Bizarre Marathon: Scandalous 1904 Olympic Race Fueled by Rat Poison

The 1904 Olympic Marathon: A Spectacle of Absurdity

In the annals of sporting history, the 1904 Olympic marathon held in the scorching heat of America stands out as a bizarre and scandalous event that almost led to the discontinuation of the race. Unlike the modern-day revered and meticulously planned Olympic marathons, this particular race was marred by peculiarities that bordered on the absurd, including instances of poisoning, deliberate dehydration, and near-fatalities.

The backdrop of the 1904 Olympic Games, hosted for the first time by the United States, was the World Fair, where the marathon was intended to pay homage to the event’s ancient Greek origins. However, what unfolded was more akin to a chaotic sideshow intertwined with the fair’s festivities. Thirty-two athletes representing four nations embarked on the marathon, but only 14 managed to complete the grueling race under the brutal 92°F temperature.

The eclectic mix of participants ranged from seasoned marathoners to middle-distance runners, with favorites like Sam Mellor, A.L. Newton, John Lordon, Michael Spring, and Thomas Hicks from the United States. Notable among the competitors was Félix Carbajal de Soto, a Cuban mailman who arrived at the starting line in ragged attire after a series of misfortunes, including losing his money in New Orleans and hitchhiking to the venue. The race also featured Len Tau and Jan Mashian, representing South Africa’s Tswana tribe.

The marathon itself was less a test of athletic prowess and more of an inhumane experiment conducted under the blazing sun. The runners, deprived of adequate hydration, were subjected to dusty, hilly terrain with minimal water stations along the way. The chief organizer, James Sullivan, intentionally limited fluid intake to study the effects of purposeful dehydration, reflecting the questionable practices of the time.

The race took a surreal turn when Thomas Hicks, the eventual winner, resorted to consuming a concoction of egg whites, brandy, and strychnine sulfate—a rat poison that acted as a stimulant. This marked the first instance of drug use in the modern Olympic Games, a practice that was not prohibited at the time. Hicks, hallucinating and on the brink of collapse, was carried over the finish line by his trainers, narrowly escaping death.

The marathon’s outcome further spiraled into absurdity as Fredrick Lorz, initially disqualified for cheating, humorously accepted a faux victory before being reprimanded. Félix Carbajal’s detour through an apple orchard and Len Tau’s encounter with feral dogs added to the event’s surreal narrative.

While the 1904 Olympic marathon remains a testament to the eccentricities of the past, it also serves as a stark reminder of how far sporting regulations and attitudes towards athlete well-being have evolved over the years. In a world where performance-enhancing drugs and extreme conditions once dictated outcomes, the absurd events of history like the 1904 Olympic marathon underscore the importance of fair play, integrity, and athlete safety in modern sports.