The men's 3500 metre walk race was held for the only time at the 1908 Summer Olympics

1908 Summer Olympics

The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...

 in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

. 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.

23 racewalkers from eight nations competed.

First round

Heat 1

Larner led the entire race.

Place	Name	Nation	Time
1	George Larner George Larner George Edward Larner was a British athlete who competed mainly in the 10 mile walk.He competed for Great Britain in the 1908 Summer Olympics held in London, Great Britain in the 10 mile walk where he won the Gold medal ahead of a British cleansweep with Ernest Webb in silver and Edward Spencer in...		15:32.0
2	Harry Kerr Harry Kerr Harry Kerr was a New Zealand athlete who competed mainly in the 3500 metre walk....		16:02.2
3	William Palmer William Palmer (athlete) William Jones Palmer was a British track and field athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics and in the 1912 Summer Olympics.In 1908 he finished sixth in the 10 mile walk event...		16:33.0
4	Paul Gunia Paul Gunia Paul Gunia was a German track and field athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.In 1908 he was eliminated in the first round of the 3500 metre walk competition as well as of the 10 mile walk event....		16:38.0
5	Sydney Sarel Sydney Sarel Sydney Lanchaster Sarel was a British track and field athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.In 1908 he was eliminated in the first round of the 3500 metre walk competition.-External links:*...		17:06.0
6	Arne Højme		17:23.4
7	Jo Goetzee Jo Goetzee Johannes "Jo" Elias Goetzee was a Dutch race walker who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.Goetzee was born in Delfshaven and died in Rotterdam....		17:37.8
—	William Brown		Disqualified

Heat 2

Webb had little competition, leading from the start and winning by nearly 2 minutes.

Place	Name	Nation	Time
1	Ernest Webb Ernest Webb Ernest Webb was a British athlete who competed mainly in the 10 mile walk....		15:17.2
2	Charles Vestergaard		17:07.0
3	Einar Rothman Einar Rothman Einar Rothman was a Swedish track and field athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.In 1908 he finished sixth in the 3500 metre walk competition. In the 10 mile walk event he was eliminated in the first round.-External links:*...		17:40.2
4	Willem Winkelman Willem Winkelman Wilhelmus Frederikus Winkelman was a Dutch track and field athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.He was born in Delfshaven and died in Voorburg....		17:57.6
5	István Drubina István Drubina István Drubina was a Slovak track and field athlete who competed for Hungary in the 1908 Summer Olympics and in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Bratislava....		18:44.6
6	Piet Ruimers Piet Ruimers Petrus Adrianus Antonius Ruimers was a Dutch track and field athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.He was born in Rotterdam and died in Texel during the Georgian Uprising of Texel....		18:44.6
—	Richard Quinn Richard Quinn (athlete) Richard Quinn was a British track and field athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.In 1908 he was eliminated in the first round of the 3500 metre walk competition.-External links:*...		Disqualified
	John J. Reid		Disqualified

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.

Place	Name	Nation	Time
1	George Goulding George Goulding George Henry Goulding was a Canadian athlete who competed mainly in the 10 kilometre walk. He was born in Hull, England....		15:54.0
2	Richard Harrison		16:04.4
3	Arthur Rowland		16:08.6
4	Ernest Larner		16:10.0
5	John Butler		16:17.0
6	Richard Wilhelm Richard Wilhelm (athlete) Richard Wilhelm was a German track and field athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.In 1908 he was eliminated in the first round of the 3500 metre walk competition.-External links:*...		17:33.8
7	Jan Huijgen Jan Huijgen Johannes Hendrikus Huijgen was a Dutch track and field athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.He was born in Rotterdam....		17:37.8

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.

Place	Name	Nation	Time
1	George Larner George Larner George Edward Larner was a British athlete who competed mainly in the 10 mile walk.He competed for Great Britain in the 1908 Summer Olympics held in London, Great Britain in the 10 mile walk where he won the Gold medal ahead of a British cleansweep with Ernest Webb in silver and Edward Spencer in...		14:55.0
2	Ernest Webb Ernest Webb Ernest Webb was a British athlete who competed mainly in the 10 mile walk....		15:07.4
3	Harry Kerr Harry Kerr Harry Kerr was a New Zealand athlete who competed mainly in the 3500 metre walk....		15:43.4
4	George Goulding George Goulding George Henry Goulding was a Canadian athlete who competed mainly in the 10 kilometre walk. He was born in Hull, England....		15:49.8
5	Arthur Rowland		16:07.0
6	Charles Vestergaard		17:21.8
7	Einar Rothman Einar Rothman Einar Rothman was a Swedish track and field athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.In 1908 he finished sixth in the 3500 metre walk competition. In the 10 mile walk event he was eliminated in the first round.-External links:*...		17:50.0
—	William Palmer William Palmer (athlete) William Jones Palmer was a British track and field athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics and in the 1912 Summer Olympics.In 1908 he finished sixth in the 10 mile walk event...		Did not finish
	Richard Harrison		Disqualified

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 at .