The men's 5000 metres walk event at the 1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 22 February. It was the first time that race walking was contested at the championships.
Results
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Hartwig Gauder |  East Germany |
19:08.59 | CR |
 |
Maurizio Damilano |  Italy |
19:13.90 | |
 |
Gérard Lelièvre |  France |
19:55.02 | |
| 4 | Giorgio Damilano | Italy |
20:31.97 | |
| 5 | Dominique Guebey | France |
20:41.25 | |
| 6 | Pascal Lenglart | France |
21:41.37 | |
| 7 | Roger Mills |  Great Britain |
22:08.87 |
References
- Results (p. 463)
| Racewalking at the European Athletics Indoor Championships | |
|---|---|
| Men's 5000 m walk | |
| Women's 3000 m walk | |