The men's C-1 1000 metres event was an open-style, individual canoeing event conducted as part of the Canoeing at the 1960 Summer Olympics program on Lake Albano.

The competition was held over four rounds: heats, repechages, semifinals, and a final.

The semifinals consisted of three heats of four boats each, with the top three in each advancing to the final and only the fourth-place finisher eliminated.

The top three finishers in both heats advanced in the semifinals while the others went to the repechages.

Competed on August 26, the top three finishers in each of the two heats move to the semifinals.