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The 1904 Olympic Marathon (2012)

Athletes drank poison, dodged traffic, stole peaches and even hitchhiked during the 24.85-mile race in St. Louis

Fred Lorz, an American who trained at night because he worked as a bricklayer by day, earned his spot in the Olympics by placing in a special five-mile race sponsored by the Amateur Athletic Union. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons Then there was Félix Carvajal, a Cuban national and former mailman who raised money to come to the United States by demonstrating his running prowess throughout Cuba, once trekking the length of the island. Strychnine, in small doses, was commonly used a stimulant at the time; today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes it as a “strong poison” that is “used primarily as a pesticide, particularly to kill rats.” Hicks’ team also carried a flask of French brandy but decided to withhold it until they could gauge the runner’s condition.

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