The competition was held on Sunday, 17 February 1952, at 4 p.m. Thirty-five speed skaters from 13 nations competed.

(*) The record was set on naturally frozen ice.

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

Hjalmar Andersen set a new Olympic record with 8:10.6 minutes.

Nikolay Mamonov who set a faster time than the standing world record (later recognized as world record) did not compete as the Soviet Union did not participate in Winter Games before 1956.