Literature at the 1936 Summer Olympics

There were three literature events in the 1936 Arts Competition – Dramatic Works, Epic Works, and Lyric Works. There were 41 participants from 12 nations. Only four entries were submitted in Dramatic Works and no medals were awarded. The gold medal for Epic Works went to Finnish poet Urho Karhumäki for his story of athlete Yrjö Niemelä. The winning poem in Lyric Works was written by Felix Dhünen, a pseudonym for Franz Sondinger, for Der Läufer (The Runner), a story of Pheidippides, the mythical runner announcing the Greek victory at the Battle of Marathon.