The World record progression 1,500 m speed skating men as recognised by the International Skating Union:
| Name | Result | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jaap Eden | 2:35.0 | 11 January 1893 | Groningen |
| Peder Østlund | 2:32.6 | 25 February 1893 | Hamar |
| Peder Østlund | 2:31.4 | 24 February 1894 | Hamar |
| Einar Halvorsen | 2:29.6 | 24 February 1894 | Hamar |
| Peder Østlund | 2:28.8 | 25 February 1894 | Hamar |
| Jaap Eden | 2:25.4 | 23 February 1895 | Hamar |
| Peder Østlund | 2:23.6 | 7 February 1898 | Davos |
| Peder Østlund | 2:22.6 | 11 February 1900 | Davos |
| Oscar Mathisen | 2:20.8 | 9 February 1908 | Davos |
| Oscar Mathisen | 2:20.6 | 30 January 1910 | Davos |
| Oscar Mathisen | 2:19.4 | 11 January 1914 | Kristiania |
| Oscar Mathisen | 2:17.4 | 18 January 1914 | Davos |
| Michael Staksrud | 2:14.9 | 31 January 1937 | Davos |
| Hans Engnestangen | 2:13.8 | 29 January 1939 | Davos |
| Valentin Chaikin | 2:12.9 | 20 January 1952 | Medeo |
| Yevgeny Grishin | 2:09.8 | 10 January 1955 | Medeo |
| Yuri Mikhaylov | 2:09.1 | 20 January 1956 | Davos |
| Yevgeny Grishin | 2:08.6 | 30 January 1956 | Misurina |
| Yuri Mikhaylov | 2:08.6 | 30 January 1956 | Misurina |
| Juhani Järvinen | 2:06.3 | 1 March 1959 | Squaw Valley |
| Ard Schenk | 2:06.2 | 26 January 1966 | Davos |
| Ard Schenk | 2:05.3 | 30 January 1966 | Inzell |
| Kees Verkerk | 2:03.9 | 26 February 1967 | Inzell |
| Magne Thomassen | 2:02.5 | 5 February 1968 | Davos |
| Kees Verkerk | 2:02.0 | 9 February 1969 | Davos |
| Kees Verkerk | 2:01.9 | 8 March 1970 | Inzell |
| Ard Schenk | 1:58.7 | 16 January 1971 | Davos |
| Hans van Helden | 1:55.61 | 13 March 1976 | Inzell |
| Jan Egil Storholt | 1:55.18 | 20 March 1977 | Medeo |
| Eric Heiden | 1:54.79 | 19 January 1980 | Davos |
| Igor Zhelezovski | 1:54.26 | 26 March 1983 | Medeo |
| Oleg Bozhev | 1:53.26 | 24 March 1984 | Medeo |
| Nikolay Gulyayev | 1:52.70 | 15 February 1987 | Heerenveen |
| Igor Zhelezovski | 1:52.50 | 5 December 1987 | Calgary |
| André Hoffmann | 1:52.06 | 20 February 1988 | Calgary |
| Rintje Ritsma | 1:51.60 | 8 January 1994 | Hamar |
| Johann Olav Koss | 1:51.29 | 16 February 1994 | Hamar |
| Hiroyuki Noake | 1:50.61 | 2 March 1996 | Calgary |
| KC Boutiette | 1:50.09 | 15 March 1997 | Calgary |
| Neal Marshall | 1:50.05 | 16 March 1997 | Calgary |
| Ids Postma | 1:49.81 | 29 November 1997 | Berlin |
| Kevin Overland | 1:49.07 | 29 November 1997 | Calgary |
| Rintje Ritsma | 1:48.88 | 20 December 1997 | Heerenveen |
| Ådne Søndrål | 1:47.87 | 12 February 1998 | Nagano |
| Ådne Søndrål | 1:46.43 | 28 March 1998 | Calgary |
| Jakko Jan Leeuwangh | 1:45.56 | 29 January 2000 | Calgary |
| Lee Kyu-Hyuk | 1:45.20 | 16 March 2001 | Calgary |
| Derek Parra | 1:43.95 | 19 February 2002 | Salt Lake City |
| Shani Davis | 1:43.33 | 9 January 2005 | Salt Lake City |
| Chad Hedrick | 1:42.78 | 18 November 2005 | Salt Lake City |
| Shani Davis | 1:42.68 | 19 March 2006 | Calgary |
| Shani Davis | 1:42.32 | 4 March 2007 | Calgary |
| Erben Wennemars | 1:42.32 | 9 November 2007 | Salt Lake City |
| Denny Morrison | 1:42.01 | 14 March 2008 | Calgary |
| Shani Davis | 1:41.80 | 6 March 2009 | Salt Lake City |
| Shani Davis | 1:41.04 | 11 December 2009 | Salt Lake City |