Athletics at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metres
| Men's 100 metres at the Games of the IV Olympiad
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| Venue | White City Stadium | ||||||||||||
| Dates | July 20 (quarterfinals) July 21 (semifinals) July 22 (final) |
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| Competitors | 60 from 16 nations | ||||||||||||
| Medalists | |||||||||||||
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Reggie Walker |
 South Africa
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James Rector |
 United States
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Robert Kerr |
 Canada
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The men's 100 metres was the shortest of the sprint races at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. The competition was held over the course of three days. The first round was held on 20 July, the semifinals on 21 July, and the final on 22 July.
These were the standing world and Olympic records (in seconds) prior to the 1908 Summer Olympics.
(*) unofficial
James Rector (in the 15th heat and the third semi-final) and Reggie Walker (in the first semi-final and final) both equalized the standing Olympic record. Reggie Walker's actual time in the first semi-final was 10.7, but was rounded up to the nearest fifth in accordance with rules in force at the time, so his time was given as 10 4⁄5.
Times were kept for the winning runner in each heat only. They were measured to the closest 1⁄5 second. The fastest runner advanced to the second round. The competition began at 3 p.m. on 20 July, the seventh day of the Games. A break was taken after the first nine heats to allow for four heats of the 800 metres to be run at 3:30 p.m., with the final eight heats of the 100 metres commencing at 4 p.m.
Duffy won this heat by three yards.
George was ahead of Guttormsen by three yards when he finished.
Cartmell crossed the finish line two yards ahead of Malfait.
Walker was four yards ahead of the field when he finished. Records do not indicate which of the final two runners took which place.
Harmer pulled up lame. Cloughen won by five yards.
May won by about three yards.
Duncan won by a yard.
Stevens beat world record holder Lindberg by inches.
Morton won by about three yards.
Fischer pulled up lame. Kerr won by three yards.
Phillips pulled up lame, allowing Hamilton to win by about three yards.
Huff was only about a yard ahead of Pankhurst when he finished.
Robertson won by about three yards.
Sherman's lead of four yards at the finish was one of the larger leads in the first round.
Rector's Olympic record-tying time gave him a relatively easy victory in the first round.
In one of the slowest of the first round heads, Stark won by about two yards.
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Wikipedia