The men's marathon was a

track and field athletics Track and field is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of ...

event held as part of the

athletics at the 1912 Summer Olympics These are the results of athletics competition at the 1912 Summer Olympics. 30 events were contested, all for men only. The athletics programme grew by 4 events since the 1908 Summer Olympics. The 5000 and 10000 metre races were introduced, as ...

programme. The distance used was 40.2 kilometres, nearly 2 full kilometres shorter than that used in 1908 and since 1924. The competition was held on Sunday, July 14, 1912. 95 runners entered, but only 68 runners (from 19 nations) competed. NOCs could enter up to 12 athletes.Official report, p. 61. With conditions described as "very hot", only 36 of the 68 competitors finished. The event was won by

Ken McArthur Kennedy Kane "Ken" McArthur (February 10, 1881 – June 13, 1960) is most noted as a track and field athlete and winner of the marathon at the 1912 Summer Olympics. Biography Born in Dervock, County Antrim, Ireland, McArthur was recognise ...

of South Africa, the nation's first Olympic marathon victory. This event also saw the first Olympic fatality, as

Francisco Lázaro Francisco Lázaro (21 January 1888 – 15 July 1912) was a Portuguese Olympic marathon runner and Portugal's standard-bearer in their first-ever participation at the Olympic Games, the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden. Like all the Ol ...

collapsed during the race, and died in hospital the next morning, while another runner,

Shizo Kanakuri was a Japanese marathon runner and one of the early leaders of track and field athletics in Japan. He has been celebrated as the "father of marathon" in Japan. Biography Kanakuri was a native of Tamana, Kumamoto, Japan and attended the Tokyo H ...

, went missing: Kanakuri had dropped out of the race and returned home to Japan without notifying race officials.

Background

This was the fifth appearance of the event, which is one of 12 athletics events to have been held at every Summer Olympics. The field was strong. Sweden and the United States each entered full 12-man teams; the American team included 1911 Boston Marathon winner

Clarence DeMar Clarence Harrison DeMar (June 7, 1888 – June 11, 1958) was a U.S. marathoner, winner of seven Boston Marathons, and Bronze medalist at the 1924 Paris Olympics. He was known by the nickname "Mr. DeMarathon." Biography DeMar was born in Madei ...

, 1912 Boston winner Michael J. Ryan, and 1908 Olympic bronze medalist

Joseph Forshaw Joseph Michael Forshaw is an Australian ornithologist, and expert on parrots. He was the former head of wildlife conservation for the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service. Dreifus, Claudia.A Conversation With Joseph M. Forshaw: A Passi ...

. Great Britain had 1909 Polytechnic winner Henry Barrett and 6 of the 8 finishers in the 1912 Polytechnic. Canada sent the winner of that 1912 Polytechnic,

James Corkery James Corkery (27 June 1889 – 20 April 1964) was a Canadian long-distance runner. He competed in the marathon at the 1912 Summer Olympics The 1912 Summer Olympics ( sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1912), officially known as the Games of the V ...

. South Africa had the runner-up,

Christian Gitsham Christopher William "Chris" Gitsham (15 October 1888 – 16 June 1956) was a South African athlete, who mainly competed in the men's marathon. Gitsham competed for South Africa at the 1912 Summer Olympics held in Stockholm, Sweden where he ...

, as well as

, who had won three marathons in South Africa. Japan, Norway, Portugal, and Serbia each made their first appearance in Olympic marathons. The United States made its fifth appearance, the only nation to have competed in each Olympic marathon to that point.

Competition format

As all marathons, the competition was a single race. The course for the race was 40.2 kilometres long, which was more akin to the 1896 (40 km), 1900 (40.26 km), and 1904 (40 km) courses than the previous 1908 course (42.195 km) which would become standard. It was "the first time the Olympic marathon was conducted as an out-and-back race." The course started at the stadium, went to the town of Sollentuna, and came back.

Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in hours) prior to the 1912 Summer Olympics. The distance was nearly two kilometres shorter; nevertheless,

's winning time is registered as an Olympic record.

Schedule

Results

References

;Specific ;General * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Athletics At The 1912 Summer Olympics - Men's Marathon Athletics at the 1912 Summer Olympics Marathons at the Olympics Men's marathons