Unusual Events: 1904 Marathon

There have been many strange and unusual stories to come out of the Olympics. One of those was during the marathon at the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis.

American runner Fred Lorz was the first runner to enter the Olympic stadium and break the tape at the conclusion of the race; he was greeted by cheers and applause from the many fans who filled the stadium.

However, it was later revealed that Lorz had cheated during the race. With temperatures well into the 100s, Lorz stopped after running nine miles because he was too exhausted to continue. His manager then picked him up in his car and drove eleven miles of the race before the car broke down. Lorz would finish the race from there on foot.

Initially, Lorz went along with the joke and claimed he was the true winner of the event. He later admitted that he had cheated and fellow American Thomas Hicks was declared the winner. Hicks himself had to be assisted with strychnine sulfate during the race (a substance now banned) because of the temperature.

Lorz would be banned from further events by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) but was reinstated after apologizing for cheating and was cleared of intent to defraud. He would go on to genuinely win the Boston Marathon the following year.