5 miles, Men

Oddly held at an English distance, this race was expected to go to the Englishman Henry Hawtrey. The top distance runner in the world was Britain’s Alf Shrubb, AAA champion over four miles from 1901-1904, but he had recently turned professional.

Hawtrey had no difficulties, going to the front at two miles, and eventually winning by over 50 yards. Sweden’s John Svanberg was an equally easy second. In third, Ireland’s John Daly and Sweden’s Edward Dahl were neck-and-neck coming down the final stretch. Daly weaved in and out several times, effectively preventing Dahl any chance to pass him. For this, he was disqualified, although not until the next day. Apparently, Daly’s weaving was not a conscious effort but one borne of his total exhaustion. Prior to the 1906 Olympics, Hawtrey’s major achievement on the track had come in the 1902 AAA one mile championship, when he had finished second to Joe Binks, but defeated the renowned Alf Shrubb, who had to retire because of the fast pace.