Marathon 1904 facts
While investigating facts about Marathon 1904, I found out little known, but curios details like:
The marathon of the 1904 Olympics had many bizarre events including someone driving to the finish line and pretending to win, someone winning by using rat poison as a stimulant, someone taking a nap and still finishing 4th, and someone being chased a mile off course by aggressive dogs.
During the 1904 summer Olympics marathon one runner hitched a ride, another was given rat poison and brandy as a stimulus, fourth place winner took a nap during the run, and two other runners were chased a mile by angry dogs
In my opinion, it is useful to put together a list of the most interesting details from trusted sources that I've come across. Here are 38 of the best facts about Marathon 1904 I managed to collect.
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The 1904 Olympic marathon involved a runner who drove 11 miles to the finish line, a runner who was poisoned by his coaches, a runner who was chased by dogs for one mile, and a runner who ate a rotten apple, took a nap and still finished fourth.
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During the 1904 Olympic Marathon, the winner drank brandy and rat poison, but was refused water. One competitor, wearing trousers and a long sleeve shirt, took a nap during the race, and finished in 4th.
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Thomas Hicks ran the 1904 Olympic marathon while drinking a mix of strychnine, egg whites and brandy which made him hallucinate and become sick. His trainers had to carry him over the finish line but he was still declared the winner, with the slowest gold medal time in Olympic marathon history.
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The 1904 Olympic Marathon’s 1st place runner was disqualified for hitching a ride in a car, 2nd place was carried over the finish line by his trainers while doping on rat poison and brandy, 3rd place took a nap after eating rotten apples, and 5th place got chased for a mile by wild dogs.
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Felix Carvajal who despite stopping to eat apples then getting sick, napping, and chatting with people finished fourth in the 1904 Olympic marathon
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The men's marathon at the 1904 Olympics was so poorly organized that only 14 out of 32 athletes finished the race, which was ran on dusty country roads in 90-degree weather
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.. the Marathon at the 1904 St Louis games was won by Tom Hicks. He won even though his support team poisoned him during the race with egg whites and strychnine. He beat a man who was disqualified for hitching 9 miles of the route in a car.
What is true about marathon 1904?
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The disastrous 1904 Olympics Marathon. It was ran in 90° heat, in terrible sandy conditions, with only dirty well water to drink. Several runners inhaled so much dust they almost died, and one man was fed exclusively strichnine (super-caffeine) and brandy by his coach, losing eight pounds.
At the 1904 Olympics marathon runners were purposely dehydrated by organisers to study dehydration and that the winner was disqualified because he was taken to the finish by a car. One of the runners would've won a medal but was chased off the track by aggressive dogs. - source
The winner of the Men's marathon at the 1904 Summer Olympics received several doses of rat poison mixed with brandy to stimulate the nervous system and was supported by his trainers while crossing the finish line.
Thomas Hicks, winner of the 1904 Olympic Marathon, was carried across the finish line by his support team. Due to severe (and deliberate) dehydration, his team gave him rat poison and brandy to stimulate his mind and help him finish the race.
The bizarre 1904 Summer Olympics Marathon: Highlights include purposeful dehydration by race officials, car rides, in-race naps by the fourth place finisher, aggressive dogs, and the winner being carried across the finish line by friends.
Because drinking water during a Marathon Run was seen as bad style, Thomas Hicks was given given Brandy with egg white and 1mg Strychnine. He was the first to cross the finishing line at the Olympic Games in 1904.
At the summer Olympics marathon 1904,a runner was given 'Rat Poison',one hitched a ride, another chased by dogs, while one collapsed with internal injuries.
