Thirty speed skaters from 14 nations competed.

(*) The record was set in a high altitude venue (more than 1000 metres above sea level) and on naturally frozen ice.

Fifteen speed skaters bettered the twelve years old Olympic record.

At first Charles Mathiesen bettered the old record in the first pair with a time of 17:41.2 minutes, then Max Stiepl set a new record with 17:30.0 minutes.

Finally Ivar Ballangrud set a new Olympic record with 17:24.3 minutes.