1 00:00:09,562 --> 00:00:10,322 Speaker 1: Originals. 2 00:00:10,362 --> 00:00:21,522 Speaker 2: This is an iHeart original. It's August nineteen oh four 3 00:00:21,802 --> 00:00:25,642 Speaker 2: and we're at the Summer Olympics in Saint Louis, Missouri. 4 00:00:26,202 --> 00:00:30,562 Speaker 2: The stadium is full of thousands of spectators and they're 5 00:00:30,642 --> 00:00:36,762 Speaker 2: bristling with excitement. The Olympics' biggest race, the marathon, is 6 00:00:36,802 --> 00:00:37,722 Speaker 2: about to start. 7 00:00:38,242 --> 00:00:40,362 Speaker 1: Runners, take your remarks. 8 00:00:41,122 --> 00:00:44,602 Speaker 2: Down on the track. A field of thirty one runners 9 00:00:44,882 --> 00:00:46,562 Speaker 2: huddle by the starting line. 10 00:00:46,762 --> 00:00:47,482 Speaker 3: Get set. 11 00:00:48,642 --> 00:00:53,642 Speaker 2: The athlete tail from Greece, France, Cuba, South Africa and 12 00:00:53,802 --> 00:00:58,362 Speaker 2: the US, and looking down you can see that some 13 00:00:58,562 --> 00:01:02,882 Speaker 2: of them are already working up a sweat. It's three 14 00:01:02,922 --> 00:01:07,162 Speaker 2: oh three in the afternoon, during the height of summer, 15 00:01:07,242 --> 00:01:14,762 Speaker 2: and the mercury says it's ninety degrees fahrenheit. The race begins. 16 00:01:15,442 --> 00:01:19,202 Speaker 2: Fred Lure's, a bricklayer by day and runner by night, 17 00:01:19,642 --> 00:01:22,802 Speaker 2: takes the lead. In the middle of the pack is 18 00:01:22,962 --> 00:01:27,362 Speaker 2: Thomas Hicks, a brass worker who recently took second at 19 00:01:27,362 --> 00:01:32,602 Speaker 2: the Boston Marathon. And there's the dark horse, Felix de 20 00:01:32,762 --> 00:01:38,082 Speaker 2: Lacari dot carvajal Esoto, a beret wearing Cuban who appears 21 00:01:38,122 --> 00:01:44,442 Speaker 2: to be running in clogs. It's just the start of 22 00:01:44,642 --> 00:01:51,682 Speaker 2: the wackiest, the wildest, and the worst Olympic Marathon ever 23 00:01:52,562 --> 00:01:56,682 Speaker 2: because over the next twenty some miles, the runners will 24 00:01:56,802 --> 00:02:02,322 Speaker 2: take naps, be chased by dogs, go apple picking, dope 25 00:02:02,482 --> 00:02:08,162 Speaker 2: with rat poison, and quite literally eat each other's dust. 26 00:02:15,522 --> 00:02:20,362 Speaker 2: Welcome to very special episodes and iHeart original podcast. I'm 27 00:02:20,402 --> 00:02:24,722 Speaker 2: your host Danish words and this is famous dumpster fires 28 00:02:24,762 --> 00:02:31,322 Speaker 2: in history the nineteen o four Olympic Marathon. So are 29 00:02:31,322 --> 00:02:33,162 Speaker 2: you guys excited for the Paris Olympics. 30 00:02:33,522 --> 00:02:34,402 Speaker 1: I am Dana. 31 00:02:34,482 --> 00:02:37,322 Speaker 4: I love opening ceremonies like I'm just the pageantry has 32 00:02:37,362 --> 00:02:37,642 Speaker 4: got me. 33 00:02:37,722 --> 00:02:38,602 Speaker 1: What about you, Jason? 34 00:02:38,962 --> 00:02:44,322 Speaker 5: Oh yeah, the very non ironic enjoyment of the Olympics 35 00:02:44,362 --> 00:02:46,922 Speaker 5: and the opening ceremonies. When we were at mental floss, 36 00:02:47,242 --> 00:02:50,362 Speaker 5: my favorite project of the Olympic year would be trying 37 00:02:50,362 --> 00:02:52,882 Speaker 5: to find an amazing fact about every country in the 38 00:02:52,882 --> 00:02:54,882 Speaker 5: Parade of Nations and then we would share them on 39 00:02:54,922 --> 00:02:56,322 Speaker 5: social media in real time. 40 00:02:56,682 --> 00:03:00,242 Speaker 2: Yes, I love an opening ceremony when they just lean 41 00:03:00,282 --> 00:03:04,762 Speaker 2: into like the broadest cultural stereotype of what their nation is. 42 00:03:05,002 --> 00:03:08,682 Speaker 2: So I'm really hoping France is just like waving baguettes around. 43 00:03:09,242 --> 00:03:12,322 Speaker 1: They have boats. It's a boat parade. It's a boat parade. 44 00:03:12,402 --> 00:03:13,162 Speaker 1: Are you kidding? 45 00:03:13,242 --> 00:03:13,922 Speaker 2: Sounds fun? 46 00:03:14,162 --> 00:03:14,282 Speaker 1: Now? 47 00:03:14,362 --> 00:03:16,442 Speaker 4: Well, the nations have all the same boats or will 48 00:03:16,442 --> 00:03:18,082 Speaker 4: they have boats that indicate their nation? 49 00:03:18,682 --> 00:03:20,922 Speaker 1: That's a good question. Another reason I'm excited to tune 50 00:03:20,962 --> 00:03:22,962 Speaker 1: in and watch. I can't wait to see this. 51 00:03:23,162 --> 00:03:26,322 Speaker 5: Well, we can go very narrow on the Olympics with 52 00:03:26,402 --> 00:03:28,762 Speaker 5: one fact about every country, or we could go really 53 00:03:28,802 --> 00:03:30,842 Speaker 5: deep like we are today's episode. 54 00:03:30,962 --> 00:03:34,562 Speaker 2: Yeah, this entire episode is just a fun fact about 55 00:03:34,802 --> 00:03:36,602 Speaker 2: an Olympics that I knew nothing about. 56 00:03:36,722 --> 00:03:38,202 Speaker 1: But do you guys like to run? Do either one 57 00:03:38,242 --> 00:03:38,722 Speaker 1: of you guys? 58 00:03:38,762 --> 00:03:38,842 Speaker 6: Like? 59 00:03:38,842 --> 00:03:40,642 Speaker 1: Were you drawn to the marathon aspect? 60 00:03:40,842 --> 00:03:44,722 Speaker 2: I'm a terrible runner. I occasionally jog and I hate 61 00:03:44,802 --> 00:03:45,602 Speaker 2: every minute of it. 62 00:03:45,922 --> 00:03:48,322 Speaker 1: What about you, Jason? Not much of a runner? 63 00:03:48,682 --> 00:03:50,442 Speaker 2: Are you? Could you do a marathon? 64 00:03:50,562 --> 00:03:51,362 Speaker 1: Oh? Hell no. 65 00:03:51,402 --> 00:03:53,682 Speaker 4: I always say that I would need either a ball 66 00:03:53,842 --> 00:03:56,002 Speaker 4: or a gun to run. That's those are the two 67 00:03:56,082 --> 00:03:58,642 Speaker 4: conditions for me. Now I do have this front. Dave 68 00:03:58,762 --> 00:04:02,082 Speaker 4: Kim he once showed up to the LA Marathon without 69 00:04:02,122 --> 00:04:05,122 Speaker 4: any training whatsoever, signed up that morning, ran the whole 70 00:04:05,202 --> 00:04:08,922 Speaker 4: damn thing. Oh oh yeah, he's the spirit of these people. 71 00:04:08,962 --> 00:04:10,082 Speaker 1: That's what I'm talking about. 72 00:04:10,322 --> 00:04:12,482 Speaker 2: I do love just the showing up and like the 73 00:04:12,482 --> 00:04:14,162 Speaker 2: attitude of how hard could it be? 74 00:04:14,762 --> 00:04:16,962 Speaker 1: Yes, exactly, he was. It's like, what is it? What 75 00:04:17,042 --> 00:04:21,282 Speaker 1: twenty six thirty miles? I could do this? I'm like, yeah, shitty, yeah. 76 00:04:20,922 --> 00:04:23,402 Speaker 2: It sounds like a nightmare. I would never run a 77 00:04:23,402 --> 00:04:25,802 Speaker 2: marathon in my life. I think you can put me 78 00:04:25,842 --> 00:04:27,722 Speaker 2: on the record and say I'll never run a marathon. 79 00:04:27,922 --> 00:04:30,402 Speaker 4: I just kept thinking of the Beastie Boys song Intergalactic, 80 00:04:30,442 --> 00:04:32,922 Speaker 4: I'm a man ed rock saying from the Hudson River 81 00:04:33,002 --> 00:04:35,442 Speaker 4: out to the Nile, run the marathon to the very 82 00:04:35,482 --> 00:04:36,002 Speaker 4: last mile. 83 00:04:36,122 --> 00:04:38,522 Speaker 2: I was like, not me, brother, I couldn't run a 84 00:04:38,522 --> 00:04:42,002 Speaker 2: marathon in perfect conditions, let alone when it's conditions like this. 85 00:04:43,242 --> 00:04:45,842 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, these are so brutal. But folks are in 86 00:04:45,922 --> 00:04:47,402 Speaker 1: for a treat with this one, all right, why don't 87 00:04:47,442 --> 00:04:48,762 Speaker 1: we get into it. 88 00:04:50,402 --> 00:04:54,002 Speaker 2: Back to nineteen oh four, where thirty one runners are 89 00:04:54,122 --> 00:04:59,042 Speaker 2: trotting under the scorching sun. The race has just begun. 90 00:04:59,682 --> 00:05:03,242 Speaker 2: The athletes take a few laps around a cinder track 91 00:05:03,722 --> 00:05:07,242 Speaker 2: and then exit the stadium, heading out on to a 92 00:05:07,362 --> 00:05:11,922 Speaker 2: road course that loops through the Missouri countryside. They don't 93 00:05:11,962 --> 00:05:17,562 Speaker 2: get far before realizing this is going to be a problem. 94 00:05:17,842 --> 00:05:19,402 Speaker 6: They didn't block off traffic. 95 00:05:19,922 --> 00:05:21,242 Speaker 2: That's Susan brown Ow. 96 00:05:21,482 --> 00:05:25,202 Speaker 6: I'm a professor of anthropology at the University of Missouri 97 00:05:25,242 --> 00:05:25,922 Speaker 6: Saint Louis. 98 00:05:26,682 --> 00:05:30,962 Speaker 2: Susan is an Olympics expert. In fact, back in the day, 99 00:05:31,082 --> 00:05:36,522 Speaker 2: she used to compete internationally in the heptathlon. Susan explains 100 00:05:36,642 --> 00:05:42,042 Speaker 2: that the nineteen oh four marathon course was a total mess. 101 00:05:43,962 --> 00:05:48,042 Speaker 6: I think when you look at the nineteen oh four marathon, 102 00:05:48,402 --> 00:05:50,442 Speaker 6: there's some stuff that's pretty appalling. 103 00:05:51,162 --> 00:05:56,002 Speaker 2: To start, the course was never closed to traffic. People 104 00:05:56,082 --> 00:06:01,122 Speaker 2: in their jalopies continued using the roads, forcing runners to 105 00:06:01,202 --> 00:06:06,882 Speaker 2: play a twenty five mile long game of Frogger. But frankly, 106 00:06:07,162 --> 00:06:11,442 Speaker 2: the risk of getting flattened was the least of anybody's worries. 107 00:06:12,162 --> 00:06:14,762 Speaker 2: The worst part was the dust. 108 00:06:17,842 --> 00:06:21,162 Speaker 6: They mapped out a course that was essentially on dirt roads, 109 00:06:21,242 --> 00:06:24,362 Speaker 6: and it didn't occur to anybody that maybe driving your 110 00:06:24,442 --> 00:06:28,362 Speaker 6: old fashioned cars alongside the athletes might stir up even 111 00:06:28,442 --> 00:06:31,522 Speaker 6: more dust than would have been there otherwise. 112 00:06:32,322 --> 00:06:37,162 Speaker 2: A thick layer of powdery dust coated the Saint Louis roads, 113 00:06:37,722 --> 00:06:42,162 Speaker 2: and with each passing car, a plume of dust rose 114 00:06:42,282 --> 00:06:42,962 Speaker 2: into the air. 115 00:06:43,642 --> 00:06:46,362 Speaker 6: It's just one big dust cloud the whole way. 116 00:06:46,722 --> 00:06:50,962 Speaker 2: It's hard to overstate just how bad this dust was. 117 00:06:52,322 --> 00:06:55,602 Speaker 2: Earlier that summer, there had been an automobile race on 118 00:06:55,682 --> 00:07:00,082 Speaker 2: these same streets. The dust clouds were so thick that 119 00:07:00,202 --> 00:07:03,642 Speaker 2: drivers couldn't see where they were going, leading to a 120 00:07:03,762 --> 00:07:12,562 Speaker 2: fatal crash. For some reason, Olympic organizers didn't learn any 121 00:07:12,762 --> 00:07:17,442 Speaker 2: lessons from that tragedy. Instead, they followed the same formula 122 00:07:18,082 --> 00:07:22,962 Speaker 2: and enlisted dozens of drivers to accompany the runners. The 123 00:07:23,002 --> 00:07:29,042 Speaker 2: cars carried scientists, trainers, and medical professionals, and they surrounded 124 00:07:29,122 --> 00:07:33,842 Speaker 2: the runners on all sides. One person in the caravan 125 00:07:34,242 --> 00:07:35,802 Speaker 2: was Charles Lucas. 126 00:07:36,282 --> 00:07:39,642 Speaker 7: He would later write dust filled the air and more 127 00:07:39,722 --> 00:07:42,762 Speaker 7: or less carried into the stomach and lungs of the 128 00:07:42,842 --> 00:07:46,642 Speaker 7: athletes as they were compelled to run with their mouths open. 129 00:07:47,322 --> 00:07:51,402 Speaker 2: Just a half mile outside of the stadium, runners began 130 00:07:51,722 --> 00:07:57,682 Speaker 2: hacking out their lungs. Dust burned, their eyes, clogged their noses, 131 00:07:57,842 --> 00:08:02,282 Speaker 2: coated their throats. In the words of one observer quote, 132 00:08:02,602 --> 00:08:07,762 Speaker 2: the blinding, choking dust, combined with the august heat quote, 133 00:08:08,082 --> 00:08:11,722 Speaker 2: bakes the tongue and grips the wind like a vice. 134 00:08:12,842 --> 00:08:16,322 Speaker 2: Some runners had to run off the road to escape 135 00:08:16,362 --> 00:08:20,882 Speaker 2: the cloud and catch their breaths. One of the race's favorites, 136 00:08:21,162 --> 00:08:26,242 Speaker 2: John Lorden, who had previously won the Boston Marathon, barely 137 00:08:26,322 --> 00:08:29,802 Speaker 2: made it eight hundred yards before he had to pull 138 00:08:29,842 --> 00:08:33,882 Speaker 2: over to the side of Forsyth Road and spill his lunch. 139 00:08:35,282 --> 00:08:39,202 Speaker 2: The runners were just two miles in and it was 140 00:08:39,242 --> 00:08:42,402 Speaker 2: about to get worse, much worse. 141 00:08:44,122 --> 00:08:48,482 Speaker 6: So in the midst of this ill conceived spectacle, you've 142 00:08:48,522 --> 00:08:52,202 Speaker 6: got supposedly this scientific experiment going on. 143 00:08:52,562 --> 00:08:58,562 Speaker 2: The science experiment, Susan mentions, is the brainchild of John Sullivan. 144 00:08:59,082 --> 00:09:04,042 Speaker 6: He controlled almost every aspect of sports, organizing the big events, 145 00:09:04,162 --> 00:09:05,642 Speaker 6: organizing the Olympic Games. 146 00:09:05,922 --> 00:09:10,802 Speaker 2: Sullivan was the most powerful man in American sports. In 147 00:09:10,922 --> 00:09:15,082 Speaker 2: charge of organizing the nineteen oh four Olympics, he wanted 148 00:09:15,122 --> 00:09:19,442 Speaker 2: to use the marathon race to test a theory he 149 00:09:19,562 --> 00:09:22,762 Speaker 2: called purposeful dehydration. 150 00:09:23,442 --> 00:09:28,082 Speaker 6: The idea was that the marathon runners shouldn't drink along 151 00:09:28,162 --> 00:09:28,682 Speaker 6: the course. 152 00:09:29,162 --> 00:09:37,882 Speaker 2: Yeah, so Sullivan believed that athletes performed better without water. Now, 153 00:09:38,082 --> 00:09:42,602 Speaker 2: I want to remind you it's August thirtieth. It's more 154 00:09:42,682 --> 00:09:48,962 Speaker 2: than ninety degrees fahrenheit outside, it's humid. The marathon length 155 00:09:49,042 --> 00:09:53,122 Speaker 2: of twenty six point two miles hadn't been standardized yet, 156 00:09:53,442 --> 00:09:58,802 Speaker 2: but still this race was long. It's forty kilometers or 157 00:09:59,002 --> 00:10:04,682 Speaker 2: twenty four point eighty five miles. So what does Sullivan do. 158 00:10:05,482 --> 00:10:11,322 Speaker 2: He places one, just one water stop along the racecourse, 159 00:10:11,922 --> 00:10:17,802 Speaker 2: a well at the twelve mile mark. Right now, the 160 00:10:17,882 --> 00:10:23,362 Speaker 2: runners are just two miles into the race. They're dodging traffic, 161 00:10:24,082 --> 00:10:27,202 Speaker 2: hacking up their lungs, but they can barely see the 162 00:10:27,362 --> 00:10:32,162 Speaker 2: road they're running on, and the oppressive Missouri summer heat 163 00:10:32,722 --> 00:10:37,082 Speaker 2: is closing in on them from all sides. And now 164 00:10:37,202 --> 00:10:40,722 Speaker 2: they've got ten more miles before they can get a 165 00:10:40,802 --> 00:10:45,042 Speaker 2: sip of relief. This is a good spot to back 166 00:10:45,162 --> 00:10:49,522 Speaker 2: up and explain why the nineteen o four Olympic Marathon 167 00:10:50,202 --> 00:10:54,602 Speaker 2: was such a dumpster fire. To start, it's nineteen oh four. 168 00:10:55,242 --> 00:10:59,122 Speaker 2: This was the third Olympics ever, and it was the 169 00:10:59,162 --> 00:11:03,922 Speaker 2: first time America hosted. Back then, most people didn't know 170 00:11:04,442 --> 00:11:08,882 Speaker 2: or care much about the Olympics, so the Games were 171 00:11:08,922 --> 00:11:12,322 Speaker 2: packaged with something people did care about. 172 00:11:12,722 --> 00:11:16,562 Speaker 6: The nineteen oh four Olympics took place within the context 173 00:11:16,722 --> 00:11:18,802 Speaker 6: of the World's Fair in Saint Louis. 174 00:11:19,162 --> 00:11:23,442 Speaker 2: The World's Fair in nineteen oh four Saint Louis was 175 00:11:23,482 --> 00:11:28,802 Speaker 2: hosting a month's long festival in celebration of the Louisiana purchase. 176 00:11:29,602 --> 00:11:33,602 Speaker 2: And this was a much bigger deal than the Olympics. 177 00:11:34,002 --> 00:11:37,402 Speaker 6: The World's Fair at that time had pageantry, you know, 178 00:11:37,602 --> 00:11:42,282 Speaker 6: way beyond anything, but Olympic Games had. The sports events 179 00:11:42,442 --> 00:11:44,922 Speaker 6: were sort of just a minor side show. 180 00:11:45,162 --> 00:11:49,842 Speaker 2: The Olympics basically piggybacked on the Fair's popularity, and the 181 00:11:49,882 --> 00:11:53,242 Speaker 2: Fair used the Olympics as a launch pad for a 182 00:11:53,362 --> 00:11:57,802 Speaker 2: slew of weird experiments. Take for example, the fact that 183 00:11:57,842 --> 00:12:02,522 Speaker 2: the Fair hosted more than fourteen hundred indigenous people from 184 00:12:02,562 --> 00:12:07,362 Speaker 2: all over the world and put them on display. Walking 185 00:12:07,562 --> 00:12:13,442 Speaker 2: through the village, you could meet African pygmies, Patagonians, Japanese 186 00:12:13,482 --> 00:12:18,762 Speaker 2: anus Inuits. James Sullivan saw this and figured, hey, while 187 00:12:18,762 --> 00:12:21,842 Speaker 2: we got him here, let's do some experiments. 188 00:12:22,922 --> 00:12:28,002 Speaker 6: Sullivan was a pretty committed racist. He wanted to prove that, 189 00:12:28,162 --> 00:12:32,162 Speaker 6: in fact, the civilized white man was physically superior to 190 00:12:32,602 --> 00:12:37,282 Speaker 6: the savage, so he concocted this idea of an event 191 00:12:37,322 --> 00:12:38,642 Speaker 6: that would actually test it. 192 00:12:39,482 --> 00:12:43,162 Speaker 2: The idea was called Anthropology Days. 193 00:12:43,842 --> 00:12:46,882 Speaker 6: They would have the natives who were on display at 194 00:12:46,882 --> 00:12:52,202 Speaker 6: the fair do sports and the performances, but would be 195 00:12:52,242 --> 00:12:56,362 Speaker 6: recorded and then those performances would be compared against those 196 00:12:56,522 --> 00:13:01,082 Speaker 6: in the Olympic Games to see who was physically superior. 197 00:13:01,562 --> 00:13:06,402 Speaker 2: Indigenous people did the one hundred yard dash, ran the mile, 198 00:13:06,562 --> 00:13:10,922 Speaker 2: and tried the broad jump. They even tossed around a baseball. 199 00:13:11,242 --> 00:13:14,322 Speaker 6: Apparently it was the most popular event because many of 200 00:13:14,362 --> 00:13:17,162 Speaker 6: the natives had never seen a baseball before and they 201 00:13:17,242 --> 00:13:19,042 Speaker 6: just really wanted to give it a try. 202 00:13:19,282 --> 00:13:23,922 Speaker 2: But overall, the natives didn't take the events seriously, namely 203 00:13:24,002 --> 00:13:28,082 Speaker 2: because they had no training or preparation or interest. 204 00:13:28,522 --> 00:13:31,642 Speaker 6: You've got these natives who don't want to be there anyway. 205 00:13:31,722 --> 00:13:35,162 Speaker 6: They've never done the sport, they don't speak English very well, 206 00:13:35,242 --> 00:13:38,282 Speaker 6: and they don't understand what's expected of them. 207 00:13:38,682 --> 00:13:43,042 Speaker 2: So most indigenous people just treated the whole thing as 208 00:13:43,122 --> 00:13:49,002 Speaker 2: a joke, which, by the way, upset James Sullivan a lot. 209 00:13:49,722 --> 00:13:53,122 Speaker 5: The pygmies from Africa were full of mischief. They took 210 00:13:53,202 --> 00:13:54,202 Speaker 5: nothing seriously. 211 00:13:55,162 --> 00:13:59,242 Speaker 2: However, we should point out there was one competition where 212 00:13:59,282 --> 00:14:04,042 Speaker 2: the indigenous people flourished, an event called pole climbing, where 213 00:14:04,122 --> 00:14:06,882 Speaker 2: athletes had to climb a fifty foot pole. 214 00:14:07,402 --> 00:14:11,722 Speaker 6: Three of the competitors, who were from the Philippines, beat 215 00:14:11,762 --> 00:14:14,402 Speaker 6: the American record by as much as ten seconds. 216 00:14:14,882 --> 00:14:17,602 Speaker 2: Sullivan, who was also the editor in chief of the 217 00:14:17,722 --> 00:14:22,202 Speaker 2: Spauldings Sports Almanac and was in control of all record keeping, 218 00:14:22,922 --> 00:14:27,562 Speaker 2: never included that little statistic in the record book. The 219 00:14:27,682 --> 00:14:32,122 Speaker 2: point is James Sullivan was a schmuck. He had a 220 00:14:32,162 --> 00:14:36,682 Speaker 2: lot of, let's say, questionable ideas, and he used the 221 00:14:36,802 --> 00:14:41,722 Speaker 2: nineteen oh four Olympics as his personal laboratory. And the 222 00:14:41,802 --> 00:14:50,282 Speaker 2: runners in the marathon, they were his unwitting guinea pigs. 223 00:14:52,562 --> 00:14:54,962 Speaker 2: Of all of the men competing in the nineteen oh 224 00:14:54,962 --> 00:14:58,562 Speaker 2: four Olympic marathon, there was one athlete who may have 225 00:14:58,642 --> 00:15:02,842 Speaker 2: been best equipped to handle the heat, the traffic, and 226 00:15:03,202 --> 00:15:05,682 Speaker 2: even perhaps the lack of water. 227 00:15:06,642 --> 00:15:11,202 Speaker 8: Was they leak Scarbahll of Cuba a real care. 228 00:15:11,522 --> 00:15:15,842 Speaker 2: That's David Walachinski. He is one of the founding members 229 00:15:15,882 --> 00:15:20,202 Speaker 2: of the International Society of Olympic Historians Carba Hall. 230 00:15:20,722 --> 00:15:24,402 Speaker 8: He he just got this idea that he was going 231 00:15:24,442 --> 00:15:27,002 Speaker 8: to go to the Olympics in Saint Louis and he 232 00:15:27,042 --> 00:15:28,242 Speaker 8: was going to run in the marathon. 233 00:15:28,482 --> 00:15:31,922 Speaker 2: During the Cuban War of Independence, he was a courier 234 00:15:32,042 --> 00:15:36,042 Speaker 2: who delivered letters on the run and he had an 235 00:15:36,122 --> 00:15:41,002 Speaker 2: Olympic dream. So he visited the mayor of Havana, asking 236 00:15:41,122 --> 00:15:44,882 Speaker 2: the government to fund his trip to Saint Louis. The 237 00:15:44,922 --> 00:15:49,682 Speaker 2: local government refused, but carver Hall didn't give up. Instead, 238 00:15:49,762 --> 00:15:54,282 Speaker 2: he protested by running all day around the Mayor's palace. 239 00:15:55,082 --> 00:16:00,482 Speaker 2: A crowd gathered men smoking cigars sat around placing bets 240 00:16:00,522 --> 00:16:04,642 Speaker 2: on how long the crazy man would last. The mayor 241 00:16:04,802 --> 00:16:08,362 Speaker 2: looked outside to see who was causing the ruckus and 242 00:16:08,682 --> 00:16:13,282 Speaker 2: changed his mind. He gave carver Hall the money. The 243 00:16:13,362 --> 00:16:17,922 Speaker 2: Cuban took a boat to New Orleans and the temptations 244 00:16:18,002 --> 00:16:21,682 Speaker 2: of the Big Easy drew him in. Carver Hall decided 245 00:16:21,722 --> 00:16:25,442 Speaker 2: to do a little gambling, and during a game of craps, 246 00:16:25,922 --> 00:16:30,402 Speaker 2: he lost everything but the shirt off his back. Literally, 247 00:16:30,882 --> 00:16:35,682 Speaker 2: he had no other clothes, and now carver Hall was 248 00:16:35,762 --> 00:16:40,122 Speaker 2: stuck with no money left to travel the six hundred 249 00:16:40,202 --> 00:16:44,202 Speaker 2: ish miles to Saint Louis. He had no choice but 250 00:16:44,322 --> 00:16:46,402 Speaker 2: to walk the rest of the way. 251 00:16:46,562 --> 00:16:49,762 Speaker 8: So he then hitchhiked to Saint Louis and carver Hall 252 00:16:49,962 --> 00:16:55,282 Speaker 8: arrived on the starting line with wearing boots, large shoes, 253 00:16:55,642 --> 00:16:56,562 Speaker 8: long pants. 254 00:16:56,802 --> 00:16:59,722 Speaker 2: On the day of the race, everybody came wearing proper 255 00:16:59,842 --> 00:17:04,202 Speaker 2: running shorts and spiked shoes, but carver Hall a five 256 00:17:04,242 --> 00:17:06,882 Speaker 2: foot tall Cuban who weighed one hundred and twenty pound 257 00:17:06,922 --> 00:17:12,122 Speaker 2: pound soaking wet, arrived wearing a beret, a suit jacket, 258 00:17:12,562 --> 00:17:16,522 Speaker 2: clumsy two pound shoes, and long trousers. 259 00:17:16,762 --> 00:17:19,642 Speaker 8: He just was inappropriate, and so they delayed the start 260 00:17:19,642 --> 00:17:22,602 Speaker 8: of the race while an American athlete got some scissors 261 00:17:22,642 --> 00:17:26,042 Speaker 8: and cut off Carbahall's pants so that he at least 262 00:17:26,042 --> 00:17:26,922 Speaker 8: had shorts. 263 00:17:27,722 --> 00:17:31,482 Speaker 2: Carbo Hall would keep the torn off pieces of his pants. 264 00:17:32,042 --> 00:17:35,082 Speaker 2: These were his only pair of pants and he wanted 265 00:17:35,122 --> 00:17:39,042 Speaker 2: to sew them back together after the race. Despite the 266 00:17:39,162 --> 00:17:42,722 Speaker 2: rough start, Carba Hall was physically speaking one of the 267 00:17:42,842 --> 00:17:46,842 Speaker 2: top competitors, but he was also too friendly for his 268 00:17:46,882 --> 00:17:51,802 Speaker 2: own good. As he ran the dusty streets outside Saint Louis, 269 00:17:52,202 --> 00:17:57,162 Speaker 2: he became captivated by the crowds assembled on the roadside, and. 270 00:17:57,282 --> 00:18:00,482 Speaker 8: Carbo Hall he had a great time. He would stop 271 00:18:00,602 --> 00:18:02,882 Speaker 8: as he went around and talk to people. 272 00:18:03,002 --> 00:18:05,922 Speaker 2: As the other runners ran by him. Carbon Hall was 273 00:18:06,042 --> 00:18:10,242 Speaker 2: happily practiced his broken English. It also didn't help that 274 00:18:10,362 --> 00:18:14,602 Speaker 2: carver Hall, who had spent the last week hitchhiking, hadn't 275 00:18:14,682 --> 00:18:18,522 Speaker 2: eaten anything over the previous two days, so when he 276 00:18:18,602 --> 00:18:23,322 Speaker 2: passed an orchard, he decided to take a detour. The 277 00:18:23,362 --> 00:18:27,442 Speaker 2: New York Evening World described what happened next. 278 00:18:27,842 --> 00:18:31,722 Speaker 3: Carvagel's stomach empty as a collapsed balloon was rubbing against 279 00:18:31,722 --> 00:18:35,562 Speaker 3: his spine over the fence, He climbed and stuffed himself 280 00:18:35,602 --> 00:18:36,122 Speaker 3: with fruit. 281 00:18:37,162 --> 00:18:40,882 Speaker 2: A pack of thirteen runners past carbon Hall as he 282 00:18:40,962 --> 00:18:44,442 Speaker 2: spent a half hour jumping at tree limbs trying to 283 00:18:44,522 --> 00:18:46,322 Speaker 2: knock down green apples. 284 00:18:47,082 --> 00:18:49,642 Speaker 8: I don't say that Carbo Hall really cared about winning. 285 00:18:50,362 --> 00:18:55,242 Speaker 8: He was somebody who enjoyed experience and he loved meeting people, 286 00:18:55,802 --> 00:18:59,482 Speaker 8: so whether he finished first, fourth, or twelfth didn't really 287 00:18:59,562 --> 00:19:02,282 Speaker 8: matter to him. He just wanted to have a good time, 288 00:19:02,322 --> 00:19:02,922 Speaker 8: which he did. 289 00:19:04,082 --> 00:19:07,962 Speaker 2: Carba Hall gorged himself on apples and eventually got back 290 00:19:08,002 --> 00:19:14,922 Speaker 2: to the race. Other competitors weren't so lucky. The heat 291 00:19:15,122 --> 00:19:19,642 Speaker 2: and dust started to get to people. At mile seven, 292 00:19:20,082 --> 00:19:24,122 Speaker 2: Franklin Pierce, the first Native American to compete for the 293 00:19:24,242 --> 00:19:29,082 Speaker 2: US in the Olympics, collapsed. Not long after, a runner 294 00:19:29,122 --> 00:19:33,282 Speaker 2: from New York felt his leg seize with cramps and 295 00:19:33,402 --> 00:19:36,802 Speaker 2: he dropped out. A mile or two down the road. 296 00:19:37,242 --> 00:19:41,842 Speaker 2: Another runner felt his stomach lurch and he consecrated the 297 00:19:41,962 --> 00:19:47,282 Speaker 2: road with his vomit. He dropped out too. Meanwhile, other 298 00:19:47,402 --> 00:19:52,282 Speaker 2: runners were getting sidetracked for other reasons. Take for instance, 299 00:19:52,442 --> 00:19:56,122 Speaker 2: Lentau and Jan Mashiani of South Africa. 300 00:19:56,242 --> 00:19:58,922 Speaker 8: And they had come over not to compete in the Olympics, 301 00:19:59,362 --> 00:20:02,282 Speaker 8: but because they were part of the Boer War exhibit 302 00:20:02,322 --> 00:20:03,242 Speaker 8: at the World's Fair. 303 00:20:03,922 --> 00:20:08,442 Speaker 2: Lentau and Yamashiani were Swana tried tribesmen. They had never 304 00:20:08,602 --> 00:20:12,522 Speaker 2: run a marathon before, but they had worked as messengers 305 00:20:12,602 --> 00:20:16,002 Speaker 2: during the Boer War in Africa. Just a few years 306 00:20:16,042 --> 00:20:19,522 Speaker 2: earlier in Saint Louis, they were putting on battle re 307 00:20:19,682 --> 00:20:22,602 Speaker 2: enactments of the war and even took part in the 308 00:20:22,802 --> 00:20:24,602 Speaker 2: Anthropology Day's event. 309 00:20:25,122 --> 00:20:26,682 Speaker 8: When they heard that there was going to be this 310 00:20:26,722 --> 00:20:30,242 Speaker 8: big running race, they figured, well, let's enter. 311 00:20:30,642 --> 00:20:34,802 Speaker 2: The two men ran well, and frankly they probably could 312 00:20:34,802 --> 00:20:36,882 Speaker 2: have performed better, but. 313 00:20:37,762 --> 00:20:40,242 Speaker 6: One of them was run off the course for a while, 314 00:20:40,402 --> 00:20:41,362 Speaker 6: chased by dogs. 315 00:20:42,242 --> 00:20:46,482 Speaker 2: Lenau was chased a mile off course because a dog 316 00:20:46,722 --> 00:20:53,042 Speaker 2: was nipping at his heels. Meanwhile, the purposeful dehydration experiment 317 00:20:53,602 --> 00:20:57,882 Speaker 2: was destroying the other runners. By mile nine, a runner 318 00:20:57,922 --> 00:21:01,762 Speaker 2: from Brooklyn had dropped out from nausea. The racers from 319 00:21:01,842 --> 00:21:05,642 Speaker 2: Greece began to drop faster than Icarus from the sky 320 00:21:06,402 --> 00:21:10,242 Speaker 2: and lures. The nineteen year old bricklayer from New York, 321 00:21:10,282 --> 00:21:13,842 Speaker 2: who was one of the race's favorites, was so overcome 322 00:21:13,922 --> 00:21:16,682 Speaker 2: with cramps that he had to call it quits and 323 00:21:16,882 --> 00:21:21,122 Speaker 2: get into a car. By the time the racers reached 324 00:21:21,202 --> 00:21:25,002 Speaker 2: the official water well at mile twelve, the crowd of 325 00:21:25,082 --> 00:21:30,522 Speaker 2: runners was already thin, and then they started to get 326 00:21:30,642 --> 00:21:35,722 Speaker 2: stomach aches. Here again is Charles Lucas, who witnessed the race. 327 00:21:36,402 --> 00:21:39,642 Speaker 9: The visiting athletes were not accustomed to the water, and 328 00:21:39,722 --> 00:21:43,922 Speaker 9: as a consequence, many suffered from intestinal disorders. 329 00:21:45,002 --> 00:21:49,002 Speaker 2: The local water, in other words, gave some athletes what 330 00:21:49,322 --> 00:21:56,002 Speaker 2: long distancers affectionately call runners trots. Among the afflicted was 331 00:21:56,042 --> 00:21:59,922 Speaker 2: the runner from Cuba, Carvea Hall. The apples he had 332 00:21:59,962 --> 00:22:04,482 Speaker 2: poached earlier were not sitting well, so he took a nap. 333 00:22:09,962 --> 00:22:13,042 Speaker 2: Carver Hall wasn't the only person who wanted a breather. 334 00:22:13,722 --> 00:22:16,682 Speaker 2: The brass worker Thomas Hicks, who was near the front 335 00:22:16,722 --> 00:22:20,482 Speaker 2: of the pack, was feeling the heat. 336 00:22:19,922 --> 00:22:23,602 Speaker 8: And he started to you know, almost fate, and so 337 00:22:23,682 --> 00:22:26,082 Speaker 8: he had to lie down. This shows you how different 338 00:22:26,082 --> 00:22:28,802 Speaker 8: things are, you know, he had to lie down on 339 00:22:28,842 --> 00:22:29,282 Speaker 8: the road. 340 00:22:29,642 --> 00:22:32,402 Speaker 2: Hicks had a team of trainers in a car traveling 341 00:22:32,482 --> 00:22:36,962 Speaker 2: by his side. He desperately begged them for water, but 342 00:22:37,122 --> 00:22:42,242 Speaker 2: his trainers were big believers in the purposeful dehydration experiment too, 343 00:22:42,922 --> 00:22:48,362 Speaker 2: they refused, so Hicks got up and chugged on and 344 00:22:48,482 --> 00:22:52,842 Speaker 2: as other runners began dropping like flies, he was fighting 345 00:22:52,962 --> 00:22:57,162 Speaker 2: for the top spot. But at mile fifteen Hicks was 346 00:22:57,242 --> 00:23:01,642 Speaker 2: starting to flag again. He turned to his team for help. 347 00:23:01,882 --> 00:23:05,362 Speaker 6: Thomas Hicks was begging for water by the end, and 348 00:23:06,962 --> 00:23:08,042 Speaker 6: didn't give him any water. 349 00:23:08,842 --> 00:23:12,802 Speaker 2: Instead, they gave him a sponge bath, and then they 350 00:23:12,922 --> 00:23:17,202 Speaker 2: reached for a little brown bottle with the word poison 351 00:23:17,482 --> 00:23:18,362 Speaker 2: stamped on it. 352 00:23:19,082 --> 00:23:23,482 Speaker 8: His handlers then revived him by giving him repeated doses 353 00:23:23,562 --> 00:23:24,642 Speaker 8: of strict. 354 00:23:24,362 --> 00:23:29,042 Speaker 2: Nine strychnine sulfate to be exact, which you might know 355 00:23:29,362 --> 00:23:31,202 Speaker 2: as rat poison. 356 00:23:31,522 --> 00:23:37,682 Speaker 8: Strychnine is very popular in murder mysteries because it was 357 00:23:37,762 --> 00:23:41,042 Speaker 8: often used to kill people, and you know, in small 358 00:23:41,082 --> 00:23:44,682 Speaker 8: doses it was a stimulant, but in large doses it 359 00:23:44,802 --> 00:23:48,082 Speaker 8: was a wonderful murder weapon still is. 360 00:23:48,922 --> 00:23:54,322 Speaker 2: In small doses, strychnine sulfate can cause muscle spasms, which 361 00:23:54,522 --> 00:23:59,842 Speaker 2: in theory, can boost athletic performance without killing you. So 362 00:24:00,042 --> 00:24:04,082 Speaker 2: with the help of his trainers, Thomas Hicks began doping 363 00:24:04,242 --> 00:24:08,682 Speaker 2: in the middle of the race with Rodentici, which by 364 00:24:08,722 --> 00:24:13,562 Speaker 2: the way, was perfectly legal back then. Hicks continued on. 365 00:24:14,442 --> 00:24:20,642 Speaker 2: More racers dropped out, and then around mile nineteen, a 366 00:24:20,722 --> 00:24:26,602 Speaker 2: runner named William Garcia started coughing up blood. The heat, 367 00:24:27,002 --> 00:24:30,522 Speaker 2: the lack of water, and the dust had hit the 368 00:24:30,642 --> 00:24:36,522 Speaker 2: California runner hard. A horrific pain gripped his stomach as 369 00:24:36,562 --> 00:24:41,162 Speaker 2: he dropped to the road. Garcia's esophagus was coated with 370 00:24:41,402 --> 00:24:46,362 Speaker 2: dust and it had settled in his stomach, causing a hemorrhage. 371 00:24:47,162 --> 00:24:50,362 Speaker 6: They had to be rushed to the emergency room. That 372 00:24:50,442 --> 00:24:53,882 Speaker 6: had ruptured his esophagus, and his life was saved only 373 00:24:53,962 --> 00:24:55,522 Speaker 6: by emergency surgeries. 374 00:24:55,922 --> 00:25:01,322 Speaker 2: Garcia would spend days in the hospital, clinging to life. 375 00:25:02,282 --> 00:25:06,682 Speaker 2: The field was getting thinner by the minute. Thomas Hicks 376 00:25:06,762 --> 00:25:10,042 Speaker 2: was now in the lead, with Albert Cory, a Frenchman, 377 00:25:10,162 --> 00:25:14,962 Speaker 2: a mile behind him, and then the Cuban woke from 378 00:25:15,002 --> 00:25:19,882 Speaker 2: his nap, apparently healed of food poisoning. He began running 379 00:25:20,002 --> 00:25:24,002 Speaker 2: with purpose. Here's the New York Evening World's account. 380 00:25:24,402 --> 00:25:28,602 Speaker 3: He was eighteen sixteenth. He forged nearer the front, running 381 00:25:28,602 --> 00:25:31,722 Speaker 3: with dogged, unrelenting courage. A few miles from the finish, 382 00:25:31,802 --> 00:25:36,842 Speaker 3: he was coming fast. He was tenth, ninth, eighth, seven sixth. 383 00:25:37,122 --> 00:25:39,682 Speaker 3: The crowd began looking over its programs and whispering the 384 00:25:39,722 --> 00:25:40,442 Speaker 3: cuban's name. 385 00:25:40,962 --> 00:25:44,082 Speaker 2: Carver Hall was in good spirits. He ran past the 386 00:25:44,122 --> 00:25:47,602 Speaker 2: car carrying Charles Lucas and saw the men inside were 387 00:25:47,642 --> 00:25:51,202 Speaker 2: gorging themselves on peaches. Hey, can I have one of those? 388 00:25:51,362 --> 00:25:54,442 Speaker 2: The cuban asked, running beside the car. The men shook 389 00:25:54,442 --> 00:25:58,802 Speaker 2: their heads no. Carver Hall smiled and reached through the 390 00:25:58,842 --> 00:26:03,522 Speaker 2: open window, grabbing two peaches, and ran away, joyfully eating 391 00:26:03,562 --> 00:26:10,962 Speaker 2: the fruits as he ran. The finish was within five miles. 392 00:26:11,522 --> 00:26:15,402 Speaker 2: Thomas Hicks was still in the lead, but frankly, he 393 00:26:15,802 --> 00:26:19,922 Speaker 2: looked like a guy running on rap poison. Here's a 394 00:26:20,002 --> 00:26:22,722 Speaker 2: report from the Oshkosh Northwestern. 395 00:26:23,042 --> 00:26:25,922 Speaker 3: He was no longer a runner. His muscles had ceased 396 00:26:25,922 --> 00:26:28,602 Speaker 3: to respond over a bell. He was a machine, and 397 00:26:28,682 --> 00:26:31,802 Speaker 3: a weak and tottering one, slowly and heavily. His numb 398 00:26:31,882 --> 00:26:35,202 Speaker 3: feet came down, His head rolled weakly on his shoulders. 399 00:26:35,362 --> 00:26:38,282 Speaker 3: The cramped muscles were drawn up in knots. His face 400 00:26:38,402 --> 00:26:41,202 Speaker 3: was lined by exhaustion. Into the semblance of an old 401 00:26:41,282 --> 00:26:43,402 Speaker 3: man and caked with dust. 402 00:26:43,762 --> 00:26:47,642 Speaker 2: And then all of a sudden a new runner overtook him. 403 00:26:47,922 --> 00:26:51,322 Speaker 2: It wasn't Albert Cory, the Frenchman, and it wasn't the 404 00:26:51,402 --> 00:26:54,602 Speaker 2: Cuban Carver hal though he was gaining. It was a 405 00:26:54,682 --> 00:26:59,442 Speaker 2: runner named Fred Lores, the same guy who miles ago 406 00:26:59,962 --> 00:27:03,922 Speaker 2: had gotten into a car After sitting in the comfort 407 00:27:04,002 --> 00:27:07,962 Speaker 2: of an automobile for an hour. Laures had rejoined the 408 00:27:08,082 --> 00:27:13,242 Speaker 2: race and had taken the lead. Charles Lucas, who was 409 00:27:13,442 --> 00:27:17,562 Speaker 2: literally following the race in his car, saw Laures get 410 00:27:17,602 --> 00:27:19,082 Speaker 2: out and accosted him. 411 00:27:19,282 --> 00:27:21,202 Speaker 9: Get off the road, laws. 412 00:27:20,922 --> 00:27:23,042 Speaker 1: You're out of the race. How do you know him? 413 00:27:23,042 --> 00:27:23,642 Speaker 1: Out of the race? 414 00:27:23,722 --> 00:27:26,122 Speaker 9: Why we saw you riding in a car? 415 00:27:26,522 --> 00:27:27,082 Speaker 1: Is that so? 416 00:27:28,562 --> 00:27:31,882 Speaker 2: Laures claimed that the car had broken down and he 417 00:27:32,002 --> 00:27:33,882 Speaker 2: was just running back to the stadium. 418 00:27:34,242 --> 00:27:35,922 Speaker 1: I'm going to run in that's all. 419 00:27:36,482 --> 00:27:38,682 Speaker 9: But you'll interfere with the runners. 420 00:27:39,002 --> 00:27:39,842 Speaker 1: What do I care? 421 00:27:41,802 --> 00:27:46,202 Speaker 2: Soon, Lures, with fresh legs, pulled ahead of Lucas and 422 00:27:46,322 --> 00:27:50,842 Speaker 2: the front runner Hicks. Discouraged, Hicks turned to his trainers 423 00:27:51,162 --> 00:27:54,762 Speaker 2: and asked if he could just lay down and rest. 424 00:27:55,282 --> 00:27:59,722 Speaker 2: They refused. Instead, they handed him two raw egg whites 425 00:28:00,242 --> 00:28:04,402 Speaker 2: with another small dose of strychnine sulfate. 426 00:28:05,602 --> 00:28:08,562 Speaker 6: But they also had in his case, we're going to 427 00:28:08,602 --> 00:28:10,802 Speaker 6: try to give him a little brandy if it got 428 00:28:10,842 --> 00:28:13,202 Speaker 6: too bad and brandy. 429 00:28:14,122 --> 00:28:19,122 Speaker 2: According to Charles Lucas, the combination of raw eggs, rat 430 00:28:19,162 --> 00:28:23,242 Speaker 2: poison and booze did not appear to help Hicks. 431 00:28:23,562 --> 00:28:27,922 Speaker 9: His eyes were dull, lustiless, the ashen collar of his 432 00:28:28,042 --> 00:28:32,162 Speaker 9: face and skin had deepened. His arms appeared as weight 433 00:28:32,602 --> 00:28:36,842 Speaker 9: well tied down. He could scarcely lift his legs, while 434 00:28:36,922 --> 00:28:38,802 Speaker 9: his knees were almost stiff. 435 00:28:39,962 --> 00:28:46,362 Speaker 2: This put it mildly. Hicks was beginning to hallucinate. Visions 436 00:28:46,402 --> 00:28:49,202 Speaker 2: of food flashed before his eyes. 437 00:28:49,322 --> 00:28:51,522 Speaker 6: And so at the end he was actually begging for 438 00:28:51,562 --> 00:28:53,842 Speaker 6: the brandy because he was so thirsty. 439 00:28:54,442 --> 00:28:58,882 Speaker 2: At mile twenty one, hicks team obliged. They gave him 440 00:28:58,962 --> 00:29:03,442 Speaker 2: two more raw egg whites, another shot of brandy, another 441 00:29:03,682 --> 00:29:08,642 Speaker 2: pinch of strychnine sulfate, plus a steam ming spongebath heated 442 00:29:08,722 --> 00:29:13,842 Speaker 2: by the car's radiator. With that, Hicks seemed invigorated and 443 00:29:14,042 --> 00:29:19,882 Speaker 2: trudged on. Meanwhile, spectators at the stadium were going wild. 444 00:29:20,402 --> 00:29:22,362 Speaker 2: A runner had just entered the track. 445 00:29:22,882 --> 00:29:27,562 Speaker 8: The first person into the stadium after three hours. If 446 00:29:27,602 --> 00:29:30,162 Speaker 8: you were somebody who knew American, you might have wondered 447 00:29:30,162 --> 00:29:34,802 Speaker 8: where arty. The first person was an American named Fred Lurtz, 448 00:29:35,602 --> 00:29:36,962 Speaker 8: and he looked very fresh. 449 00:29:37,362 --> 00:29:40,562 Speaker 2: Laws entered through the east gate and galloped to the 450 00:29:40,562 --> 00:29:42,602 Speaker 2: finish line to rock as applause. 451 00:29:42,922 --> 00:29:46,602 Speaker 8: He was shaking the hands of Alice Roosevelt, the President's daughter, 452 00:29:47,242 --> 00:29:50,642 Speaker 8: when somebody pointed out that he had actually taken a 453 00:29:50,682 --> 00:29:54,602 Speaker 8: break from running and spent eleven miles in an automobile. 454 00:29:55,402 --> 00:29:59,842 Speaker 2: Confronted by his lie, Laws admitted that he had cheated 455 00:30:00,402 --> 00:30:04,482 Speaker 2: and claimed it was all just a practical joke. As 456 00:30:04,722 --> 00:30:09,642 Speaker 2: Booze rained down on Low Thomas Hicks was walking the 457 00:30:09,802 --> 00:30:14,642 Speaker 2: last of two large hills near the stadium. As he entered, 458 00:30:14,962 --> 00:30:20,082 Speaker 2: the crowd cheered. According to the Saint Louis Dispatch, the 459 00:30:20,202 --> 00:30:22,122 Speaker 2: runner didn't look too good. 460 00:30:23,202 --> 00:30:27,802 Speaker 3: His feet dumped so regularly, so heavily, his frame shook 461 00:30:27,922 --> 00:30:31,922 Speaker 3: so joltingly. His lower jaw was hanging as an imbecility. 462 00:30:32,402 --> 00:30:34,002 Speaker 3: His eyes stared blankly. 463 00:30:34,882 --> 00:30:39,202 Speaker 2: Hicks trainers gave him more brandy and eggs as he 464 00:30:39,322 --> 00:30:45,242 Speaker 2: shuffled pathetically toward the home stretch. Over the last straightaway. 465 00:30:45,642 --> 00:30:49,322 Speaker 2: Two people had to help him walk over the finish line. 466 00:30:49,802 --> 00:30:53,762 Speaker 2: As he broke the tape, he fell into the people's arms. 467 00:30:53,882 --> 00:30:59,722 Speaker 8: There's a wonderful photograph of Hicks, who looks completely out 468 00:30:59,722 --> 00:31:01,562 Speaker 8: of it from his strychnine and brandy. 469 00:31:02,722 --> 00:31:06,522 Speaker 2: Hicks's final time was three hours, twenty eight minutes and 470 00:31:06,562 --> 00:31:11,242 Speaker 2: fifty three seconds, which is easily the slowest winning time 471 00:31:11,322 --> 00:31:17,082 Speaker 2: in Olympic history. In fact, Hicks's pace was almost two 472 00:31:17,242 --> 00:31:20,442 Speaker 2: times slower than the pace run by the winner of 473 00:31:20,482 --> 00:31:28,002 Speaker 2: the last Olympic marathon, elud Kipchoge of Kenya. Regardless, Hicks 474 00:31:28,402 --> 00:31:33,362 Speaker 2: was the winner, and he did not care. The man 475 00:31:33,522 --> 00:31:38,842 Speaker 2: was in a complete daze rat poison and brandy. Notwithstanding, 476 00:31:39,202 --> 00:31:43,082 Speaker 2: he had also lost eight pounds. He was carted away 477 00:31:43,122 --> 00:31:47,042 Speaker 2: to see a doctor without even touching the trophy. Six 478 00:31:47,122 --> 00:31:50,762 Speaker 2: minutes later, the Frenchman Albert Corey would enter the stadium, 479 00:31:50,762 --> 00:31:54,002 Speaker 2: according to one observer, fresh as a daisy and full 480 00:31:54,042 --> 00:31:58,562 Speaker 2: of sprint. Then Arthur Newton of New York, shortly after 481 00:31:58,722 --> 00:32:03,042 Speaker 2: Carba Hall of Cuba entered the stadium. Blinded by dust 482 00:32:03,162 --> 00:32:06,762 Speaker 2: and sweat. He crossed the finish line and ran a 483 00:32:06,762 --> 00:32:10,602 Speaker 2: full extra lap before somebody told him he was allowed 484 00:32:10,642 --> 00:32:15,442 Speaker 2: to stop. Observers later noted that had carvea Hal not 485 00:32:15,722 --> 00:32:20,082 Speaker 2: gone on a side quest picking apples, talking to strangers 486 00:32:20,162 --> 00:32:24,082 Speaker 2: and napping, he would have finished a full hour earlier. 487 00:32:26,482 --> 00:32:30,362 Speaker 2: Of the thirty one racers who started the nineteen oh 488 00:32:30,362 --> 00:32:36,842 Speaker 2: four marathon, only fourteen finished. Lentau of South Africa finished ninth, 489 00:32:37,282 --> 00:32:40,402 Speaker 2: which was pretty good considering he was chased off course 490 00:32:40,442 --> 00:32:44,922 Speaker 2: by dogs. As for strychnine, it wasn't the last time 491 00:32:45,042 --> 00:32:47,002 Speaker 2: it'd be used during the Olympics. 492 00:32:47,202 --> 00:32:50,002 Speaker 6: At the twenty sixteen Rio Olympics, there was a metal 493 00:32:50,082 --> 00:32:55,202 Speaker 6: winner in weightlifting who was actually disqualified after testing positive 494 00:32:55,282 --> 00:32:55,962 Speaker 6: for strychnin. 495 00:32:56,482 --> 00:33:01,882 Speaker 2: Fred Lews would receive a lifetime ban for cheating. The sentence, however, 496 00:33:02,122 --> 00:33:07,282 Speaker 2: was short lived. The following year, Lures was reinstated and 497 00:33:07,442 --> 00:33:12,442 Speaker 2: won the Boston Marathon, this time with his legs. Albert Corey, 498 00:33:12,482 --> 00:33:15,162 Speaker 2: the silver medalist from France, would go on to win 499 00:33:15,202 --> 00:33:19,122 Speaker 2: the Chicago Marathon in nineteen o eight. He trained for 500 00:33:19,202 --> 00:33:23,362 Speaker 2: the race by drinking wine. In fact, he made two 501 00:33:23,522 --> 00:33:29,042 Speaker 2: stops during his winning run for wine breaks. Thomas Hicks, 502 00:33:29,082 --> 00:33:34,322 Speaker 2: the gold medal winner, continued running marathons, winning the Chicago 503 00:33:34,442 --> 00:33:38,522 Speaker 2: race in nineteen o six. Later he became this is 504 00:33:38,562 --> 00:33:44,282 Speaker 2: true a clown. James Sullivan, despite organizing the most poorly 505 00:33:44,402 --> 00:33:49,162 Speaker 2: run marathon in Olympic history, continued to believe that drinking 506 00:33:49,282 --> 00:33:53,402 Speaker 2: water was bad for you, and Felix Carvehall would be 507 00:33:53,522 --> 00:33:57,482 Speaker 2: sent to compete in the nineteen o eight Olympic Games 508 00:33:57,482 --> 00:34:02,202 Speaker 2: in Athens, Greece. On the boat over, he disappeared and 509 00:34:02,482 --> 00:34:07,362 Speaker 2: was presumed dead. Months after his obituary was written. He 510 00:34:07,442 --> 00:34:11,882 Speaker 2: reappeared alive and well in Cuba and became a professional 511 00:34:12,042 --> 00:34:16,762 Speaker 2: marathon runner. He routinely came in last place, but was 512 00:34:16,842 --> 00:34:24,282 Speaker 2: always the crowd favorite. 513 00:34:24,482 --> 00:34:27,242 Speaker 5: And that was a very special episode. Before we get 514 00:34:27,242 --> 00:34:29,682 Speaker 5: into our usual banter, I want to say it's been 515 00:34:30,282 --> 00:34:34,562 Speaker 5: a Newsy couple weeks here since our last episode. Zaren 516 00:34:34,642 --> 00:34:37,642 Speaker 5: got married. Congratulations, Thank you guys. Yes, I got the 517 00:34:37,722 --> 00:34:43,642 Speaker 5: jewelry and everything. Producer Josh got engaged here, congratulations. Yeah, Dana, 518 00:34:43,682 --> 00:34:45,962 Speaker 5: can we announce a book deal movie? 519 00:34:46,042 --> 00:34:47,682 Speaker 1: What's going on in your corner? 520 00:34:47,922 --> 00:34:48,202 Speaker 3: Oh? 521 00:34:48,362 --> 00:34:51,722 Speaker 2: You know, always a secret backlog of projects that I 522 00:34:51,762 --> 00:34:54,842 Speaker 2: probably can't announce, but just know I'm funny. 523 00:34:54,482 --> 00:34:57,122 Speaker 1: Busy, excellent, excellent, love it. 524 00:34:57,682 --> 00:35:00,242 Speaker 5: Back to the marathon, Zaren, have your wheels been turning on? 525 00:35:00,282 --> 00:35:01,802 Speaker 5: The casting here I did. 526 00:35:01,882 --> 00:35:04,522 Speaker 4: I did a little casting on this, so I tried 527 00:35:04,562 --> 00:35:07,762 Speaker 4: to keep it young for these are big athlete. So 528 00:35:07,882 --> 00:35:11,402 Speaker 4: for Fred Laws the bricklayer, the cheater guy, I thought 529 00:35:11,642 --> 00:35:14,522 Speaker 4: Finn Wolfhart, that brunette kid with the floppy hair from 530 00:35:14,562 --> 00:35:18,002 Speaker 4: Stranger Things. Oh yeah, you like that, okay. And after 531 00:35:18,082 --> 00:35:21,922 Speaker 4: Thomas Hicks the rat poison eater, I was thinking Glenn Powell, 532 00:35:22,002 --> 00:35:24,642 Speaker 4: that guy from Hitman and the Top Gun Maverick. Can't 533 00:35:24,682 --> 00:35:25,362 Speaker 4: you see him in that? 534 00:35:25,682 --> 00:35:29,842 Speaker 2: He's charming and he wins. So he's like, yeah, that's great. 535 00:35:30,162 --> 00:35:31,282 Speaker 1: You want him to win. That guy. 536 00:35:31,322 --> 00:35:33,002 Speaker 4: You're like, all right at the end of the movie, 537 00:35:33,042 --> 00:35:34,762 Speaker 4: You're like, okay, this guy deserves it. 538 00:35:34,882 --> 00:35:37,042 Speaker 2: You're like, he's taking rat poison. Let's give it to 539 00:35:37,122 --> 00:35:38,562 Speaker 2: him right exactly. 540 00:35:38,602 --> 00:35:40,482 Speaker 1: And he could do that with a smile. Now. 541 00:35:40,602 --> 00:35:44,922 Speaker 4: Felix Carvehaal the beret clad Apple Gorgean peacheat and Cuban yep. 542 00:35:45,042 --> 00:35:47,722 Speaker 4: I was thinking I couldn't find somebody young for him, 543 00:35:47,722 --> 00:35:51,322 Speaker 4: so I thought a cgi d aged Gail Garcia Bernal. 544 00:35:51,842 --> 00:35:53,442 Speaker 2: Oh, he would be so good, right. 545 00:35:53,522 --> 00:35:54,442 Speaker 1: The spirit is there. 546 00:35:54,522 --> 00:35:56,682 Speaker 4: You just get like scorse Ace and thelm Machina Macker 547 00:35:56,762 --> 00:36:00,842 Speaker 4: on it boom done. And finally for James Sullivan, the 548 00:36:01,002 --> 00:36:04,642 Speaker 4: scientific racist. I apologize for casting you this way, brother, 549 00:36:04,722 --> 00:36:07,202 Speaker 4: But Austin Butler, the guy who played Elvis and the 550 00:36:07,242 --> 00:36:09,482 Speaker 4: Pilot in a World War two series that on Apple 551 00:36:09,762 --> 00:36:10,642 Speaker 4: was Masters of Air. 552 00:36:10,762 --> 00:36:13,522 Speaker 1: That cat, I think he can nail it. That's great, right, 553 00:36:13,562 --> 00:36:14,122 Speaker 1: does that work? 554 00:36:14,202 --> 00:36:16,762 Speaker 2: Who's your very special character of this episode? 555 00:36:17,242 --> 00:36:19,762 Speaker 4: I mean, I think it has to be Felix Carvehall. 556 00:36:19,842 --> 00:36:22,002 Speaker 4: I mean, my man shows up in a beret, two 557 00:36:22,042 --> 00:36:25,602 Speaker 4: pound boots, suit, jacket, I'm guessing wool trousers. I love 558 00:36:25,642 --> 00:36:27,322 Speaker 4: this guy. He's like, yeah, I get cut them off 559 00:36:27,722 --> 00:36:29,802 Speaker 4: and he keeps the pant legs. I mean, come on, 560 00:36:29,922 --> 00:36:30,602 Speaker 4: I love that guy. 561 00:36:30,602 --> 00:36:31,282 Speaker 1: What about y'all. 562 00:36:31,442 --> 00:36:34,482 Speaker 2: There's a photo of him at the at the marathon 563 00:36:35,042 --> 00:36:37,442 Speaker 2: just it looks like he's in normal clothes and a 564 00:36:37,482 --> 00:36:41,002 Speaker 2: little hat. It's sort of the sweetest thing I've ever seen. 565 00:36:41,682 --> 00:36:43,722 Speaker 1: I love this guy. I've sentily heard about him. 566 00:36:43,842 --> 00:36:46,362 Speaker 5: It reminds me of that viral tweet that goes around 567 00:36:46,362 --> 00:36:49,322 Speaker 5: every Olympics about like every event should have one normal 568 00:36:49,362 --> 00:36:52,322 Speaker 5: person pulled off the streets and made to compete just 569 00:36:52,362 --> 00:36:54,402 Speaker 5: so you see how amazing it is what everyone else 570 00:36:54,482 --> 00:36:56,162 Speaker 5: is doing well. 571 00:36:56,162 --> 00:36:58,562 Speaker 4: That was basically what James Sullivan wanted to do, right, 572 00:36:58,562 --> 00:37:00,402 Speaker 4: but he did it with indigenous people part of his 573 00:37:00,602 --> 00:37:04,362 Speaker 4: scientific racism. Now, if you set aside the scientific racism 574 00:37:04,402 --> 00:37:06,882 Speaker 4: of anthropology days and the human zoos and all that, 575 00:37:07,002 --> 00:37:09,482 Speaker 4: the world's fair. This story is hilarious. Now you have 576 00:37:09,602 --> 00:37:12,522 Speaker 4: to set James Sullivan aside. But with him aside, I 577 00:37:12,562 --> 00:37:13,362 Speaker 4: love this story. 578 00:37:13,722 --> 00:37:16,882 Speaker 2: Yeah, minus the racism and the human guinea pigs. Yeah, 579 00:37:17,202 --> 00:37:20,282 Speaker 2: it's a really really sweet story of human endurance. 580 00:37:20,722 --> 00:37:24,362 Speaker 4: But the running twelve miles without water while gobbling rat poison? 581 00:37:24,762 --> 00:37:26,282 Speaker 4: How did they think this was gonna go? 582 00:37:27,402 --> 00:37:29,482 Speaker 1: Just trust me on it, Trust me on this theory. 583 00:37:29,562 --> 00:37:34,522 Speaker 4: Here, I had an old ass, a high schooled football trainer, 584 00:37:35,122 --> 00:37:38,362 Speaker 4: Doc Woods. Right, this guy I by dislocated my jawn 585 00:37:38,402 --> 00:37:40,882 Speaker 4: a game. He just with one good whack of his fist, 586 00:37:41,042 --> 00:37:43,122 Speaker 4: he reset my jaw like on the sideline. 587 00:37:43,162 --> 00:37:45,762 Speaker 1: I'm like, yeah, perfect. That was the spirit of the 588 00:37:45,802 --> 00:37:46,762 Speaker 1: medicine of this time. 589 00:37:46,802 --> 00:37:49,602 Speaker 2: Oh my god, I can't believe that happened. 590 00:37:49,922 --> 00:37:51,362 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, totally still clicks. 591 00:37:51,362 --> 00:37:55,162 Speaker 2: But whatever, I will say, this episode just reinforces my 592 00:37:55,322 --> 00:37:59,922 Speaker 2: commitment to never running America. I think that's very clear. 593 00:38:00,122 --> 00:38:03,042 Speaker 2: It's something that I just will never do, and that's 594 00:38:03,082 --> 00:38:05,602 Speaker 2: that's fine. I think I'm gonna live a life very 595 00:38:05,642 --> 00:38:07,722 Speaker 2: happy without ever having to deal with that. 596 00:38:08,202 --> 00:38:10,242 Speaker 4: Yeah, you can just eat the peaches, eat the apples, 597 00:38:10,242 --> 00:38:12,322 Speaker 4: do the farm to table part that Felix does, and 598 00:38:12,362 --> 00:38:12,922 Speaker 4: then you're good. 599 00:38:13,242 --> 00:38:13,522 Speaker 3: Yeah. 600 00:38:13,642 --> 00:38:16,002 Speaker 2: I just I'll eat peaches. I'll go to the farmer's market. 601 00:38:16,082 --> 00:38:17,762 Speaker 2: There's easier ways to get peaches. 602 00:38:18,242 --> 00:38:23,962 Speaker 5: Exactly my late breaking very special character nominee. I'm gonna 603 00:38:23,962 --> 00:38:27,042 Speaker 5: go with Zaron's friend Dave Kim, Was it Dave Kimoom? 604 00:38:27,202 --> 00:38:28,802 Speaker 1: Yeah, hell yeah it is. 605 00:38:28,922 --> 00:38:31,682 Speaker 5: I think he brings the spirit of this into the 606 00:38:31,722 --> 00:38:32,922 Speaker 5: modern day. I love it. 607 00:38:32,922 --> 00:38:33,842 Speaker 2: It's very sweet. 608 00:38:34,082 --> 00:38:34,922 Speaker 1: What about you, Dana? 609 00:38:35,082 --> 00:38:38,442 Speaker 2: I mean, should we go with the rats who aren't poisoned? 610 00:38:38,842 --> 00:38:39,362 Speaker 1: The rats? 611 00:38:40,002 --> 00:38:42,282 Speaker 2: The rats in Saint Louis who are like, oh, real 612 00:38:42,362 --> 00:38:45,442 Speaker 2: shortage of poison. Recently we've been doing pretty well. 613 00:38:47,322 --> 00:38:48,922 Speaker 1: Shout out to the rats of Saint Louis. 614 00:38:49,082 --> 00:38:51,322 Speaker 2: Shout out to the rats getting a reprieve. 615 00:38:51,842 --> 00:38:54,922 Speaker 5: I'll say one more thing before we wrap here. We 616 00:38:55,002 --> 00:38:58,562 Speaker 5: have a show email Very Special Episodes at gmail dot com. 617 00:38:59,242 --> 00:39:02,522 Speaker 5: People have been writing in with just their short ideas 618 00:39:02,522 --> 00:39:04,762 Speaker 5: for episodes, and we haven't fact. 619 00:39:04,642 --> 00:39:05,882 Speaker 1: Checked any of them yet. 620 00:39:05,922 --> 00:39:09,802 Speaker 5: But some great stuff here that I really hope is true. 621 00:39:09,842 --> 00:39:12,402 Speaker 5: And if we get a handful and they make it 622 00:39:12,442 --> 00:39:18,122 Speaker 5: through fact Checker Austin's gauntlet, then maybe we'll do a 623 00:39:18,202 --> 00:39:22,442 Speaker 5: mailbag episode later. So Very Special Episodes at gmail dot com. 624 00:39:22,522 --> 00:39:25,602 Speaker 5: Do you have an amazing story, perhaps we'll read it, 625 00:39:25,722 --> 00:39:27,762 Speaker 5: or you'll fool us and we'll look bad. 626 00:39:28,122 --> 00:39:30,042 Speaker 2: I think if it gets through the fact checker and 627 00:39:30,082 --> 00:39:32,162 Speaker 2: they fool us, they should get it. Anyway, that's good 628 00:39:32,202 --> 00:39:34,002 Speaker 2: for them. They wrote a convincing yarn. 629 00:39:35,642 --> 00:39:36,882 Speaker 1: We'd still love to just read it. 630 00:39:39,922 --> 00:39:42,882 Speaker 5: Very Special Episodes is made by some very special people. 631 00:39:43,402 --> 00:39:46,682 Speaker 5: This show is hosted by Danish Schwartz, Zaren Burnett and 632 00:39:46,802 --> 00:39:51,082 Speaker 5: me Jason English. Today's episode was written by Lucas Riley. 633 00:39:51,762 --> 00:39:56,242 Speaker 5: Our producer is Josh Fisher. Editing and sound design by 634 00:39:56,282 --> 00:40:01,282 Speaker 5: Emily Maronoff, Mixing and mastering by Beheid Fraser. Our story 635 00:40:01,402 --> 00:40:06,442 Speaker 5: editor is Marisa Brown. Original music by Alis McCoy. Research 636 00:40:06,442 --> 00:40:11,122 Speaker 5: in fact by Austin Thompson and Lucas Riley. Show logo 637 00:40:11,202 --> 00:40:15,282 Speaker 5: by Lucy Quintonia. Special thanks to Carl Catle and Josh 638 00:40:15,322 --> 00:40:17,642 Speaker 5: Fisher for their metalworthy voice acting. 639 00:40:18,162 --> 00:40:19,482 Speaker 1: I'm your executive producer. 640 00:40:19,762 --> 00:40:21,682 Speaker 5: If you'd like to email the show for any reason, 641 00:40:21,802 --> 00:40:24,482 Speaker 5: we can be reached at very Special Episodes at gmail 642 00:40:24,522 --> 00:40:28,962 Speaker 5: dot com. Very Special Episodes is a production of iHeart Podcasts.