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. NOCs could enter up to 12 athletes, The event was won by Reggie Walker of South Africa, the first time the gold medal went to a nation other than the United States. The Americans did stay on the podium with James Rector's silver medal. Canada won its first medal in the event, a bronze by Robert Kerr.
Background
This was the fourth time the event was held. Nathaniel Cartmell, the 1904 silver medalist, competed again in 1908, but gold medalist Archie Hahn did not. Other notable entrants included John W. Morton of Great Britain, the four-time AAA Championships winner; Reggie Walker, the 1907 South African champion; and Knut Lindberg of Sweden, the unofficial world record holder.
Austria, Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, and South Africa were represented in the event for the first time. The United States and Hungary were the only two nations to have appeared at each of the first four Olympic men's 100 metres events.
Competition format
With a larger field than in 1904, the event expanded from two rounds to three: heats, semifinals, and a final. Only the top runner in each heat, of which there were 17, advanced to the semifinals. These 17 semifinalists were divided into 4 semifinal heats; again, only the top runner advanced to the final.
Records
These were the standing world and Olympic records (in seconds) prior to the 1908 Summer Olympics.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! World record
| 10.6(*)
| Knut Lindberg
| Gothenburg (SWE)
| August 26, 1906
|-
!rowspan=2| Olympic Record
| 10.8
| Frank Jarvis
| Paris (FRA)
| July 14, 1900
|-
| 10.8
| Walter Tewksbury
| Paris (FRA)
| July 14, 1900
|}
(*) 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.
Results
Heats
Times were kept for the winning runner in each heat only. They were measured to the closest 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.
Heat 1
Duffy won this heat by three yards.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Rank || Athlete || Nation || Time || Notes
|- style="background:#bbf3bb;"
| 1 ||align=left| Edward Duffy ||align=left| || 11.6 ||
|-
| 2 ||align=left| Georgios Skoutarides ||align=left| || (11.9) ||
|-
| 3 ||align=left| Victor Henny ||align=left| || Unknown ||
|}
Heat 2
George was ahead of Guttormsen by three yards when he finished.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Rank || Athlete || Nation || Time || Notes
|- style="background:#bbf3bb;"
| 1 ||align=left| John George ||align=left| || 11.6 ||
|-
| 2 ||align=left| Oscar Guttormsen ||align=left| || (12.0) ||
|}
Heat 3
Cartmell crossed the finish line two yards ahead of Malfait.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Rank || Athlete || Nation || Time || Notes
|- style="background:#bbf3bb;"
| 1 ||align=left| Nate Cartmell ||align=left| || 11.0 ||
|-
| 2 ||align=left| Georges Malfait ||align=left| || (11.2) ||
|-
| 3 ||align=left| Arthur Hoffmann ||align=left| || (11.4) ||
|-
| 4 ||align=left| Evert Koops ||align=left| || Unknown ||
|}
Heat 4
Walker was four yards ahead of the field when he finished. Records do not indicate which of the final two runners took which place.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Rank || Athlete || Nation || Time || Notes
|- style="background:#bbf3bb;"
| 1 ||align=left| Reggie Walker ||align=left| || 11.0 ||
|-
| 2 ||align=left| Jean Konings ||align=left| || (11.6) ||
|-
| 3 ||align=left| Denis Murray ||align=left| || Unknown ||
|-
|rowspan=2| 4–5 ||align=left| Edgar Kiralfy ||align=left| || Unknown ||
|-
|align=left| Ernestus Greven ||align=left| || Unknown ||
|}
Heat 5
Harmer pulled up lame. Cloughen won by five yards.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Rank || Athlete || Nation || Time || Notes
|- style="background:#bbf3bb;"
| 1 ||align=left| Robert Cloughen ||align=left| || 11.0 ||
|-
| 2 ||align=left| John Johansen ||align=left| || (11.7) ||
|-
| 3 ||align=left| David Beland ||align=left| || Unknown ||
|-
| — ||align=left| Henry Harmer ||align=left| || ||
|}
Heat 6
May won by about three yards.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Rank || Athlete || Nation || Time || Notes
|- style="background:#bbf3bb;"
| 1 ||align=left| William W. May ||align=left| || 11.2 ||
|-
| 2 ||align=left| Victor Jacquemin ||align=left| || (11.5) ||
|-
| 3 ||align=left| Louis Lesca (or Lescat) ||align=left| || Unknown ||
|-
| 4 ||align=left| Mikhail Paskalides ||align=left| || Unknown ||
|}
Heat 7
Duncan won by a yard.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Rank || Athlete || Nation || Time || Notes
|- style="background:#bbf3bb;"
| 1 ||align=left| Robert Duncan || || 11.4 ||
|-
| 2 ||align=left| Knut Stenborg ||align=left| || (11.5) ||
|-
| 3 ||align=left| Hans Eicke ||align=left| || (11.6) ||
|-
| 4 ||align=left| Umberto Barrozzi ||align=left| || Unknown ||
|-
| 5 ||align=left| Ragnar Stenberg ||align=left| || Unknown ||
|}
Heat 8
Stevens beat world record holder Lindberg by inches.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Rank || Athlete || Nation || Time || Notes
|- style="background:#bbf3bb;"
| 1 ||align=left| Lester Stevens ||align=left| || 11.2 ||
|-
| 2 ||align=left| Knut Lindberg ||align=left| || (11.2) ||
|-
| 3 ||align=left| Heinrich Rehder ||align=left| || (11.8) ||
|-
| 4 ||align=left| William Murray ||align=left| || Unknown ||
|}
Heat 9
Morton won by about three yards.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Rank || Athlete || Nation || Time || Notes
|- style="background:#bbf3bb;"
| 1 ||align=left| John W. Morton ||align=left| || 11.2 ||
|-
| 2 ||align=left| Axel Petersen ||align=left| || (11.5) ||
|-
| 3 ||align=left| Jacobus Hoogveld ||align=left| || Unknown ||
|}
Heat 10
Fischer pulled up lame, leaving Kerr to defeat Chapman by three yards.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Rank || Athlete || Nation || Time || Notes
|- style="background:#bbf3bb;"
| 1 ||align=left| Robert Kerr ||align=left| || 11.0 ||
|-
| 2 ||align=left| Meyrick Chapman ||align=left| || (11.3) ||
|-
| — ||align=left| Paul Fischer ||align=left| || ||
|}
Heat 11
Phillips pulled up lame, allowing Hamilton to win by about three yards.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Rank || Athlete || Nation || Time || Notes
|- style="background:#bbf3bb;"
| 1 ||align=left| William Hamilton ||align=left| || 11.2 ||
|-
| 2 ||align=left| Pál Simon ||align=left| || (11.5) ||
|-
| 3 ||align=left| G. Lamotte ||align=left| || Unknown ||
|-
| — ||align=left| Herbert Phillips ||align=left| || ||
|}
Heat 12
Huff was only about a yard ahead of Pankhurst when he finished.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Rank || Athlete || Nation || Time || Notes
|- style="background:#bbf3bb;"
| 1 ||align=left| Harold Huff ||align=left| || 11.4 ||
|-
| 2 ||align=left| Henry Pankhurst ||align=left| || (11.5) ||
|-
| 3 ||align=left| Karl Fryksdal ||align=left| ||align=center| Unknown ||
|}
Heat 13
Robertson won by about three yards.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Rank || Athlete || Nation || Time || Notes
|- style="background:#bbf3bb;"
| 1 ||align=left| Lawson Robertson ||align=left| || 11.4 ||
|-
| 2 ||align=left| Frank Lukeman ||align=left| || (11.7) ||
|-
| 3 ||align=left| Henri Meslot ||align=left| || Unknown ||
|-
| 4 ||align=left| Eduard Schönecker ||align=left| || Unknown ||
|}
Heat 14
Sherman's lead of four yards at the finish was one of the larger leads in the first round.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Rank || Athlete || Nation || Time || Notes
|- style="background:#bbf3bb;"
| 1 ||align=left| Nathaniel Sherman ||align=left| || 11.2 ||
|-
| 2 ||align=left| Louis Sebert ||align=left| || (11.7) ||
|-
| 3 ||align=left| Harold Watson ||align=left| || Unknown ||
|-
| 4 ||align=left| Frigyes Wiesner ||align=left| || Unknown ||
|-
| 5 ||align=left| Hermann von Bönninghausen ||align=left| || (12.0) ||
|}
Heat 15
Rector's Olympic record-tying time gave him a relatively easy victory in the first round.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Rank || Athlete || Nation || Time || Notes
|- style="background:#bbf3bb;"
| 1 ||align=left| James Rector ||align=left| || 10.8 || , =
|-
| 2 ||align=left| Vilmos Rácz ||align=left| || (11.4) ||
|-
| 3 ||align=left| Willy Kohlmey ||align=left| || (12.0) ||
|}
Heat 16
In one of the slowest of the first round heads, Stark won by about two yards.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Rank || Athlete || Nation || Time || Notes
|- style="background:#bbf3bb;"
| 1 ||align=left| James P. Stark ||align=left| || 11.8 ||
|-
| 2 ||align=left| Gaspare Torretta ||align=left| || (12.0) ||
|}
Heat 17
Roche won by about two yards.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Rank || Athlete || Nation || Time || Notes
|- style="background:#bbf3bb;"
| 1 ||align=left| Patrick Roche ||align=left| || 11.4 ||
|-
| 2 ||align=left| Carl Bechler ||align=left| || (11.4) ||
|}
Semifinals
The fastest runner in each semifinal advanced to the final. The semifinals were begun at 3:35 p.m. on 21 July.
Semifinal 1
Cloughen withdrew to prepare for the 200m heats. Walker took the lead after about 50 metres and crossed the line about a yard in front of May to become the second sprinter to tie the Olympic record at the London Games. His actual time was 10.7, rounded up to the nearest fifth, in accordance with rules in force at the time; therefore, his time was given as 10.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Rank || Athlete || Nation || Time || Notes
|- style="background:#bbf3bb;"
| 1 ||align=left| Reggie Walker ||align=left| || 10.8 || , =
|-
| 2 ||align=left| William W. May ||align=left| || (11.0) ||
|-
| 3 ||align=left| Patrick Roche ||align=left| || Unknown ||
|-
| 4 ||align=left| Lester Stevens ||align=left| || Unknown ||
|-
| — ||align=left| Robert Cloughen ||align=left| || ||
|}
Semifinal 2
Hamilton withdrew to prepare for the 200m heats. Kerr had little difficulty winning this heat, leading by three yards at the finish.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Rank || Athlete || Nation || Time || Notes
|- style="background:#bbf3bb;"
| 1 ||align=left| Robert Kerr ||align=left| || 11.0 ||
|-
| 2 ||align=left| Nathaniel Sherman ||align=left| || (11.3) ||
|-
| 3 ||align=left| John W. Morton ||align=left| || Unknown ||
|-
| — ||align=left| William Hamilton ||align=left| || ||
|}
Semifinal 3
Rector again won easily, tying the Olympic record for the second time.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Rank || Athlete || Nation || Time || Notes
|- style="background:#bbf3bb;"
| 1 ||align=left| James Rector ||align=left| || 10.8 || , =
|-
| 2 ||align=left| Harold Huff ||align=left| || (11.1) ||
|-
| 3 ||align=left| Edward Duffy ||align=left| || Unknown ||
|-
| 4 ||align=left| Robert Duncan ||align=left| || Unknown ||
|}
Semifinal 4
Cartmell and Robertson ran a tight race, with Cartmell winning by about a foot.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Rank || Athlete || Nation || Time || Notes
|- style="background:#bbf3bb;"
| 1 ||align=left| Nate Cartmell ||align=left| || 11.2 ||
|-
| 2 ||align=left| Lawson Robertson ||align=left| || (11.2) ||
|-
| 3 ||align=left| James P. Stark ||align=left| || Unknown ||
|-
| 4 ||align=left| John George ||align=left| || Unknown ||
|}
Final
The Final of the 100 metres began at 4:15 p.m. on 22 July.
With Walker and Rector having already equalled the Olympic record before the final, it was widely expected that the final race of the 100 metres would be an exciting match between those two runners.
Walker got off to a quick lead, but Rector caught him about midway through the race and passed him. Walker responded with a great effort, pulling level with Rector, and the two ran side-by-side before Walker finally pulled ahead to win by half a yard.
Rector finished six inches ahead of Kerr, who finished two yards ahead of Cartmell for third place.
thumb|London 1908 Olympics-Walker wins 100 metres
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Rank || Athlete || Nation || Time || Notes
|-
| ||align=left| Reggie Walker ||align=left| || 10.8 || =
|-
| ||align=left| James Rector ||align=left| || (10.9) ||
|-
| ||align=left| Robert Kerr ||align=left| || (11.0) ||
|-
| 4 ||align=left| Nate Cartmell ||align=left| || (11.2) ||
|}