Discover the Chaos of the 1904 Olympic Marathon: A Race Like No Other!



The 1904 Olympic Marathon, held in St. Louis, Missouri, remains one of the most bizarre and chaotic events in sports history. Far from the polished competitions of today, this race was a spectacle of poor planning, extreme conditions, and outright scandal.

The marathon began in sweltering heat, with temperatures soaring above 90°F (32°C). The course, stretching 24.85 miles (40 km), was a grueling route over dusty, unpaved roads with seven steep hills. To make matters worse, organizers provided only one water station, fearing that too much hydration would weaken the runners.

The race attracted 32 participants, but only 14 managed to finish. Among them was Fred Lorz, who crossed the finish line first—only to be disqualified when it was revealed he had hitched a ride in a car for 11 miles. The actual winner, Thomas Hicks, endured a harrowing ordeal. His trainers gave him strychnine (a stimulant) and brandy to keep him going, leaving him barely conscious by the end.

But the strangeness didn’t stop there. One runner, Felix Carvajal, a Cuban mailman, showed up in street clothes and had to cut his pants into shorts mid-race. He also stopped to eat rotten apples from an orchard, which gave him stomach cramps. Another competitor, Len Taunyane, a Tswana tribesman from South Africa, was chased off course by wild dogs.

Perhaps the most shocking moment came when two runners, William Garcia and John Lordon, collapsed from exhaustion and were nearly poisoned by the dust kicked up by cars following the race. Garcia was found unconscious and bleeding along the route, while Lordon dropped out after hallucinating.

The 1904 marathon was a far cry from the organized, athlete-focused events of modern Olympics. It highlighted the lack of regulations and the dangers of early 20th-century sports. Yet, it remains a fascinating chapter in Olympic history, showcasing human endurance and the unpredictable nature of competition.

#Olympics #Marathon #History #Scandal

Purple Pot Creations

Location: Ireland

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