The original winner of the 1904 Olympic marathon rode in a car for most of the race.

Arts & Culture

T he marathon at the 1904 St. Louis Games is one of the most unusual events in Olympic history, in no small part because it was initially won by an athlete who rode in a car for most of the race. That man was American Fred Lorz, who led the field of 32 runners right out of the gate. At the 9-mile mark, however, Lorz began suffering from terrible cramping, as the combination of sweltering heat and dirt being kicked up from the unpaved route made it difficult to breathe. It was then that Lorz opted to hitch a ride with a passing vehicle, which he rode in for 11 miles before hopping out to complete the race on foot in just under three hours.

Just as President Theodore Roosevelt's daughter Alice was set to award Lorz his medal, a spectator accused him of cheating. Lorz admitted to riding in a car, claimed it was just a joke, and stated that he didn't actually plan to accept the trophy. With Lorz disqualified, American Thomas Hicks emerged as the new winner, though he too ran an unconventional race. At various points throughout the marathon, Hicks was helped by his trainers, who fed the athlete a combination of poisonous strychnine, egg whites, and brandy in hopes of stimulating his body. The result was that Hicks began to hallucinate around the 20-mile mark, and he was eventually carried over the finish line by trainers with a time of 3:28:53 — still taking home the gold.

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By the Numbers

Duration (in days) of the 1904 Summer Olympics

146

Nations that participated in tug-of-war at the 1904 Games

Did you know?

The 1904 Olympics were originally meant to be held in Chicago.

The Olympic Games were held in the United States for the first time in 1904, although the event was initially meant to be in Chicago instead of St. Louis. That all changed when organizers of the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair grew fearful that the Olympics would take attention away from their event, which was set to belatedly celebrate the centennial of the Louisiana Purchase. In response, fair organizers announced plans to hold athletic events of their own in an effort to undermine the Chicago Games. Rather than risk a conflict, Olympic organizers moved the Games to St. Louis, where they ran concurrently alongside the St. Louis World's Fair. Unfortunately, the 1904 Olympics were poorly attended by athletes and spectators alike, as St. Louis was more difficult to reach than Chicago. In fact, by some reports, only 62 of the 651 athletes that year hailed from outside of North America, which allowed U.S. competitors to dominate the lopsided field.