| Date | 3 – 7 August 1948 |
|---|---|
| Status | Olympic |
| Location | Empire Stadium, Wembley, London |
| Participants | 19 from 10 countries |
The favorite in this event was Werner Hardmo (SWE), who had set over 25 world walking records in the past few years, over various distances. However, his countryman John Mikaelsson broke the Olympic record in the heats, with 45:03.0. In the final, Hardmo was disqualified and Mikaelsson won easily.
| Pos | Number | Competitor | NOC | R1 | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 377 | John Mikaelsson |  SWE | 45.03.0 (1 h1) | 45:13.2 (1) | Gold | ||
| 2 | 376 | Ingemar Johansson | SWE | 46:44.2 (5 h1) | 45:43.8 (2) | Silver | ||
| 3 | 378 | Fritz Schwab |  SUI | 46:38.0 (2 h2) | 46:00.2 (3) | Bronze | ||
| 4 | 367 | Jim Morris |  GBR | 45:10.4 (2 h1) | 46:04.0 (4) | |||
| 5 | 369 | Harry Churcher | GBR | 46:26.4 (1 h2) | 47:28.0 (5) | |||
| 6 | 366 | Émile Maggi |  FRA | 45:44.4 (3 h1) | 47:02.8 (6) | |||
| 7 | 368 | Ron West | GBR | 47:11.6 (3 h2) | – (7) | |||
| 8 | 371 | Gianni Corsaro |  ITA | 47:26.8 (4 h2) | – (8) | |||
| 9 | 372 | Pino Dordoni | ITA | 46:25.8 (4 h1) | – (9) | |||
| 375 | Werner Hardmo | SWE | 47:34.8 (5 h2) | – ( | ||||
| 6 h1 r1/2 | 373 | Kaare Hammer |  NOR | 46:48.6 (6 h1) | – | |||
| 6 h2 r1/2 | 364 | Louis Courron | FRA | 48:13.0 (6 h2) | – | |||
| 7 h1 r1/2 | 363 | George Knott |  AUS | – (7 h1) | – | |||
| AC h1 r1/2 | 374 | Kallie Reyneke |  RSA | – (DQ h1) | – | |||
| AC h1 r1/2 | 381 | Ernest Weber |  USA | – (DQ h1) | – | |||
| AC h1 r1/2 | 380 | Fred Sharaga | USA | – (DQ h1) | – | |||
| AC h2 r1/2 | 365 | Louis Chevalier | FRA | – (DQ h2) | – | |||
| AC h2 r1/2 | 370 | Sadhu Singh |  IND | – (DQ h2) | – | |||
| AC h2 r1/2 | 379 | Henry Laskau | USA | – (DQ h2) | – |
| Date | 3 August 1948 — 10:30 |
|---|---|
| Format | Top five in each heat advanced to the final. |
| Pos | Number | Competitor | NOC | Time (hand) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 377 | John Mikaelsson | SWE | 45:03.0 | ||
| 2 | 367 | Jim Morris | GBR | 45:10.4 | ||
| 3 | 366 | Émile Maggi | FRA | 45:44.4 | ||
| 4 | 372 | Pino Dordoni | ITA | 46:25.8 | ||
| 5 | 369 | Harry Churcher | GBR | 46:26.4 | ||
| 6 | 378 | Fritz Schwab | SUI | 46:38.0 | ||
| 7 | 376 | Ingemar Johansson | SWE | 46:44.2 | ||
| 8 | 373 | Kaare Hammer | NOR | 46:48.6 | ||
| 9 | 368 | Ron West | GBR | 47:11.6 | ||
| 10 | 371 | Gianni Corsaro | ITA | 47:26.8 | ||
| 11 | 375 | Werner Hardmo | SWE | 47:34.8 | ||
| 12 | 364 | Louis Courron | FRA | 48:13.0 | ||
| 13 | 363 | George Knott | AUS | – | 1 | |
| 381 | Ernest Weber | USA | – | |||
| 374 | Kallie Reyneke | RSA | – | |||
| 380 | Fred Sharaga | USA | – | |||
| 379 | Henry Laskau | USA | – | |||
| 365 | Louis Chevalier | FRA | – | |||
| 370 | Sadhu Singh | IND | – |
| Pos | Number | Competitor | NOC | Time | Time (Automatic) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 377 | John Mikaelsson | SWE | 45.03.0 | – | ||
| 2 | 367 | Jim Morris | GBR | 45:10.4 | – | ||
| 3 | 366 | Émile Maggi | FRA | 45:44.4 | – | ||
| 4 | 372 | Pino Dordoni | ITA | 46:25.8 | – | ||
| 5 | 376 | Ingemar Johansson | SWE | 46:44.2 | – | ||
| 6 | 373 | Kaare Hammer | NOR | 46:48.6 | – | ||
| 7 | 363 | George Knott | AUS | – | – | ||
| 381 | Ernest Weber | USA | – | – | |||
| 374 | Kallie Reyneke | RSA | – | – | |||
| 380 | Fred Sharaga | USA | – | – |
| Pos | Number | Competitor | NOC | Time | Time (Automatic) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 369 | Harry Churcher | GBR | 46:26.4 | – | ||
| 2 | 378 | Fritz Schwab | SUI | 46:38.0 | – | ||
| 3 | 368 | Ron West | GBR | 47:11.6 | – | ||
| 4 | 371 | Gianni Corsaro | ITA | 47:26.8 | – | ||
| 5 | 375 | Werner Hardmo | SWE | 47:34.8 | – | ||
| 6 | 364 | Louis Courron | FRA | 48:13.0 | – | ||
| 379 | Henry Laskau | USA | – | – | |||
| 365 | Louis Chevalier | FRA | – | – | |||
| 370 | Sadhu Singh | IND | – | – |
| Date | 7 August 1948 — 15:45 |
|---|
| Pos | Number | Competitor | NOC | Time | Time (Automatic) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 377 | John Mikaelsson | SWE | 45:13.2 | 45:13.1 | ||
| 2 | 376 | Ingemar Johansson | SWE | 45:43.8 | – | ||
| 3 | 378 | Fritz Schwab | SUI | 46:00.2 | – | ||
| 4 | 367 | Jim Morris | GBR | 46:04.0 | – | ||
| 5 | 369 | Harry Churcher | GBR | 47:28.0 | – | ||
| 6 | 366 | Émile Maggi | FRA | 47:02.8 | – | ||
| 7 | 368 | Ron West | GBR | – | – | ||
| 8 | 371 | Gianni Corsaro | ITA | – | – | ||
| 9 | 372 | Pino Dordoni | ITA | – | – | ||
| 375 | Werner Hardmo | SWE | – | – |
