Athlete. Born in Glasgow, the son of a physician, Robertson was educated at Kelvinside Academy before moving the Peterborough in England at the age of 14. There, he developed as a sportsman, initially preferred cycling. Robertson only took up athletics seriously in 1906 at the age of 25, which makes his achievements even more remarkable. He won two medals in the London Olympics of 1908: a gold as a member of the three-mile race team and a silver in the 3200m steeplechase. In the same year, he also won a gold medal in the International Cross Country Championships and set a new world record in the 5000m. He set several Scottish records, including a four-mile record which was not beaten for 45 years. Robertson was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2004. In 2010, a public house in Birmingham was named 'The Arthur Robertson' in his honour. This lies close to the former home of his running club, the Birchfield Harriers.
