The men's 3500 metre walk race was held for the only time at the
1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the IV Olympiad and also known as London 1908) were an international multi-sport event held in London, England, United Kingdom, from 27 April to 31 October 1908. The 1908 Games were ori ...
in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. The competition was held on Tuesday, July 14, 1908. It was held in two rounds. There were three heats in the first round, with the top three in each heat advancing to the final. 25 racewalkers from eight nations competed.
NOCs could enter up to 12 athletes.
[Official report, p. 32.]
Records
This was the first
racewalking
Racewalking, or race walking, is a long-distance discipline within the sport of athletics. Although a foot race, it is different from running in that one foot must appear to be in contact with the ground at all times. Referee, Race judges careful ...
event at the Modern Olympics (discounting the
1906 Intercalated Games
The 1906 Intercalated Games or 1906 Olympic Games was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated in Athens, Greece. They were at the time considered to be Olympic Games and were referred to as the "Second International Olympic Games i ...
which is no longer considered an official Olympic event). The world record for the comparable distance of 2.25 miles was 15:51 (15:19.4 pace for 3500m).
Results
First round
Heat 1
Larner led the entire race.
Heat 2
Webb had little competition, leading from the start and winning by nearly 2 minutes.
Heat 3
As in the other two heats, the winner led from the beginning. Unlike in the others, however, this race became close as Harrison made a late attempt to pass Goulding. Goulding finished strongly to fend off Harrison, winning by 10 seconds.
Final
Webb, Goulding, and Harrison were the early leaders. Harrison was disqualified shortly after Larner passed him. By the end of the first mile, the top four spots had solidified into the final positions. Larner had passed the field, bumping Webb to second place, while Kerr had managed to overtake Goulding.
References
Sources
* Official Report of the Games of the IV Olympiad (1908).
* De Wael, Herman. ''Herman's Full Olympians'': "Athletics 1908". Accessed 31 March 2006. Available electronically a
.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Athletics at the 1908 Summer Olympics - Men's 3500 metres walk
Athletics at the 1908 Summer Olympics
Racewalking at the Olympics
Walking in London