The Crazy 1904 St. Louis Olympic Marathon

The 1904 Olympic marathon may have been the strangest race in history.

Runners battled brutal heat, choking dust, and almost no drinking water. One competitor was chased off course by wild dogs. Another stopped along the way to eat rotten apples.

Then there was Thomas Hicks, whose trainers kept him moving with doses of strychnine, egg whites, and brandy.

And the apparent winner? Fred Lorz crossed the finish line first—after riding roughly eleven miles in a car.

Only 14 of 32 runners finished.

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