1896 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
Athletics
USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
March 22 - Greek runner Charilaos Vasilakos wins the first modern marathon (3:18)
American football
College championship
College football national championship – Princeton Tigers
Professional championships
Western Pennsylvania champions – Allegheny Athletic Association
Association football
England
The Football League – Aston Villa 45 points, Derby County 41, Everton 39, Bolton Wanderers 37, Sunderland 37, Stoke FC 30 FA Cup final – The Wednesday 2–1 Wolverhampton Wanderers at Crystal Palace, London. Scotland Scottish Football League – Celtic Scottish Cup final – Hearts 3–1 Hibernian at Logie Green
Baseball
National championship
Baltimore Orioles win the third of three successive National League championships Events Temple Cup – Baltimore Orioles 4–0 Cleveland Spiders
Boxing
10 March - After Bob Fitzsimmons KOs much larger Jim Corbett to win world HW championship he says, The bigger they are, the harder they fall Lineal world champions World Heavyweight Championship – James J. Corbett World Middleweight Championship – title vacant World Welterweight Championship – Tommy Ryan World Lightweight Championship – vacant → George "Kid" Lavigne World Featherweight Championship – George Dixon World Bantamweight Championship – Jimmy Barry
Cricket
Events
England retain The Ashes, defeating Australia 2–1 in a three-match series. In a low-scoring decider at The Oval, England win by 66 runs. England County Championship – Yorkshire Minor Counties Championship – Worcestershire Most runs – K S Ranjitsinhji 2780 @ 57.91 (HS 171*) Most wickets – J T Hearne 257 @ 14.28 (BB 9–73) Wisden Five Cricketers of the Season – Syd Gregory, Dick Lilley, K S Ranjitsinhji, Tom Richardson, Hugh Trumble Australia Sheffield Shield – New South Wales Most runs – Harry Donnan 626 @ 69.55 (HS 160) Most wickets – Tom McKibbin 46 @ 23.86 (BB 8–93) India Bombay Presidency – Europeans shared with Parsees South Africa Currie Cup – not contested West Indies Inter-Colonial Tournament – not contested
Figure skating
Events
Inaugural World Figure Skating Championships (open to men only) is held in Saint Petersburg World Figure Skating Championships World Men's Champion – Gilbert Fuchs (Germany)
Golf
Major tournaments
British Open – Harry Vardon (the first of Vardon's six British Open titles) U.S. Open – James Foulis Other tournaments British Amateur – Freddie Tait US Amateur – H. J. Whigham
Horse racing
England
Grand National – The Soarer
1,000 Guineas Stakes – Thais
2,000 Guineas Stakes – St. Frusquin
The Derby – Persimmon
The Oaks – Canterbury Pilgrim
St. Leger Stakes – Persimmon
Australia
Melbourne Cup – Newhaven
Canada
Queen's Plate – Millbrook
Ireland
Irish Grand National – Royston Crow
Irish Derby Stakes – Gulsalberk
USA
Kentucky Derby – Lieut. Gibson
Preakness Stakes – Margrave
Belmont Stakes – Hastings
Ice hockey
14 February — the Winnipeg Victorias defeat the Montreal Victorias 2–0 in a challenge match to win the 1896 Stanley Cup championship 7 March — the Montreal Victorias are the 1896 AHAC season champions. March — Queen's University defeats Stratford, Ontario 12–3 to win the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) title. The club does not challenge Winnipeg. 17 November — the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League, which later became the first ice hockey league to openly trade and hire players, began play at Pittsburgh's Schenley Park Casino. 17 December — the Schenley Park Casino, which was the first multi-purpose arena with the technology to create an artificial ice surface in North America as well as the home to the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League, was destroyed in a fire. 30 December — the Montreal Victorias defeat the Winnipeg Victorias 6–5 in a challenge match to regain the Stanley Cup
Motor racing
Paris-Marseille-Paris Trail
The 1896 Paris–Marseille–Paris Trail is held over 1710 km from 24 September to 3 October and won by Émile Mayade driving a Panhard-Levassor 8 hp model in a time of 67:42:58. The race is in retrospect sometimes referred to as the II Grand Prix de l'ACF.