Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metres

The first round of heats took place on 6 April. The first heat of the 100 metres was the first competition held in the Games. Francis Lane won the first heat, thus becoming the first winner of a modern Olympic race. All heats were won by athletes from the United States.

Both Burke and Hofmann were more well known for middle-distance events rather than sprinting. Burke's time of 11.8s became the standing Olympic record. It is not clear which athlete received which place between the fourth and fifth finishers.

Rank	Name	Nation	Time	Notes
1	Thomas Burke	United States	11.8	Q
2	Fritz Hofmann	Germany	12.6	Q
3	Friedrich Traun	Germany	13.5
4–5	Georgios Gennimatas	Greece	Unknown
4–5	Henrik Sjöberg	Sweden	Unknown

The final of the 100 metre race, run on 10 April, involved the six runners who had finished in the top two of their preliminary heats. Thomas Curtis withdrew to save himself for the 110 metre hurdles, which was the next race on the program and which he won. Burke beat his companion from the third heat, Hofmann, by two meters. Lane and Szokolyi dead-heated for third place, with Chalkokondylis six inches behind them. Lane and Szokolyi are both considered to be bronze medallists by the International Olympic Committee.

Rank	Name	Nation	Time
	Thomas Burke	United States	12.0
	Fritz Hofmann	Germany	12.2
	Francis Lane	United States	12.6
	Alajos Szokolyi	Hungary	12.6
5	Alexandros Chalkokondylis	Greece	12.6
–	Thomas Curtis	United States	DNS