I'm not saying that you can’t put your hands on your head at some inappropriate or comical moment at the Olympic Games in Paris, but I can assure you that nothing can quite match the legendary 1904 Olympic Games held in St. Louis, Missouri. Among all the events, the grotesque marathon stands out for posterity.
First came the World’s Fair. The 1904 Olympic Games took place at the same time as the St. Louis World’s Fair, which was held to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase. Chicago was originally chosen as the host city, but the fair organizers used all their influence and the significance of the world event to lobby for the games to be moved to St. Louis.
The city, although not large, held significant power due to its concentration of the cotton trade and robust commercial activity. After President Theodore Roosevelt’s support and election, the IOC eventually approved the bid. The idea behind combining the Games with the fair was to attract more visitors and elevate the sporting event’s status. However, things didn’t go as planned. In fact, it was quite the opposite.
First times and participants. The 1904 Olympic Games were significant for several reasons, even before they started. They were the first to be held outside Europe and the first where English was the dominant language. Additionally, they were the first to award gold, silver, and bronze medals to the top finishers, as well as the first to feature boxing and wrestling. A total of 651 athletes, including six women, from 12 countries participated.
Len Tau and Jan Mashiani were the first black Africans to participate in the modern Olympic Games.
The athletes were supposedly prepared to participate in the 91 events across 16 official Olympic sports. Despite the large number of athletes, only 42 of them were from countries other than the U.S. This was because many European athletes were hesitant to travel across the Atlantic for the Games. In hindsight, this decision was arguably wise, as the Games lasted an unexpectedly long four months.
Let the (horrible) show begin. Although some records went down in history, such as Archie Hahn’s 200-meter record that went unbroken for almost three decades, the truth is that the event was forever marked as the worst in every sense. The first issue arose at the very beginning. Under the title of "Anthropological Days," there was racial segregation in the opening parade. How? By showcasing members of supposedly inferior races who were to compete in separate events (without official registration).
Anthropological Days.
In this respect, there were two days where the Games required people who the U.S. perceived as “primitive” (black Africans or Indians) from each "tribe" to participate in “sporting events,” such as javelin throwing or archery. The purpose was two-fold: to mock and show the physical and moral dominance of Anglo-American culture. This is a regrettable occurrence in the history of sports that the IOC has been working to eliminate ever since.
A marathon unlike any other. Many things occurred during the Games, but if we focus solely on the sporting events, the Olympics were forever changed after the marathon took place. It seems that there were unprecedented levels of cheating, illegal behavior, attacks on individuals, and overall unsportsmanlike conduct. This may be partly explained by the lack of professionalism at that time.
Some of the athletes competing in the marathon pose for a group photo.
Let’s set the scene. The event was a 24.85-mile marathon with 32 athletes from only four nations. It took place on August 30 at noon, with temperatures reaching 90 degrees Fahrenheit that day. What could go wrong?
The race started and ended in the stadium, but unlike modern races, it was held on a “jungle-like” cross-country course with no paved roads. The runners had to navigate seven hills in the Missouri plains next to dusty tracks where a car race was also happening at the same time.
Ready, set... The marathon begins. As the runners leave the stadium, they have to navigate around vegetation and avoid numerous cars leaving the parallel circuit. The sun is beating down, but there are no refreshments nearby for the runners. Why? The only water source is a well 12 miles from the event.
It turns out that James Sullivan, the main organizer of the marathon, intentionally planned this lack of hydration as part of a research experiment. His aim was to study the effects of minimal fluid intake and dehydration on the runners, testing their limits and endurance.
A marathon participant after leaving the stadium.
Under these conditions, the race was beginning to seem like an impossible mission. Many of the men, who were just “athletes for a day,” started fainting and collapsing in the areas surrounding the stadium. Those who were barely hanging on realized that reaching the finish line seemed unattainable without some kind of help. Some stopped to eat and became intoxicated, while others, like South Africa’s Len Taunyane, were running without any issues until a group of wild dogs started chasing him by chance.
The “winner.” Among all the “sportsmen” was the American Fred Lorz, the smartest of them all. After falling at the 9-mile mark, he decided to rejoin the race by hitching a ride in one of the cars participating in the parallel circuit. Lorz’s last moments in the race turned into a moment of infamy, as he waved to the crowd and other participants from the car, on his way to supposed glory.
The story goes that his car broke down a few miles from the finish line. At that point, he got out of the car and walked into the stadium until he reached the finish line first.
The most hilarious medal ceremony. Something unprecedented also happened during the medal ceremony. As Lorz climbed up to the top of the podium and waved to the cheering crowd, the organization revealed that he had cheated during the race. When confronted, Lorz admitted to cheating but claimed that he was only pretending as a joke. Nevertheless, the Amateur Athletic Union banned him for life. Surprisingly, though, he was pardoned a year later for unknown reasons.
Olympic participant Thomas Hicks is assisted by organizers.
Second winner. After Lorz was disqualified, first place was awarded to American Thomas Hicks. However, Hicks had stopped due to fatigue with 7 miles to go. To help him continue the race, his support crew gave him several doses of strychnine sulfate with brandy, which is a substance that was previously used as a pesticide for mice but, in small doses, stimulates the nervous system. In essence, Hicks was given a stimulant to help him finish the race. At that time, there were no anti-doping rules, so his victory was allowed to stand.
Let’s not forget about “Andarín.” At this point, we should mention the story of Félix “Andarín” Carvajal. During the day, Carvajal worked as a letter carrier and occasionally as an advertising man. In his spare time, he tirelessly walked the streets of Havana for months in order to gather funds to participate in the marathon. He ultimately secured the money needed to compete. However, he lost everything and had to finish the race on foot or with the help of strangers he met along the way.
Andarín, after cutting off his long pants at the knee before the race.
Weird attire. Andarín faced many challenges when he arrived. He was dressed in inappropriate attire (pants and a long shirt) as well as the shoes he wore as a mailman. His pants were even cut off before he began running the marathon. Despite going more than a day without eating, he was leading the race when he had to stop to eat some apples. Unfortunately, the fruit gave him indigestion, forcing him to need to lie down for a while.
Nevertheless, he managed to finish fourth, while only 14 runners completed the demanding marathon. Despite his struggles, Andarín upheld the Olympic spirit with his performance.
This article was written by Miguel Jorge and originally published in Spanish on Xataka.
Image | Smithsonian | Jessie Tarbox Beals
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