The Strangest Marathon in Olympic History was the 1904 St. Louis Olympic Marathon. The first man across the finish line had ridden about eleven miles in a car—and the real winner was given strychnine and brandy.
On August 30, 1904, thirty-two runners left Francis Field for a punishing 24.85-mile course in brutal heat. They faced seven major hills, rough roads, choking dust, open traffic and only one official source of fresh water. Organizers were testing the effects of dehydration.
Fred Lorz stopped with cramps, climbed into an automobile and later returned to the course. He was celebrated as the winner, then disqualified when witnesses exposed the ride. Behind him, Thomas Hicks was barely moving. His handlers gave him egg whites, strychnine and brandy while guiding him toward the stadium. Hicks finished in 3:28:53 and became Olympic champion.
The race also included Félix Carvajal, the Cuban runner who arrived in street clothes and still placed fourth, plus Tswana runners Len Tau and Jan Mashiani. Len Tau reportedly lost about a mile when a dog chased him off course, yet he finished ninth. Only fourteen of the thirty-two starters are commonly listed as finishers.
Episode 007 of Sounds Fake — But True reconstructs the bad science, confusion and endurance behind a race that still sounds invented.
Which detail surprised you most: the automobile, the strychnine or the dog chase? Comment below and subscribe for more unbelievable true stories from history.
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