Why Did the 1904 Olympic Marathon End in Disaster?

The Olympics began with the first modern style games taking place in Greece in 1896, although their history traces further back than that. That year in Athens was the first time that the marathon was run as earlier games included much shorter races. The marathon has roots in the ancient tale of the Greek messenger who ran from Marathon to Athens, which was about 25 miles, in 490 B.C.E to announce the Greek victory over the Persians.

Originally the 1904 Summer Olympics were going to be hosted in Chicago, Illinois. However, at the same time as the Olympics would take place the Louisiana Purchase Exposition was taking place in St. Louis, Missouri and the organizers were worried that the Olympics would pull people away from this event and successfully campaigned to have the Olympic location moved. It was at this year’s event that the standard gold, silver, and bronze medals were first introduced for first, second, and third place.

It was also the first year to have boxing as a sport in the Olympics which continues to modern day. Notable firsts for the Olympic Marathon of 1904 included the first time for Cuba and South Africa have racers participating. This was also the first time Black men were allowed to run, Tswana men Len Taunyane and Jan Mashiani.

Marathon Course

After several times around the course track the rest of the run was a predetermined route along roads. The route consisted of several roads making the shape from above look like a boot. The problem with the roads was the hot arid summer weather and the fact that the roads chosen were dusty. While the runners kicked up dust clouds which would later prove problematic for their health race officials in vehicles just ahead and behind the groups also kicked up large amounts of dust that the racers inhaled. 

Other problems included a last-minute change due to a road that was no longer accessible and the fact that unlike today’s marathons, which clearly block off a marked route, regular traffic and pedestrians were still allowed on the official course. Unexpected obstacles such as trolley cars, trains, wagons, and people constantly blocked off parts of roads.

As stated earlier this marathon was brutal on the contestants, leaving many hospitalized after the race or even before they finished. Things that occurred including poisoning, food poisoning, lung issues, and dog attacks. The plan and organization of this race is questionable at best.

The first casualty took place before leaving the laps around the arena. John Lordan vomited before taking himself out of the race. The dust that was kicked up was breathed in by several of the racers caused major lung issues. Sam Mellor, a seasoned marathoner who had previously competed and won the Boston Marathon had to quit halfway, while another contestant William Garcia was found unconscious and had to be rushed to the hospital for severe internal injuries related to the dust due to is stomach lining ripping from the trauma.

Andarin Carajal was a Cuban contestant who had already had a rough time before he eve n got to the Olympics. Traveling north on a riverboat he lost all his money gambling and had no money even for proper race attire. He ended up running in slacks that a fellow contestant helped him cut into shorts and dress shoes. Despite running well initially he ended up having to take a nap after stopping to eat apples off a tree that were bad.

Cheating

Twenty-year-old Frederick Lorz was the runner to cross the finish race first, still slower than previous Olympic runners. Except he had never fully completed the race. Like others before him, he dropped out during the race and hitchhiked with a vehicle about nine miles into the race. Just before the vehicle could get back to the start it ended up breaking down and Lorz decided to “finish” the race, not just hyping up the crowd by being the first person to turn up but ran across the finish ribbon. Initially he was celebrated as the winner, although accusations began to be put forth.

When it was confirmed that he in fact didn’t run the whole race he claimed it had been a joke and he didn’t intend to maintain the win. While it is hard to know for certain, he hadn’t hidden that he was in the ruck, and waved at other contestants and people lined up to watch the race as they drove by. Afterwords he had a lifetime ban from participating in the races, which was later commuted down to less than a year.

So out of the 32 racers that started the race, where only 14 finished, which one was the winner? Thomas Hicks crossed the line with help from his trainers with a time of 3:28:53. He was barely able to run on his own, was hallucinating and gravely ill. Many of these aids are actions that would be later banned from racing competitors in later Olympic marathons.

During the race Hicks had been given a drink to boost his performance by his team. That drink? A concoction of brandy, raw egg, and 1.1 mg of strychnine. Among other issues including death, strychnine can cause muscle spasm, seizures, stiffness, kidney failure in humans who ingest large amounts and is commonly used to poison rats.

The strychnine was used to boost his performance by stimulating his nervous system so he wouldn’t drop out of the race. Strychnine, like other drugs designed to enhance performance, was banned in the 60’s although it was used in the 2016 Olympics by Izzat Artykov, who placed third in weightlifting. It was also prescribed by Dr. Theodor Morell, who was Hitler’s physician.

Hicks was later given a second dose during the race when the first started to wear off. It took doctors at the event and a hospitalization after the race to keep him from dying. In the less than four hours it took Hicks to finish the race he lost eight pounds. He later continued marathoning before moving to Canada, becoming a citizen and dying in 1952 at 76.