[1] Defending champion David Rudisha (Kenya) couldn't recover from an early season injury in time to return.

The returning bronze medalist, 2015 phenom Amel Tuka (Bosnia and Herzegovina) didn't make it out of the heats.

As the final began, the runner with the fastest personal best, =#3 all time Nigel Amos (Botswana) ran a fast turn and was attempting to take the tangent from the break line in his lane 5, but Brandon McBride (Canada), ran a faster turn and cut more sharply from lane 7, effectively interrupting Amos from taking control of the early pace.

Looking for running room Amos also cut in, tangling elbows with Kipyegon Bett (Kenya), then bouncing to the side, getting caught also behind Thiago André (Brazil).

He went wider on the backstretch, running in lane 3 past the field, including the battling leaders, taking the lead unencumbered as they entered the final turn.