Donald Robertson (athlete)

{{Infobox sportsperson

|name= Donald Robertson

|image=

|caption=

|birth_date= 7 October 1905

|birth_place= Glasgow, Scotland

| death_date = 14 June 1949 (aged 43)

| death_place = Glasgow, Scotland

|sport=Athletics

|event= marathon

|club= Maryhill Harriers, Glasgow

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{SCO}}}}

}}

Donald McNab Robertson (7 October 1905 – 14 June 1949) was a Scottish athlete who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/69443 |title=Biographical Information |website=Olympedia |access-date=10 January 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=18 January 2025 }}

Biography

Robertson born in Glasgow, became the national marathon champion after winning the British AAA Championships title at the 1932 AAA Championships.{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000320/19320702/059/0006 |title=Amateur Athletics Championships |work=Gloucestershire Echo |date=2 July 1932 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=10 January 2025 }}{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001034/19320703/283/0022 |title=Fast times in AAA Championships |work=Reynolds's Newspaper |date=3 July 1932 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=10 January 2025 }} He successfully retained his title at the 1933 AAA Championships{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000320/19330708/062/0006 |title=Amateur titles contested |work=Gloucestershire Echo |date=8 July 1933 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=11 January 2025 }}{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000681/19330710/227/0014 |title=Finn's brilliant 3 miles : Our athletes shine |work=Daily Herald |date=10 July 1933 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=11 January 2025 }} and 1934 AAA Championships.{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000640/19340714/336/0011 |title=Finals of White City events |work=Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette |date=14 July 1934 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=11 January 2025 }}{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003359/19340715/325/0019 |title=British athletes lose titles |work=Weekly Dispatch (London) |date=15 July 1934 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=11 January 2025 }}

Robertson represented Scotland at the 1934 Empire Games and won the silver medal in the marathon competition.{{cite web|url=https://www.teamscotland.scot/athlete/donald-robertson/ |title=1938 athletes |website=Team Scotland |access-date=14 July 2024}}

Robertson regained the marathon title at the 1936 AAA Championships,{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000104/19360711/173/0006 |title=AAA Championships begin |work=Western Mail |date=11 July 1936 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=18 January 2025 }}{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003214/19360713/473/0017 |title=Wooderson wins again |work=Daily Herald |date=13 July 1936 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=18 January 2025 }} before being selected to represent Great Britain at the 1936 Olympic Games held in Berlin, where he finished seventh in the Olympic marathon event.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/69443 |title=Biographical Information |website=Olympedia |access-date=14 July 2024}}

Robertson won 1937 AAA Championships marathon title{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000650/19370717/014/0014 |title=The Athletic Championships |work=Liverpool Daily Post |date=17 July 1937 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=18 January 2025 }}{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000671/19370719/011/0011 |title=Six records go by the board at White City |work=Evening Despatch |date=19 July 1937 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=18 January 2025 }} and finished fourth in the marathon contest at the 1938 Empire Games.

Robertson won another AAA Championships title at the 1939 AAA Championships{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000619/19390708/443/0016 |title=Athletics |work=Birmingham Daily Post |date=8 July 1939 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=19 January 2025 }}{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000669/19390710/316/0011 |title=British Athletic Prestige enhanced in AAA Championships |work=Birmingham Daily Gazette |date=10 July 1939 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=19 January 2025 }} before his career was interrupted by World War II.

Robertson was on the podium of the AAA marathon twice more in 1946 and 1947 but died in Glasgow on 14 June 1949 from a pulmonary embolism aged 43.

References

[https://web.archive.org/web/20200418003418/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ro/donald-robertson-1.html sports-reference.com]

Category:1905 births

Category:1949 deaths

Category:Athletes from Glasgow

Category:Scottish male long-distance runners

Category:British male long-distance runners

Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1936 Summer Olympics

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1934 British Empire Games

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1938 British Empire Games

Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Scotland

Category:Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics

Category:Deaths from pulmonary embolism

Category:Medallists at the 1934 British Empire Games

Category:20th-century Scottish sportsmen