From marathons There are many who have made history, but there is one, that of the Olympic Games of August 30, 1904 in St. Louiswhich is remembered as the most absurd and chaotic of the athletics-related sporting competitions. This event, which was linked to the Universal Exhibition of that year, was somewhat overshadowed by the events of the latter, including the controversial “Anthropology Days“, in which some African natives from selected villages were chosen to perform a series of athletic feats. The real reason, however, was to mock those who were considered “savages”. But although the marathon was overshadowed by this event, the daring (and even a little circus-like) adventures of those who participated are worth a story: escapes from stray dogs, poisons, lack of water, thefts of peaches… and so on and so forth.
St. Louis Marathon Athletes: Professionals, Amateurs, and Oddballs
The marathon, the symbolic event of the Olympics, immediately proved to be in line with the carnival atmosphere of the fair. Among the runners were professional athletes who really hoped to reach the Olympics, and who had already won in previous Olympic marathons, such as Sam Mellor, Michael Spring, John Lordon and Thomas Hickswho were considered favorites.
But most of the participants were middle-distance runners and, above all, eccentric characters, such as Felix Carvajalformer Cuban postman who raised money to get to the US walking the entire length of the island. But when he arrived in New Orleans, he had lost all his money in a dice game, and so he had to hitchhike to St. Louis. No one bet a cent on him: 5′ 10″ tall, skinny, he had shown himself to be a bit dull in the eyes of the judges by showing up at the line in a long-sleeved shirt, ankle-length trousers (which he cut off halfway), city shoes and a beret, equipment completely unsuitable for running.
St Louis, August 30, 1904: the start of the marathon of the Games of the III Olympiad
On August 30, shortly after 3:00 p.m., the 32 runners set off. However, only 14 of them would reach the finish line. It was clear from the very beginning that it would be a slow agony, due to the heat and of thehumidity that tore the will of many of them during the 40 km journey. A journey so difficult that one of the officials of the fair said:
Definitely the most difficult path any human being has ever had to travel.
It wound along roads covered with dust (which caused coughing fits) and had well seven hills30 to 90 meters high. In some places there were broken stones that dangerously marked the path of the runners, who in addition to this also had to pass through inhabited areas and therefore had to dodge traffic and people circulating.
Throughout the journey there was only one place where men could drink, 19 km into the race. This detail was premeditated: James Sullivanthe organizer of the games, wanted to minimize fluid intake to test the limits and effects of intentional dehydration. Carvajal, however, who was a resourceful man, was resourceful, and managed to drink from a water tower after just 10 km.
The Californian William Garciainstead, it almost wasn’t the first person to die during a marathon olympic when he collapsed about 13km from the finish line. Dust had coated his esophagus and torn the lining of his stomach, causing severe bleeding. If help had arrived an hour later, he would have bled to death. Lordonamong the favorites, had a vomiting attack and gave up.
The South African Len Tau came chased by a stray dog for 1.6 km off the competition course.
Carvajal ran with good energy, even with his inappropriate clothing he arrived at the end with good weatheralthough he stopped to chat with some spectators with the little English he knew and his unmistakable Cuban accent. At one point he stopped to chat with some people in the car, who had peaches with them and were eating them. Being very thirsty he asked for one, but when they refused he stole one and ate it while running away. Not content, a little further on he stopped in an orchard and ate some apples, which however were rotten and gave him cramps. Also Mellor And Lord they had suffered from it: the first of the two opted out, while the second was smarter and asked one of the accompanying cars to take him on board.
The winner reaches the finish line thanks to brandy and diabolical assistants
Arrived at 16 km, Thomas Hicks he was entrusted to the care of two assistants to whom he asked for water. They refused because of the rule imposed by the organizer, to test how much the body could resist in case of dehydration, and they rinsed his mouth with warm distilled water. They, too, when Hicks was 11 km from the finish line, gave him a drink of strychnine and egg whites. Today we can say that it was the first recorded case of drug use in an Olympic competition, which at the time had no rules on performance-enhancing drugs.
Strychnine is also used as a pesticideespecially for killing rats. Not ideal for a man, but fortunately Hicks was not hurt. The two assistants kept a flask of French brandy with them, but for a long time decided not to give it to him.
In the meantime, Lordwho had recovered from a terrible bout of cramp, got out of the vehicle after having been in it for 18 km. When Hicks’ assistants saw him they ordered him to abandon the race, but Lorz continued and reached the finish line first. The crowd was enthusiastic, but when they learned that he had cheated and finished first they became angry and were booed. Lorz calmed everyone down and said he had no intention of accepting the award.
Hicks, with strychnine circulating in his blood, was pale and exhausted. But when the assistants told him that Lorz had been disqualified, he revived and after a second dose of “stimulating pint” with a touch of brandy and a shower of hot water thrown over him by the two assistants, he revived to reach the finish line.
The exhausted athlete, however, began to have hallucinations, and during the last kilometer he begged the pair of assistants for water but once again they denied him. So he walked up the climbs of the last two hills and then ran desperately down the descents. Huddled in the arms of his assistants, with a lost look and his feet dragging, he managed to cross the finish line becoming the winner of the race.
Immediately after he crossed the finish line, four doctors rushed to examine him, and after an hour of treatment he came to his senses. He said: “Never again a marathon like this.” And indeed – fortunately! – there have never been any more marathons like this…
