Bobsledding was still a fairly young sport in 1924, having been invented in the late 19th century. The International Federation for Bobsleigh and Tobogganing (FIBT) was founded just months before the Chamonix Olympics, on 23 November 1923. The Olympics were the first major international championship in the sport, as World Championships were only established in 1930.

The track ran for a length of 1370 meters, starting at an altitude of 1210 m and finishing at 1054 meters above sea level. The quality of the course was considered to be quite low and it moreover proved to be dangerous: three of the nine teams crashed.