The men's 5000 metres event at the 1948 Olympic Games took place July 31 and August 2.

The final was won by Gaston Reiff of Belgium.

[1] The Belgian Gaston Reiff became the Olympic champion ahead of the Czechoslovakian Emil Zátopek.

Willem Slijkhuis from the Netherlands won bronze.

Prior to the competition, the existing World and Olympic records were as follows.