Q | 
| 6 | Florin Ionescu |  ROU | 8:22.35 q SB | 
| 7 | Michael Buchleitner |  AUT | 8:26.22 | 
| 8 | Wander do Prado Moura |  BRA | 8:35.01 | 
| 9 | Stathis Stasi |  CYP | 8:35.73 | 
| 10 | Marcel Laros |  NED | 8:36.12 | 
| 11 | Adam Dobrzynski |  POL | 8:38.58 | 
| 12 | Robert Hough |  GBR | 8:59.24 |