We report on the synthesis of ordered spinel LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 nanorods (LNMO-NRs) and their application as high-rate cathode materials of lithium-ion batteries. Ordered spinel LNMO-NRs were prepared by a simple self-support template method followed by a solid-state reaction. The as prepared LNMO-NRs displayed uniform one dimensional (1D) nanostructure with the diameters of about 100nm and the lengths around 2–3μm. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy showed that the products existed in pure P4332 phase. When the as-prepared LNMO-NRs were applied as the cathode materials for lithium ion batteries, they exhibited a superior high-rate capability (135mAhg−1 at 1C, 120mAhg−1 at 20C) and a good cyclability (at 20C with a high retention of 90% after 80cycles). The durable high-rate capability was attributed to the one-dimensional nanostructure with the ordered phase that shows fast Li-intercalation kinetics and good structural stability.