| Date | 15 October 1968 | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Pista Olímpico Virgilio Uribe, Canal de Cuemanco, Xochimilco | |
| Format | Top 3 finishers in each heat advanced to semi-finals. | |
| Time | 9:45 |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 500-1,000 m | 1,000-1,500 m | 1,500-2,000 m | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | John Van Blom |  USA | 7:43.00 | 1:45.66 (3) | 3:38.07 (1) | 5:37.54 (1) | 1:52.41 (1) | 1:59.47 (2) | 2:05.46 (3) | ||
| 2 | 2 | Manfred Krausbar |  AUT | 7:46.65 | 1:44.68 (1) | 3:40.24 (2) | 5:42.06 (3) | 1:55.56 (3) | 2:01.82 (4) | 2:04.59 (1) | ||
| 3 | 5 | Zdzisław Bromek |  POL | 7:48.68 | 1:47.49 (4) | 3:42.16 (3) | 5:39.28 (2) | 1:54.67 (2) | 1:57.12 (1) | 2:09.40 (4) | ||
| 4 | 3 | Claude Dehombreux |  BEL | 7:54.98 | 1:48.92 (5) | 3:48.21 (5) | 5:49.86 (5) | 1:59.29 (5) | 2:01.65 (3) | 2:05.12 (2) | ||
| 5 | 6 | Eugen Petrache |  ROU | 8:02.94 | 1:45.29 (2) | 3:43.79 (4) | 5:45.64 (4) | 1:58.50 (4) | 2:01.85 (5) | 2:17.30 (6) | ||
| 6 | 4 | Heriberto Martínez |  CUB | 8:20.92 | 1:55.15 (6) | 3:55.71 (6) | 6:04.17 (6) | 2:00.56 (6) | 2:08.46 (6) | 2:16.75 (5) |
| Time | 10:00 |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 500-1,000 m | 1,000-1,500 m | 1,500-2,000 m | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Kenny Dwan |  GBR | 7:41.98 | 1:45.52 (1) | 3:41.68 (2) | 5:41.52 (1) | 1:56.16 (2) | 1:59.84 (1) | 2:00.46 (1) | ||
| 2 | 2 | Viktor Melnikov |  URS | 7:46.86 | 1:47.29 (2) | 3:46.01 (3) | 5:46.25 (2) | 1:58.72 (3) | 2:00.24 (2) | 2:00.61 (2) | ||
| 3 | 4 | Václav Kozák |  TCH | 7:49.93 | 1:48.69 (3) | 3:38.04 (1) | 5:47.46 (3) | 1:49.35 (1) | 2:09.42 (4) | 2:02.47 (3) | ||
| 4 | 1 | Tsugio Ito |  JPN | 7:58.08 | 1:50.88 (4) | 3:49.94 (4) | 5:50.83 (4) | 1:59.06 (4) | 2:00.89 (3) | 2:07.25 (4) |
