Athletics at the 1906 Athina Summer Games:

A few top British runners were absent (notably George Butterfield, 1905-1907 AAA champion; and Charles Henderson-Hamilton, the 1905 Oxbridge champion) but the favorites here were still probably Britain's John McGough, who had been second in the 1906 AAA championships, and Reginald Crabbe. The Americans held out for the defending champion, their own Jim Lightbody, who had also been AAU champion in 1905. All three qualified easily, Lightbody and Crabbe winning their heats, with McGough second to Crabbe.

In the finals, the pace was set by George Bonhag, who kept it quite slow, with Greg Wheatley second, Lightbody in 4th, and McGough 7th entering the last lap. The two British favorites sat at the back of the pack, apparently unaware that Lightbody had barely finished second in a heat of the 400 to Nigel Barker, thus possessing great finishing speed. With about 200 metres remaining, Lightbody took the lead and there was no chance for anyone to catch him. McGough closed just as rapidly, however, to take second place.