Athletics at the 1904 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metres
Men's 400 metres – 1904 Summer Olympics
The men's 400 metres was held at Francis Field on August 29, 1904. Twelve runners from three nations competed. It was the third time the event appeared at the Olympics.
Harry Hillman of the United States won in 49.2 seconds, setting a new Olympic record. Frank Waller (USA) finished second, and Herman Groman (USA) finished third. The United States swept the medals, the first time this had happened in the men's 400 metres.
None of the runners from the 1900 Games returned. Percival Molson of Canada had been a favorite and Canada's first Olympic 400 metres competitor, but he did not medal.
The race was a single final with all runners starting together. The early leader was Groman; Hillman moved into contention and passed him around the halfway point. Poage briefly led in the final turn but was blocked by Fleming and Waller. Hillman finished about three yards ahead of Waller, with Groman close behind, and Fleming and Prinstein a short distance back.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 12:22 (CET).