Fun fact with the topic being history
The 1904 St. Louis Olympic Marathon is widely considered the bizarrest and most chaotic race in sports history and it was held on August 30, 1904, during the stifling St. Louis World's Fair, the event featured extreme conditions, bizarre mishaps, and near-fatal interventions.
The race started at 3:30 PM in 90°F (32°C) heat with high humidity and dust with the organizers only providing a single water station at the 12-mile mark of the 24.85-mile course because the race director wanted to scientifically study purposeful dehydration and unpaved dirt roads choked runners with dust kicked up by official and spectator cars riding alongside the pack. Major incidents that have happened at this race was that Winner Thomas Hicks was given a toxic mix of brandy, raw egg whites, and doses of strychnine (rat poison) by his trainers to keep him moving, causing him to hallucinate and be carried across the finish line.
Cuban runner Félix Carvajal stopped to chat, stole and ate rotten apples that gave him severe stomach cramps, and took a mid-race nap, still finishing fourth. South African runner Len Taunyane had to run a mile off-course after being chased by wild dogs.
And out of 32 starters from 7 nations, only 14 finished.
The race started at 3:30 PM in 90°F (32°C) heat with high humidity and dust with the organizers only providing a single water station at the 12-mile mark of the 24.85-mile course because the race director wanted to scientifically study purposeful dehydration and unpaved dirt roads choked runners with dust kicked up by official and spectator cars riding alongside the pack. Major incidents that have happened at this race was that Winner Thomas Hicks was given a toxic mix of brandy, raw egg whites, and doses of strychnine (rat poison) by his trainers to keep him moving, causing him to hallucinate and be carried across the finish line.
Cuban runner Félix Carvajal stopped to chat, stole and ate rotten apples that gave him severe stomach cramps, and took a mid-race nap, still finishing fourth. South African runner Len Taunyane had to run a mile off-course after being chased by wild dogs.
And out of 32 starters from 7 nations, only 14 finished.
3Gloot
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One of the runners used a car to cheat by the way
1You are correct, an American runner, named Fred Lorz used a car to cheat during the race, though, the car broke down around the 20 mile mark, so Lorz decided to walk back to the stadium.One of the runners used a car to cheat by the way
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