1 00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:04,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. Hello and welcome to the podcast. I'm Holly 3 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: Frye and I'm Tracy V. Wilson. Before we get going today, 4 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:21,599 Speaker 1: we have a little bit of housekeeping. Yeah, fun housekeeping. Hey, 5 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 1: we're going to Spain. We are. We are. If you 6 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:27,440 Speaker 1: are listening to this in the summer of twenty twenty three, 7 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 1: which is when we're recording it. This November November two 8 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:34,200 Speaker 1: through ninth, twenty twenty three, we are going to Barcelona. 9 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:39,600 Speaker 1: I'm really excited. I'm very excited. I am finally gonna, 10 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: you know, have my my weepy moment in Cigaretta Familia 11 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 1: and have my goudy extravaganza. Yeah, here's a cool thing. 12 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 1: You can come with us if you want. Yeah, we 13 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 1: have a lot of fun things on the itinerary. It's 14 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:01,320 Speaker 1: a six night trip. We are going to have some 15 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:06,479 Speaker 1: tapus tours and we are going to go, as we said, segratapamilia, 16 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:10,039 Speaker 1: all kinds of fun things you can go to. Defined 17 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:16,040 Speaker 1: Destinations dot Com defined Destinations as the company who arranges 18 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 1: these tours for us. Right on the front page, it 19 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: says Barcelona, Spain, November two through nine. You can click 20 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 1: on that, or you can go to Defined Destinations dot 21 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 1: com slash Barcelona Dash twenty twenty three and get directly 22 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 1: to it. Listen, this is going to be right after 23 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:38,039 Speaker 1: Halloween and there's a Gothic Barcelona tour, which is what's 24 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:41,840 Speaker 1: going to be my off ramp. Yeah, we get some 25 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 1: questions about these, like how big is the group? Usually 26 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: approximately thirty people, so it's a small group. We have 27 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 1: a mix of planned activities and free time for people 28 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 1: to either rest or explore on their own whatever. We 29 00:01:57,120 --> 00:01:59,840 Speaker 1: have had a great time both of the prior trips 30 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 1: that we have done like this, and we are super 31 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 1: excited about this one. Yeah, so come and join us 32 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 1: if that all sounds good to you, we would love 33 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 1: to see you there. And now we can hop into 34 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 1: our episode. So, Tracy, we've talked about the Olympics a 35 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 1: few times on the show before we have we have 36 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 1: even briefly touched on today's topic, but very briefly. But 37 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:26,680 Speaker 1: I think it really merits more discussion because the nineteen 38 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:30,400 Speaker 1: oh four Olympic Marathon was in the funniest way I 39 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: can put it, a doozy Listen, I'm going to confess 40 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 1: I wanted something late and breezy this time around because 41 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 1: campaign finance was just a lot and made me very sad. 42 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:46,760 Speaker 1: This ended up making me really really angry, So brace 43 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 1: for that. Uh. In nineteen oh four, the US hosted 44 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 1: its first Olympics, and it was quite an event. And 45 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:56,960 Speaker 1: even that needs a little bit of setup because it 46 00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:59,920 Speaker 1: was originally going to be in a different city than 47 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 1: it ended up in. So that's where we're starting. So 48 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 1: the Modern Olympic Games came to be largely because a 49 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 1: man named Pierre de Coupertas spearheaded the effort to get 50 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:15,280 Speaker 1: them going. We talked about all that in our live 51 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 1: show that we recorded at the Dallas Museum of Art 52 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: way back in twenty sixteen that also ran as a 53 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 1: classic in November of twenty twenty. And that first Modern 54 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 1: Olympics that he launched in eighteen ninety six took place 55 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 1: in Athens, Greece. The second one in nineteen hundred took 56 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:36,800 Speaker 1: place in Paris, and then the nineteen oh four Olympic 57 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: Games were awarded to Chicago, Illinois. This was a huge 58 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 1: achievement for the city because it meant that Chicago was 59 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 1: going to be the first US city to ever host 60 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 1: the Olympic Games. Philadelphia and New York had also been contenders, 61 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 1: but ultimately they were passed over in favor of Chicago. 62 00:03:56,440 --> 00:04:00,400 Speaker 1: But nineteen oh four was also the us that the 63 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 1: Louisiana Purchase Exposition was being planned in Saint Louis. That 64 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 1: expo had originally been planned for nineteen oh three, but 65 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:10,520 Speaker 1: it was delayed to give expo organizers a little more 66 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 1: time to prepare, and that meant that the nineteen oh 67 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:17,159 Speaker 1: four new date would be competing with the Olympic Games 68 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:21,719 Speaker 1: for attendees. Saint Louis, by the way, absolutely also wanted 69 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 1: the Olympics, and the expo's organizing committee came up with 70 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:28,839 Speaker 1: what could definitely be perceived as kind of a snaky 71 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 1: way of ensuring that their event was not eclipsed by 72 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: Chicago's Olympics. The committee made a deal with the Amateur 73 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:39,520 Speaker 1: Athletic Union to hold their annual track and field competition 74 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 1: alongside the Expo. The AAU had been founded in eighteen 75 00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:46,640 Speaker 1: eighty eight, and it had gained in popularity to the 76 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:49,839 Speaker 1: point that it was really the most prominent athletic organization 77 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:53,560 Speaker 1: in the United States, and this deal meant that people 78 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 1: who may have considered traveling to either the Expo or 79 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 1: the Olympics, would have both the Expo and a similar 80 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 1: large athletic event in Saint Louis to the time when 81 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 1: you know, people might not have had the funds to 82 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:09,599 Speaker 1: go to both events, and if they had to pick 83 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:12,920 Speaker 1: one for their vacation that year, you could get two 84 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:17,440 Speaker 1: and one in Saint Louis this way. This entire situation 85 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:20,719 Speaker 1: was punctuated by the fact that James Sullivan, who ran 86 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 1: the AAU, had a history of conflict with Kubertin and 87 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 1: had already tried to start his own international Track and 88 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:32,799 Speaker 1: Field Association because he wanted to compete with the Olympics. 89 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:37,960 Speaker 1: This conflict and competition for attendees led Kubertin, who was 90 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:41,160 Speaker 1: president of the Olympic Committee, to move the games from 91 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:45,119 Speaker 1: Illinois to Missouri, although he really did not have high 92 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:48,039 Speaker 1: hopes for it in Saint Louis. If you listen to 93 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:51,560 Speaker 1: our live show about Kuberta in the early Olympics, you've 94 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 1: heard this quote already, but it's illustrative of his feelings 95 00:05:55,279 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 1: on this matter, so we will use it again. Quote. 96 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:01,640 Speaker 1: I had a sort of prison sentiment that the Olympiad 97 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:06,839 Speaker 1: would match the mediocrity of the town. Kubertown stepped away 98 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:09,960 Speaker 1: from any active involvement in the Saint Louis Games the 99 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 1: month after the change of cities was announced, in no 100 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:17,479 Speaker 1: small part because of these ongoing clashes that he had 101 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:22,120 Speaker 1: with James Sullivan. Regarding the change of location for the Games, 102 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 1: the city of Chicago was described in newspapers as quote 103 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:31,120 Speaker 1: courteously agreeing to their transfer to Saint Louis. This was 104 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:34,960 Speaker 1: also the second time that the Modern Olympics were held 105 00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:39,159 Speaker 1: alongside in expo. The nineteen hundred Games that happened in 106 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:42,920 Speaker 1: Paris were staged in conjunction with the Paris Expo, and 107 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 1: that had been a problem because the games really did 108 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:48,919 Speaker 1: not get the spotlight that Kubertown would have hoped, and 109 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:51,240 Speaker 1: a lot of the planning which had been taken over 110 00:06:51,279 --> 00:06:55,640 Speaker 1: by the Expo organizers had been pretty sloppy. So there 111 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:58,839 Speaker 1: was concern about it happening in a similar fashion in 112 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:02,560 Speaker 1: Saint Louis, and that can concern was entirely valid and 113 00:07:02,640 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 1: also just from a planning standpoint. The decision to move 114 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:10,200 Speaker 1: these games came pretty late. Cumbertin announced the change in 115 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 1: February nineteen oh three, and the games were to start 116 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 1: in July the following year. The Chicago location had been 117 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 1: chosen almost two years before that change, in May of 118 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:24,120 Speaker 1: nineteen oh one, so this really did mean that there 119 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:28,080 Speaker 1: was a very abbreviated schedule, even though there had been 120 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: planning underway for the Amateur Athletic Union events. To compound 121 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 1: the potential for disaster, there really wasn't any real documentation 122 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:41,800 Speaker 1: for organizers to follow regarding how an Olympiad should run. 123 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 1: Kuberta had managed both the eighteen ninety six and nineteen 124 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:49,680 Speaker 1: hundred Games according to his ideology of how they should work, 125 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 1: but he didn't write any of that down, at least 126 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:56,160 Speaker 1: not in any form that he shared with other organizers, 127 00:07:56,240 --> 00:07:59,000 Speaker 1: so with him essentially out of the picture for the 128 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:02,080 Speaker 1: nineteen oh four game, this was a scenario where the 129 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 1: people in charge were kind of making it up as 130 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:07,760 Speaker 1: they went on a very short timeline. This was not 131 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:12,680 Speaker 1: just a case of events being poorly organized. This Olympiad 132 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:16,480 Speaker 1: had a variety of events that were an extremely poor taste, 133 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:19,080 Speaker 1: and they really gave the nineteen oh four Games a 134 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:23,680 Speaker 1: legacy of colonialism and racism. One of the things that 135 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 1: the Expo committee did was to try to intertwine the 136 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:31,200 Speaker 1: games with the exhibitions at the expo, so they were 137 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:37,280 Speaker 1: tying to the anthropology exhibits. The Olympics in the expo 138 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:41,280 Speaker 1: hosted what were called Anthropology Days. This was a two 139 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 1: day event with athletic competitions staged that were really racist. 140 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 1: They pitted various groups of indigenous people from around the 141 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:55,800 Speaker 1: world that were being displayed in these anthropology exhibits against 142 00:08:55,800 --> 00:09:01,560 Speaker 1: one another. This was not a case where something was 143 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:05,680 Speaker 1: accepted for the time. A lot of things that we 144 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:09,360 Speaker 1: think of as accepted for the time really weren't, and 145 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:14,320 Speaker 1: people called out these competitions as racist and gross as 146 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:17,160 Speaker 1: they were happening. If you've ever seen the quote by 147 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 1: Kubertown that states quote, it will of course lose its 148 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:23,640 Speaker 1: appeal when black men, red men, and yellow men learn 149 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:26,439 Speaker 1: to run, jump, and throw, and leave the white men 150 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 1: behind them. That's a direct response to this Anthropology Days competition, 151 00:09:31,760 --> 00:09:37,360 Speaker 1: which Kopertown called an outrageous charade. This idea was the 152 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:42,360 Speaker 1: brainchild of none other than James Sullivan. James Sullivan, I'm 153 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:44,880 Speaker 1: Not Gonna Lie emerges as one of the villains of 154 00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:49,440 Speaker 1: this story. So racist garbage events aside, there were plenty 155 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 1: of other problems plaguing the nineteen oh four Saint Louis Games. 156 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:56,240 Speaker 1: Just as had been the case in Paris, the Expo 157 00:09:56,360 --> 00:10:01,439 Speaker 1: overshadowed the event. Newspaper write ups of various specific sporting events, 158 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:03,640 Speaker 1: including the marathon that we're going to talk about today, 159 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:08,000 Speaker 1: called them things like the Exposition Marathon, rather than referencing 160 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:12,480 Speaker 1: the Olympics at all. Additionally, the Olympiad, part of all 161 00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:16,240 Speaker 1: of the festivities, was not particularly well attended, not by 162 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:20,520 Speaker 1: spectators and not by athletes. Some of this was because 163 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:24,040 Speaker 1: the nineteen hundred Games had gone really poorly and people 164 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:27,560 Speaker 1: were just kind of suspicious of how the Olympics were 165 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:30,840 Speaker 1: going to work. Some of this was because many countries 166 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:33,920 Speaker 1: had been drawn into the conflict of the Russo Japanese War, 167 00:10:34,320 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 1: which started in February nineteen oh four and was ongoing 168 00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:41,120 Speaker 1: when the Games began on July first. That war was 169 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:45,520 Speaker 1: still happening when the Games finally ended in late November. Plus, 170 00:10:45,679 --> 00:10:49,679 Speaker 1: Saint Louis was just seen as remote, so foreign travelers 171 00:10:49,679 --> 00:10:52,960 Speaker 1: were not as interested in attending. And while Saint Louis 172 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 1: was and is a major US city to people living 173 00:10:55,880 --> 00:10:59,400 Speaker 1: outside the US, it didn't necessarily seem that way in 174 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:02,720 Speaker 1: nineteen o five, and being so far from a coast 175 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:05,520 Speaker 1: meant it was just harder to get to. The way 176 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:10,079 Speaker 1: attendance shook out for athletes skewed the numbers really heavily 177 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:14,760 Speaker 1: for the US participants. There were only twelve participating nations, 178 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:22,280 Speaker 1: the US, Australia, Switzerland, Austria, South Africa, Canada, Hungary, Cuba, Greece, France, 179 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:26,600 Speaker 1: Germany and Britain. There were six hundred and thirty athletes 180 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:29,520 Speaker 1: who competed, and five hundred and twenty three of those 181 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:33,760 Speaker 1: were from the US, so the big majority. This led 182 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:38,200 Speaker 1: to a situation where some events only included US athletes 183 00:11:38,240 --> 00:11:43,040 Speaker 1: as competitors. This was the first Olympics where the gold, silver, 184 00:11:43,160 --> 00:11:47,280 Speaker 1: and bronze medal system was implemented. Before this, it was 185 00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:50,120 Speaker 1: only the first place winners who took holl medals, and 186 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:54,800 Speaker 1: those were gold. The US, unsurprisingly took the vast majority 187 00:11:54,840 --> 00:11:58,360 Speaker 1: of the medals at all levels. Of the ninety five 188 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:02,000 Speaker 1: gold medals awarded, the un US took seventy six and 189 00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:06,000 Speaker 1: seventy eight silvers and seventy seven bronzes for a whopping 190 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:10,400 Speaker 1: two hundred and thirty medals total. Those numbers have kind 191 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:12,480 Speaker 1: of shifted over the years due to some of the 192 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:17,199 Speaker 1: events being coned. Numerous medals credited to the US have 193 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:20,559 Speaker 1: actually been contested right into the twenty first century because 194 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:24,800 Speaker 1: in some cases immigrants who were not US citizens were 195 00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:28,600 Speaker 1: entered by the US team, and their home countries want 196 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:32,479 Speaker 1: those medals to be credited to the athlete's original nations. 197 00:12:33,440 --> 00:12:37,400 Speaker 1: But the event that was perhaps the most unusual, startling 198 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:41,120 Speaker 1: and difficult to even contemplate, and there is room for 199 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:44,920 Speaker 1: plenty of additional adjectives, as you'll hear, was the marathon, 200 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:47,400 Speaker 1: and we will talk about that after we pause for 201 00:12:47,440 --> 00:13:00,199 Speaker 1: a sponsor break. We mentioned some of the weirdness of 202 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:02,880 Speaker 1: the nineteen oh four Olympic Marathon in that live show 203 00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:06,120 Speaker 1: we referenced earlier, including look car ride one of the 204 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:09,000 Speaker 1: competitors took, but we did not get all of the 205 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:13,160 Speaker 1: many odd and often harrowing happenings of the race, because 206 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:15,680 Speaker 1: there were a lot of strange things playing out that day, 207 00:13:15,920 --> 00:13:19,960 Speaker 1: and it started with an odd assortment of competitors. There 208 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 1: were several experienced marathoners on the start line, all of 209 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:28,120 Speaker 1: whom were from the US. Sam Miller, John Lorden, Arthur L. Newton, 210 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:32,360 Speaker 1: Michael Spring and Thomas Hicks. One of them was expected 211 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:36,679 Speaker 1: to win. Meller had won the nineteen oh two Boston Marathon. 212 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:40,720 Speaker 1: John Lorden won it in nineteen oh three. Michael Spring 213 00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:44,199 Speaker 1: was the Boston Marathon's most recent champion. He had taken 214 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:47,480 Speaker 1: the prize earlier that year in April, and Newton had 215 00:13:47,559 --> 00:13:51,440 Speaker 1: run the Olympic Marathon event in Paris. Thomas Hicks had 216 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:54,840 Speaker 1: two and he had come in second. There were thirty 217 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:57,680 Speaker 1: two runners on the start line on the afternoon of 218 00:13:57,760 --> 00:14:01,840 Speaker 1: August thirtieth, but only four countries were represented, and the 219 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:06,400 Speaker 1: remaining twenty seven runners were really varied in their experience. 220 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:09,800 Speaker 1: There was another American competitor in the mix who had 221 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:14,800 Speaker 1: qualified by running a surprisingly short race that was spread Lures, 222 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:17,880 Speaker 1: who was a bricklayer who said he only had time 223 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:21,560 Speaker 1: to train at night. The race that got him into 224 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:24,680 Speaker 1: the Games was a special event staged by the Amateur 225 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:28,560 Speaker 1: Athletic Union. That's sometimes said to have been five miles, 226 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:32,920 Speaker 1: other times it's said to have been seven. In either case, 227 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:37,160 Speaker 1: that's a much shorter distance than a qualifier would normally 228 00:14:37,280 --> 00:14:41,880 Speaker 1: need today. Yeah, I read multiple accounts of it, and 229 00:14:41,920 --> 00:14:46,200 Speaker 1: then they describe it differently, so and I couldn't ever 230 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:51,280 Speaker 1: find one solid like here's even like a newspaper report 231 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:54,000 Speaker 1: that seems to have solid reporting going on. So that's 232 00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:58,320 Speaker 1: what's up. South Africa was represented by two runners, Gentao 233 00:14:58,400 --> 00:15:01,680 Speaker 1: and Jan Mashani. Both were part of a group that 234 00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:04,720 Speaker 1: had been sent by South Africa to re enact segments 235 00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:08,360 Speaker 1: of the Boer War as an exhibit. They were both 236 00:15:08,400 --> 00:15:11,200 Speaker 1: part of the Bantu speaking Twana people, and they had 237 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:14,040 Speaker 1: both been messengers during the war, a job that was 238 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:17,040 Speaker 1: all running, so they were both very well conditioned for 239 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:21,160 Speaker 1: the marathon, and they both ran at barefoot. Greece had 240 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:24,160 Speaker 1: ten runners in the marathon, although none of them had 241 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:27,480 Speaker 1: trained for the race, they were pretty clear that they 242 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:30,920 Speaker 1: were there for fellowship with the other Olympians rather than 243 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:34,400 Speaker 1: any sort of attempt at winning. Runner John Furlough was 244 00:15:34,480 --> 00:15:37,640 Speaker 1: Greek American. Although his citizenship was in the US, he 245 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:41,760 Speaker 1: chose to run for Greece. Cuba was represented by a 246 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:45,120 Speaker 1: man named Feligue's Carvajal, who had fundraised the money to 247 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:48,400 Speaker 1: travel to the Games himself by staging a variety of 248 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:51,960 Speaker 1: demonstrations in Cuba. In one of those, he ran from 249 00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:54,120 Speaker 1: one side of Cuba to the other in the course 250 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:58,240 Speaker 1: of sixteen days. He also ran laps around city hall 251 00:15:58,360 --> 00:16:01,160 Speaker 1: in Havana as part of his effort to drum up money. 252 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:05,000 Speaker 1: That was because he allegedly had been turned away from 253 00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:08,120 Speaker 1: a requested meeting with the mayor, so he ran those 254 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:11,160 Speaker 1: laps to draw a crowd and get the mayor's attention, 255 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:15,120 Speaker 1: and that trick apparently worked because the mayor's office paid 256 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:18,880 Speaker 1: for his travel. Carver Hall was a mailman by trade, 257 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:22,160 Speaker 1: but that doesn't really convey the endurance needed for the job. 258 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:24,680 Speaker 1: He was a post runner. He was constantly on the 259 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:27,320 Speaker 1: move and apparently ran a lot when he was doing 260 00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:31,880 Speaker 1: his roots. Like the South African competitors, he had also 261 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:35,640 Speaker 1: been a messenger runner during military conflict, carrying messages for 262 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:39,920 Speaker 1: General Maximo Gomez in the Cuban War of Independence. There 263 00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:43,000 Speaker 1: are a couple of different stories about carve Hall having 264 00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:47,480 Speaker 1: money issues en route to Saint Louis. One version says 265 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:50,520 Speaker 1: that the mayor didn't give him enough to cover anything 266 00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:54,920 Speaker 1: but the fare he needed for transportation. Another version suggests 267 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:56,880 Speaker 1: that when he stopped in New Orleans on the way 268 00:16:56,920 --> 00:16:59,480 Speaker 1: to the Olympic Games, he gambled all of his pocket 269 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:03,200 Speaker 1: money a way way regardless, Carva Hall had to hitchhike 270 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:06,159 Speaker 1: and walk his way to the competition. He also didn't 271 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:09,880 Speaker 1: really get enough to eat. He was a pretty small guy, 272 00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:13,919 Speaker 1: reportedly five feet tall and one hundred pounds. He looked 273 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:17,520 Speaker 1: apparently scrawny when he got to the expo and the games. 274 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:21,040 Speaker 1: He also didn't have athletic clothes, and he ran in 275 00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:24,440 Speaker 1: a white button down shirt, a beret and his trousers 276 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:27,840 Speaker 1: which had been cut short, either by Felix or by 277 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:32,800 Speaker 1: another competitor that probably would have been American competitor Martin Sheridan. 278 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:38,200 Speaker 1: They were concerned, reasonably so that he would overheat in 279 00:17:38,280 --> 00:17:44,280 Speaker 1: this clothing. He also just wore normal shoes to run in. Ye. Yeah, 280 00:17:44,280 --> 00:17:46,840 Speaker 1: there are pictures of him at the start line and 281 00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:51,760 Speaker 1: he looks essentially dressed for a day of business perhaps, 282 00:17:51,800 --> 00:17:54,400 Speaker 1: but his pants have been cut short. He still has 283 00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:58,160 Speaker 1: on like the full length stockings underneath them. Though. All right, 284 00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:00,280 Speaker 1: I'm going to give fair warning to any of our 285 00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:03,040 Speaker 1: listeners who run, because the course conditions that we're about 286 00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:06,159 Speaker 1: to talk about are flat out horrifying, and if you 287 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:08,399 Speaker 1: are not a runner, some of it's a little bit gross. 288 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:11,240 Speaker 1: Although we're not going to get supergraphic. So when the 289 00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:13,919 Speaker 1: race started at three zero three pm, it was ninety 290 00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:17,359 Speaker 1: degrees fahrenheit. That's thirty two point two degrees celsius, so 291 00:18:17,560 --> 00:18:22,760 Speaker 1: definitely not optimal running temperature. It was also very humid. 292 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:26,800 Speaker 1: The race started in the Olympic Stadium that was filled 293 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:30,520 Speaker 1: with an estimated ten thousand spectators, and then after five 294 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:33,560 Speaker 1: laps around the track, the runners were routed out onto 295 00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:36,600 Speaker 1: the rest of the course, which was not today's regulation 296 00:18:36,720 --> 00:18:38,959 Speaker 1: length of twenty six point two miles. It was twenty 297 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:42,800 Speaker 1: four point eighty five. At this point, the distance of 298 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:45,639 Speaker 1: the marathon was still being tweaked as organizers kind of 299 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:49,560 Speaker 1: sought the optimal distance. The course itself was made up 300 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:53,919 Speaker 1: of an assortment of challenging conditions. According to an account 301 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:58,239 Speaker 1: written by race official Charles Lucas, it included quote no 302 00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:01,880 Speaker 1: less than seven hills, varying from one hundred to three 303 00:19:01,960 --> 00:19:05,800 Speaker 1: hundred feet high, some with long ascents and others with 304 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:10,000 Speaker 1: short ascents. Lucas wrote a book titled the Olympic Games 305 00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:12,879 Speaker 1: nineteen oh four, which he published in nineteen oh five, 306 00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:15,439 Speaker 1: and it's through his account that we have most of 307 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:20,440 Speaker 1: the information regarding what went on during the marathon. Heads 308 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:22,359 Speaker 1: up if you go looking for this book. He also 309 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:26,919 Speaker 1: says some very racist stuff in it. Regarding this course, 310 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:29,200 Speaker 1: he noted that the one in Saint Louis was quote 311 00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:31,840 Speaker 1: the most difficult a human being was ever asked to 312 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:35,560 Speaker 1: run over. At Athens the road from the battlefield of Marathon, 313 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:38,960 Speaker 1: and that at Paris were boulevards compared to the course 314 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:43,520 Speaker 1: selected in Saint Louis. The running route once outside the 315 00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:47,399 Speaker 1: stadium was anything but uniform. Most of the segments of 316 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:50,480 Speaker 1: it were incredibly dusty. Because of this late part of 317 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:54,120 Speaker 1: the summer, some of them were covered in loose gravel, 318 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 1: and those dusty segments were brutal because although cars were 319 00:19:57,880 --> 00:19:59,800 Speaker 1: still kind of a new and novel invention at this 320 00:19:59,840 --> 00:20:03,399 Speaker 1: point point, there were some leading the runners along the course, 321 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:07,760 Speaker 1: as well as carrying race staffers and coaches alongside the runners, 322 00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:11,600 Speaker 1: and those vehicles were kicking dust right into the runners' 323 00:20:11,640 --> 00:20:15,479 Speaker 1: faces while they were breathing heavily from exertions, so it 324 00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:19,639 Speaker 1: wasn't like they couldn't inhale it. This dust also obscured 325 00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:22,679 Speaker 1: their vision, and to top things off, this was not 326 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:26,640 Speaker 1: a closed course, so runners were competing while they were 327 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:31,720 Speaker 1: also looking out for street traffic and pedestrians. Hydration was 328 00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:35,919 Speaker 1: a whole story unto itself. If you run a marathon today, 329 00:20:36,280 --> 00:20:40,440 Speaker 1: you can reasonably expect at least eight water stations. They 330 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:42,880 Speaker 1: may or may not include the option of a sports 331 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:46,600 Speaker 1: drink with electrolytes. Some stops may even have quick energy 332 00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:51,080 Speaker 1: fuel like gels or gummies, occasionally even chocolate. That was 333 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:54,240 Speaker 1: definitely not the case for the nineteen oh four Olympics, though, 334 00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:58,520 Speaker 1: there were only two water stations on the entire course, 335 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:05,080 Speaker 1: two not eight. Two uh, and that is actually not 336 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:08,600 Speaker 1: reported in all of the accounts. Lucas mentions only one 337 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:12,359 Speaker 1: as being official. One was near the six mile mark, 338 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:15,600 Speaker 1: where there was conveniently a water tower, and that may 339 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:18,920 Speaker 1: or may not have been an official station. The other 340 00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:21,960 Speaker 1: was at the twelve mile mark, which Lucas mentioned, where 341 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:24,840 Speaker 1: there was a well on the course. This meant that 342 00:21:24,840 --> 00:21:27,480 Speaker 1: the runners had to go at least half the race 343 00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:31,359 Speaker 1: without any water, and that well water did not agree 344 00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:34,240 Speaker 1: with everyone who drank it. A lot of the runners 345 00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:37,960 Speaker 1: had stomach issues after drinking it. That is all a 346 00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:42,760 Speaker 1: terrifying prospect, but it becomes really infuriating because this lack 347 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:45,639 Speaker 1: of water stops was not something that happened because of 348 00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:49,440 Speaker 1: poor planning. It was done to those runners on purpose, 349 00:21:50,080 --> 00:21:53,000 Speaker 1: and that is because James Sullivan decided that this would 350 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:56,080 Speaker 1: be a good opportunity to run an experiment to see 351 00:21:56,119 --> 00:22:01,120 Speaker 1: what dehydration would do to endurance athletes during my research 352 00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:03,280 Speaker 1: and stopped around the house in a full bore red 353 00:22:03,359 --> 00:22:06,800 Speaker 1: rage for quite a while after reading, Yeah, this could 354 00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:11,040 Speaker 1: have killed people. It almost did so. Despite all of 355 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:14,400 Speaker 1: these issues with the course, most of the runners persevered. 356 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:18,080 Speaker 1: When the race started, Fred Laures took the early lead. 357 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:21,960 Speaker 1: Thomas Hicks passed him after just a short while. John 358 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:25,720 Speaker 1: Lorden became nauseated and started to vomit and didn't complete 359 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:28,240 Speaker 1: the race. He was there for less than a mile. 360 00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:31,560 Speaker 1: Within just a few miles, Miller was in the lead 361 00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:36,240 Speaker 1: group and Lores and Hicks had fallen back. Despite Lorden's 362 00:22:36,280 --> 00:22:39,400 Speaker 1: early dropout, the rest of the runners started fairly well, 363 00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:42,080 Speaker 1: but things quickly fell apart, and we're going to talk 364 00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:54,600 Speaker 1: about how after we paused for a sponsor break. As 365 00:22:54,680 --> 00:22:57,960 Speaker 1: the race left the stadium and got onto the dusty roadways, 366 00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:01,119 Speaker 1: Fred Lawres chugged along for nine miles, but then he 367 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:05,600 Speaker 1: started experiencing cramps. He was loaded into a support vehicle 368 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:08,439 Speaker 1: for transport, and he waved the crowds as he traveled 369 00:23:08,440 --> 00:23:11,960 Speaker 1: the route back to the stadium. Once he had apparently 370 00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:14,880 Speaker 1: dropped out, Hicks moved up a bit, but not enough 371 00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:18,600 Speaker 1: to overtake the leaders after the brief boost that they 372 00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:21,879 Speaker 1: all got from the second or perhaps first water stop 373 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:25,359 Speaker 1: right around that middle marker. As the mile markers reached 374 00:23:25,359 --> 00:23:28,480 Speaker 1: into the teens, the field thimmed out quite a bit. 375 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:32,960 Speaker 1: Sam Miller lost his lead also due to cramps, which 376 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:35,240 Speaker 1: persisted to the point that he had to drop out. 377 00:23:36,119 --> 00:23:40,320 Speaker 1: Another US competitor, Henry Balley, stopped running and continued at 378 00:23:40,359 --> 00:23:44,600 Speaker 1: a walking pace, but another of the US runners, William Garcia, 379 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:48,040 Speaker 1: made it nineteen miles before he just could go no further. 380 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:52,320 Speaker 1: The dusty conditions meant that he had been inhaling huge 381 00:23:52,320 --> 00:23:55,920 Speaker 1: amounts of particulate as he ran. This took his toll 382 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:59,200 Speaker 1: and he collapsed by the side of the course. Once 383 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:02,280 Speaker 1: he was spotted on the ground, race officials got him 384 00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:06,040 Speaker 1: to emergency care. When Garcia was examined by a doctor, 385 00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:09,200 Speaker 1: it was determined that he had taken in so much 386 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:13,320 Speaker 1: dust that he had damaged his esophagus and stomach and 387 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:17,119 Speaker 1: was hemorrhaging internally. This was to the point that his 388 00:24:17,280 --> 00:24:20,240 Speaker 1: life was in danger. Because he had made it to 389 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:25,560 Speaker 1: medical care his conditions stabilized, he did eventually recover. Gentoo 390 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:28,400 Speaker 1: of South Africa was chased by a dog at one 391 00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:32,040 Speaker 1: point and ended up about a mile off course. He 392 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:36,200 Speaker 1: still managed to finish ninth. His fellow South African delicate 393 00:24:36,359 --> 00:24:41,600 Speaker 1: Jan Mashiani, came in twelfth. Perhaps the only delightful runner's 394 00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:45,480 Speaker 1: story in this race is that of Cuban runner Felix Carbajal. 395 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:49,120 Speaker 1: He may not have had proper attire, but he does 396 00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:52,000 Speaker 1: seem like he had a good time. He stopped on 397 00:24:52,040 --> 00:24:55,640 Speaker 1: occasion to chat with spectators. He asked some people at 398 00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:57,800 Speaker 1: one point if he could have one of the peaches 399 00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:01,760 Speaker 1: they were eating that They told him no, but he 400 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:04,760 Speaker 1: just took two of them and ran, something that is 401 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:10,160 Speaker 1: characterized in accounts as playful and not criminal. Given the 402 00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:14,600 Speaker 1: lack of supportive fluids on this course, this probably would 403 00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:17,600 Speaker 1: have helped save him from some physical issues. But according 404 00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:20,520 Speaker 1: to some accounts, he also picked some apples as he 405 00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:24,840 Speaker 1: ran and ate those turned out. Those apples, though, were bad. 406 00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:28,239 Speaker 1: They gave him terrible stomach cramps. Also, he took a 407 00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:31,720 Speaker 1: brief nap before getting back up and finishing the race. 408 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:36,560 Speaker 1: I should say we don't have official documentation about that 409 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:40,080 Speaker 1: apple and nap part, but given other things we know 410 00:25:40,119 --> 00:25:44,119 Speaker 1: about him, it really adds up. Although Hicks had started 411 00:25:44,160 --> 00:25:47,200 Speaker 1: pretty strong and had done well for the first several miles, 412 00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:50,720 Speaker 1: he started having some pretty serious issues well before the 413 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:53,919 Speaker 1: halfway point. When he reached the ten mile mark, he 414 00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:56,600 Speaker 1: was so dehydrated that he needed to be carried by 415 00:25:56,600 --> 00:25:59,800 Speaker 1: two men, Charles Lucas, the race official who wrote the 416 00:25:59,840 --> 00:26:02,600 Speaker 1: count of the race, and Hugh McGrath, who was one 417 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:06,760 Speaker 1: of the coaches that was in the supporting vehicles. They 418 00:26:07,119 --> 00:26:10,080 Speaker 1: became his two man crew for the remainder of the race. 419 00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:14,359 Speaker 1: They refused him water, though even when he begged, wanting 420 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:17,800 Speaker 1: to stay true to the rules of Sullivan's experiment, the 421 00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:21,080 Speaker 1: most he got was a sponge with warm water daubed 422 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:25,800 Speaker 1: around his mouth. Hicks continued with support, literally as his 423 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:28,600 Speaker 1: two crew members held him up from either side for 424 00:26:28,680 --> 00:26:31,600 Speaker 1: parts of the race. You can find photos of him 425 00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:35,600 Speaker 1: clearly being propped up. At the twelve mile mark, he 426 00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:38,119 Speaker 1: got some water, which bullyed him for a while, but 427 00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:41,200 Speaker 1: soon he asked for an assist and this is where 428 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:45,240 Speaker 1: his team gave him an elixir to keep going. That 429 00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:48,600 Speaker 1: is just difficult to believe. This was egg white mixed 430 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:54,000 Speaker 1: with strychnine, which is a poison. At the time, minute 431 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:57,920 Speaker 1: doses of strychnine were believed to be a performance enhancer. 432 00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:01,320 Speaker 1: The dose that was given to Hicks was a sixtieth 433 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:05,160 Speaker 1: of a grain. It seems to have helped Hicks kept 434 00:27:05,240 --> 00:27:09,960 Speaker 1: moving although he was dispirited. While Hicks was being propelled 435 00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:14,320 Speaker 1: along by his team, they witnessed Lures whip by them 436 00:27:14,480 --> 00:27:17,920 Speaker 1: fresh as a daisy. The vehicle that had picked Fred 437 00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:20,920 Speaker 1: Laure's up when he had cramps had sputtered to a stop. 438 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:24,600 Speaker 1: All of the dust had caused it to stall, and 439 00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:27,480 Speaker 1: at this point Laurs was feeling better, so he got 440 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:31,520 Speaker 1: out and started running again. Hicks's men reportedly saw this 441 00:27:31,720 --> 00:27:34,040 Speaker 1: and yelled at Laurs that he couldn't do that, but 442 00:27:34,119 --> 00:27:36,480 Speaker 1: Laurs reportedly told them he was just going to run 443 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:38,879 Speaker 1: back to the stadium and get help for that broken 444 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:42,840 Speaker 1: down automobile. That was not what happened. When he got 445 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:45,760 Speaker 1: to the stadium, he ran a lap around the track, 446 00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:48,000 Speaker 1: which is how the race finished, and then he crossed 447 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:50,719 Speaker 1: the finish line to the cheers of the crowd, who 448 00:27:50,840 --> 00:27:54,879 Speaker 1: all believed that he was the winner. Lares's so called 449 00:27:55,040 --> 00:27:59,000 Speaker 1: victory had thrilled the spectators who thought they had just 450 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:03,720 Speaker 1: seen the first US Olympic Marathon gold medalist finished the race. 451 00:28:04,640 --> 00:28:09,480 Speaker 1: That culminated in another podcast subject Alice Roosevelt crowning him 452 00:28:09,560 --> 00:28:14,680 Speaker 1: with the winner's wreath. Almost because someone in the crowd, 453 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:18,760 Speaker 1: and it's not known who yelled the lawyers had cheated 454 00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:22,679 Speaker 1: his big moment unraveled because it was something that he 455 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:25,080 Speaker 1: had not earned. He claimed he had just been joking 456 00:28:25,440 --> 00:28:32,800 Speaker 1: about having won the race. Yeah. Meanwhile, Hicks was still trying, 457 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:36,840 Speaker 1: but he was in very rough shape. He was reportedly pale, 458 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:41,720 Speaker 1: His eyes were described as dull and lustreless. His support 459 00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:45,040 Speaker 1: team gave him another dose of egg whites and strychnine, 460 00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:49,280 Speaker 1: this time with a brandy chaser. He was also bathed 461 00:28:49,320 --> 00:28:51,840 Speaker 1: in warm water head to toe from a bucket that 462 00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:54,760 Speaker 1: had been heated in the boiler of a steam engine car. 463 00:28:55,720 --> 00:29:00,080 Speaker 1: Hicks kept going, but he also fell into a complete delirium. 464 00:29:00,600 --> 00:29:03,120 Speaker 1: He was nearing the end, but he believed he had 465 00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:07,640 Speaker 1: another twenty miles to go after the last two hills, 466 00:29:07,680 --> 00:29:09,720 Speaker 1: which were near the end of the race, which he 467 00:29:09,880 --> 00:29:13,440 Speaker 1: walked up and then shuffled down. He reached the final mile, 468 00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:16,840 Speaker 1: but he begged his trainers to just let him lie down. 469 00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:20,440 Speaker 1: He also begged for food, and he was given two 470 00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:24,320 Speaker 1: more egg whites with brandy, although when another runner offered 471 00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:27,800 Speaker 1: him what is described in Lucas's record as beef tea, 472 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:31,440 Speaker 1: so I'm assuming that's like a light broth, he was 473 00:29:31,480 --> 00:29:35,120 Speaker 1: not allowed to have it. While Lucas described Hicks as 474 00:29:35,360 --> 00:29:38,760 Speaker 1: kind of checked out mentally, he also described his gait 475 00:29:38,840 --> 00:29:43,080 Speaker 1: as quote running mechanically like a well oiled piece of machinery. 476 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:47,840 Speaker 1: Hicks's finish was not the triumphant scenario that he was 477 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:51,920 Speaker 1: probably envisioning. When he started the race. He was basically carried. 478 00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:55,120 Speaker 1: His feet were moving, but the two men who had 479 00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:57,800 Speaker 1: been with him at that point for more than fourteen 480 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:02,200 Speaker 1: miles were physically holding him up up. Hicks collapsed as 481 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:05,640 Speaker 1: he crossed the tape, falling into the arms of Thomas Riley, 482 00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:08,520 Speaker 1: who was one of the coaches for the American team. 483 00:30:08,920 --> 00:30:13,400 Speaker 1: The dehydrated Hicks reportedly weighed eight pounds less when he 484 00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:16,160 Speaker 1: finished the race than when he started, and he was 485 00:30:16,200 --> 00:30:20,040 Speaker 1: in really bad shape. It had taken him three hours, 486 00:30:20,120 --> 00:30:24,280 Speaker 1: twenty eight minutes fifty three seconds to finish this grueling race, 487 00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:27,600 Speaker 1: and he probably came close to dying on the course. 488 00:30:28,320 --> 00:30:31,040 Speaker 1: When the race was over, he was too weak to 489 00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:34,520 Speaker 1: receive his award. He did not leave the stadium area 490 00:30:34,600 --> 00:30:38,520 Speaker 1: for an hour, and during that time four doctors attended 491 00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:43,600 Speaker 1: to him. During that time, there were other finishers. Albert J. 492 00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:47,480 Speaker 1: Cory if Chicago came in second, Arthur Newton finished third, 493 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:51,840 Speaker 1: and Carve Hall finished fourth. It's been estimated that carver 494 00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:55,360 Speaker 1: Hall's various stops to chat and nap cost him about 495 00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:57,680 Speaker 1: an hour of time, so he probably would have won 496 00:30:57,760 --> 00:30:59,880 Speaker 1: had he not done that, and it's a pity that 497 00:30:59,880 --> 00:31:02,560 Speaker 1: he finished out of the metallepool because he was probably 498 00:31:02,600 --> 00:31:05,960 Speaker 1: the best athlete in the race. It's worth noting that 499 00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:08,760 Speaker 1: he was also the only one out there who was 500 00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:12,320 Speaker 1: totally alone. He didn't have any fellow countrymen, he did 501 00:31:12,360 --> 00:31:15,480 Speaker 1: not have any support staff. He was just out having 502 00:31:15,480 --> 00:31:19,200 Speaker 1: a run and seemingly enjoying himself along the way. He 503 00:31:19,360 --> 00:31:22,040 Speaker 1: was described at the finish line as being quite fresh 504 00:31:22,080 --> 00:31:25,280 Speaker 1: and energetic and in good spirits and just a lot 505 00:31:25,360 --> 00:31:28,920 Speaker 1: livelier than any of the other athletes of the thirty 506 00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:31,760 Speaker 1: two men who started the race, only fourteen of them 507 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:35,840 Speaker 1: finished it. Fred Laws was banned from the Amateur Athletic 508 00:31:36,040 --> 00:31:39,160 Speaker 1: Union for life, but that band did not hold. He 509 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:42,840 Speaker 1: continued to assert that he had just been playing by 510 00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:46,440 Speaker 1: running that lap and crossing the finish line. Eventually, the 511 00:31:46,480 --> 00:31:51,360 Speaker 1: AAU reinstated him. He won the Boston Marathon the next year. 512 00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:54,720 Speaker 1: Charles Lucas made very clear in his book that he 513 00:31:54,840 --> 00:31:57,680 Speaker 1: thought very little of Laws, who he thought had tainted 514 00:31:57,800 --> 00:32:03,480 Speaker 1: the entire event with his fullness. Hicks's win was contested 515 00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:07,280 Speaker 1: by the Chicago Athletic Association, which had sent several runners 516 00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:10,080 Speaker 1: for the US team, and the charge there was that 517 00:32:10,120 --> 00:32:12,800 Speaker 1: he had been helped so very much for the majority 518 00:32:12,800 --> 00:32:14,640 Speaker 1: of the race that there really was no way to 519 00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:17,320 Speaker 1: claim that he had won through his own stamina or 520 00:32:17,360 --> 00:32:20,560 Speaker 1: power as a runner. But the Olympic referee, who had 521 00:32:20,560 --> 00:32:23,880 Speaker 1: paced Hicks by car throughout said that he won and 522 00:32:23,960 --> 00:32:26,560 Speaker 1: that it was an honest win, and that was the 523 00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:30,400 Speaker 1: end of that. As for any scientific findings, based on 524 00:32:30,520 --> 00:32:34,600 Speaker 1: the experimenting done during the race, Lucas came to the 525 00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:38,400 Speaker 1: conclusion that quote drugs are of much benefit to athletes 526 00:32:38,440 --> 00:32:43,200 Speaker 1: along the road, which just had a terrible conclusion to 527 00:32:43,240 --> 00:32:45,960 Speaker 1: come to you from that. Today, the nineteen oh four 528 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:50,000 Speaker 1: marathon is considered the most chaotic such event in modern 529 00:32:50,080 --> 00:32:56,520 Speaker 1: Olympic history. I have so many things from behind the scenes. 530 00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:03,680 Speaker 1: Do you have listener mail? I do? I have two 531 00:33:03,760 --> 00:33:08,120 Speaker 1: pieces again, because one is very very short. This first 532 00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:11,120 Speaker 1: one is from Ben, who writes, greetings. I loved your 533 00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:14,240 Speaker 1: eponymous foods discussion on beef stroking off, and I'm probably 534 00:33:14,240 --> 00:33:16,120 Speaker 1: just piling onto a bunch of other comments, but I 535 00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:18,520 Speaker 1: wanted to note that Russia is part of Europe. You 536 00:33:18,560 --> 00:33:21,600 Speaker 1: mentioned the European influence as if Russia wasn't part of 537 00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:25,560 Speaker 1: Europe a couple times. This is actually funny because I 538 00:33:25,600 --> 00:33:28,240 Speaker 1: remember growing up and I was always I always got 539 00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:31,120 Speaker 1: the granted I grew up during Cold War, so uss 540 00:33:31,160 --> 00:33:35,520 Speaker 1: are at the time Asian part of Asian, but it 541 00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:38,280 Speaker 1: qualifies as both because parts of it are in Europe 542 00:33:38,320 --> 00:33:40,160 Speaker 1: and parts of it are in Asia. As we were 543 00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:43,320 Speaker 1: recording that, I had the same thought and I was like, 544 00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:46,680 Speaker 1: somebody's going to write to us about it really being 545 00:33:46,720 --> 00:33:51,680 Speaker 1: in Europe, and it's number one. These these boundaries are 546 00:33:51,960 --> 00:33:55,840 Speaker 1: arbitrary and largely made up, and a lot of them 547 00:33:55,960 --> 00:33:59,320 Speaker 1: have to do with like commonalities related to language and culture, 548 00:33:59,360 --> 00:34:03,800 Speaker 1: but also like that is very ill defined and vague, 549 00:34:04,400 --> 00:34:10,560 Speaker 1: and I've seen whole arguments about like the underlying biases 550 00:34:10,640 --> 00:34:13,080 Speaker 1: and things that are part of all of these divisions. 551 00:34:13,120 --> 00:34:16,200 Speaker 1: But yeah, as I was as we were recording, I 552 00:34:16,239 --> 00:34:23,040 Speaker 1: was like, it's both, so hopefully it'll be okay. Yeah. Yeah, 553 00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:26,160 Speaker 1: Also that there wasn't a pylon, but I just thought 554 00:34:26,160 --> 00:34:28,000 Speaker 1: I would read that because it's a good point because 555 00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:32,080 Speaker 1: we didn't talk about it in the episode. That's what's up. 556 00:34:32,120 --> 00:34:34,960 Speaker 1: The other is from our listener Heidi, who writes, I've 557 00:34:34,960 --> 00:34:37,800 Speaker 1: been an avid listener for years and greatly enjoyed your show. 558 00:34:38,080 --> 00:34:40,120 Speaker 1: It's become a weekly tradition to get caught up on 559 00:34:40,160 --> 00:34:42,279 Speaker 1: a long commute. My six year old daughter has a 560 00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:46,879 Speaker 1: rare genetic disease called metachromatic leukodystrophe or MLD. I Hope 561 00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:49,200 Speaker 1: I said that right. Each week we travel to the 562 00:34:49,280 --> 00:34:52,240 Speaker 1: University of Iowa for an experimental treatment to help slow 563 00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:54,800 Speaker 1: the progression of the disease and hopefully improve the quality 564 00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:58,160 Speaker 1: and length of her life. Children with late infantile MLD 565 00:34:58,280 --> 00:35:01,160 Speaker 1: typically pass before the age of ten. This commute is 566 00:35:01,280 --> 00:35:03,840 Speaker 1: four hours round trip and listening to you makes the 567 00:35:03,920 --> 00:35:06,520 Speaker 1: drive something I look forward to you each week. Today, 568 00:35:06,680 --> 00:35:09,279 Speaker 1: while driving home from the university, I listened to the 569 00:35:09,360 --> 00:35:12,800 Speaker 1: episode on Eponymous Foods and Behind the Scenes Mini, both 570 00:35:12,800 --> 00:35:15,799 Speaker 1: of which struck on things from my own life. I 571 00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:19,000 Speaker 1: studied Russian in high school and college. While in high school, 572 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:22,480 Speaker 1: I had the opportunity to travel to Saint Petersburg in Moscow. 573 00:35:22,880 --> 00:35:26,080 Speaker 1: Saint Petersburg was amazing, and I clearly remember walking down 574 00:35:26,080 --> 00:35:28,480 Speaker 1: the street when our tour guide pointed at this ornate 575 00:35:28,560 --> 00:35:31,960 Speaker 1: green building and said, that's where beef Stroganoff was invented. 576 00:35:32,239 --> 00:35:33,880 Speaker 1: I snapped a picture of it, and as soon as 577 00:35:33,920 --> 00:35:36,279 Speaker 1: I got home today I bolted to my basement to 578 00:35:36,320 --> 00:35:38,480 Speaker 1: dig it out and send it to you. This was 579 00:35:38,520 --> 00:35:41,400 Speaker 1: in the infancy of digital photography, so I apologize that 580 00:35:41,440 --> 00:35:43,279 Speaker 1: it's a picture of a picture. By the way, the 581 00:35:43,320 --> 00:35:46,120 Speaker 1: picture looks fine. I was surprised to find out from 582 00:35:46,160 --> 00:35:48,920 Speaker 1: the episode that this was likely not the precise location 583 00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:52,640 Speaker 1: of its origin. Nonetheless, it is still the Stroganoff Palace, 584 00:35:52,680 --> 00:35:55,279 Speaker 1: and by that virtue worthy of note. I had hoped 585 00:35:55,320 --> 00:35:58,239 Speaker 1: to try authentic beef stroganof while in Russia. I did 586 00:35:58,280 --> 00:36:00,560 Speaker 1: not get the opportunity, but I did have several other 587 00:36:00,600 --> 00:36:04,720 Speaker 1: amazing and rather interesting foods. The other food you mentioned 588 00:36:04,719 --> 00:36:07,640 Speaker 1: with which I have a personal connection is capt'n Crunch. 589 00:36:08,120 --> 00:36:10,919 Speaker 1: I am originally from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which is one 590 00:36:10,920 --> 00:36:13,920 Speaker 1: of and perhaps the only location Captain Crunch is made. 591 00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:17,320 Speaker 1: I had to laugh at your oops Alberry's reference. Cedar 592 00:36:17,400 --> 00:36:20,799 Speaker 1: Rapids tagline is the city of five seasons, and this 593 00:36:20,960 --> 00:36:24,160 Speaker 1: is often jokingly changed to the city of five smells. 594 00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:28,080 Speaker 1: There are several factories, including Quaker Oats and Cedar Rapids, 595 00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:31,400 Speaker 1: that are responsible for its unique and rather unpleasant aroma. 596 00:36:31,960 --> 00:36:34,920 Speaker 1: We oftentimes joke that the only day Cedar Rapid smells 597 00:36:34,960 --> 00:36:38,080 Speaker 1: good is on Sunday because this is crunch berry Day. 598 00:36:39,040 --> 00:36:41,280 Speaker 1: I'm not one hundred percent sure if this was true 599 00:36:41,400 --> 00:36:43,799 Speaker 1: or is still true today, but on Sundays I do 600 00:36:43,880 --> 00:36:47,360 Speaker 1: remember downtown smelling a little more pleasant. In addition to 601 00:36:47,400 --> 00:36:50,239 Speaker 1: the crunch berries, my grandmother made dolls and puppets and 602 00:36:50,320 --> 00:36:53,400 Speaker 1: was actually asked to design the cap'n but she decided 603 00:36:53,400 --> 00:36:55,840 Speaker 1: not to take on the commission. She later said she 604 00:36:55,920 --> 00:37:00,080 Speaker 1: regretted this not only because of the cereals eventual popularity, 605 00:36:59,680 --> 00:37:03,040 Speaker 1: but because she did not like the finished product. Had 606 00:37:03,080 --> 00:37:05,319 Speaker 1: she designed it, no doubt the Captain would look very 607 00:37:05,360 --> 00:37:08,600 Speaker 1: different today. I sadly don't have any pets to send 608 00:37:08,640 --> 00:37:10,920 Speaker 1: photos of, but I did take a photo of my daughter. 609 00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:14,360 Speaker 1: She herself is making history by contributing to research on 610 00:37:14,400 --> 00:37:17,000 Speaker 1: this treatment that will hopefully improve the lives of other 611 00:37:17,080 --> 00:37:20,040 Speaker 1: children with MLD after her. We are taking her and 612 00:37:20,080 --> 00:37:22,080 Speaker 1: her brother's to Disneyland in a few weeks and we 613 00:37:22,120 --> 00:37:25,080 Speaker 1: are so excited. She smiles so big when we talk 614 00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:28,040 Speaker 1: about how she gets to go to the Bibittybobbity boutique 615 00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:30,720 Speaker 1: and get the royal treatment. Thank you for always providing 616 00:37:30,719 --> 00:37:33,799 Speaker 1: a world with entertainment that is both inclusive and informative. 617 00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:36,200 Speaker 1: You give me hope and joy often in the moments 618 00:37:36,239 --> 00:37:39,160 Speaker 1: I need it most. Give me all choked up, Heidi, 619 00:37:39,760 --> 00:37:42,000 Speaker 1: I hope you guys have an amazing time in Disneyland. 620 00:37:42,040 --> 00:37:44,520 Speaker 1: By the way, your daughter is adorable and she is 621 00:37:44,560 --> 00:37:47,200 Speaker 1: going to be so cute once she is coded in 622 00:37:47,280 --> 00:37:51,279 Speaker 1: all of the Bibittybobby glitter. That is one of my 623 00:37:51,320 --> 00:37:54,200 Speaker 1: favorite things. Even though I am very openly not a 624 00:37:54,200 --> 00:37:57,160 Speaker 1: big kid person, there is nothing better than seeing children 625 00:37:57,320 --> 00:38:00,799 Speaker 1: like full glitter everything when come out of there, it 626 00:38:00,880 --> 00:38:04,440 Speaker 1: is so joyous. I love it. This also gave me 627 00:38:04,480 --> 00:38:07,920 Speaker 1: a hilarious flashback, Tracy. I don't think you moved to 628 00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:11,919 Speaker 1: Atlanta in time to experience the delight of the free 629 00:38:11,960 --> 00:38:14,759 Speaker 1: Doo lay factory that used to be in Shambley. No, 630 00:38:15,719 --> 00:38:18,719 Speaker 1: where the Low's is in that Brookhaven Shambly kind of 631 00:38:18,719 --> 00:38:22,880 Speaker 1: crossover area used to be the Freeedo lay factory. And 632 00:38:22,960 --> 00:38:24,799 Speaker 1: I used to work very near there and it would 633 00:38:24,840 --> 00:38:28,000 Speaker 1: smell like chili cheese doritos some days, and I did 634 00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:30,520 Speaker 1: not find that gross at all. I loved it. So 635 00:38:31,600 --> 00:38:36,840 Speaker 1: thinking about a town that smells like oatmeal and sugar 636 00:38:36,920 --> 00:38:39,319 Speaker 1: cereals being made all the time actually sounds pretty good 637 00:38:39,360 --> 00:38:41,719 Speaker 1: to me. But Heidi, I wanted to thank you for 638 00:38:41,760 --> 00:38:44,480 Speaker 1: this because one I'm stroking off that might have been 639 00:38:44,480 --> 00:38:47,400 Speaker 1: the building where it was invented. We don't know. You 640 00:38:47,440 --> 00:38:50,040 Speaker 1: could say that. I think that's fine, And again, I 641 00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:54,799 Speaker 1: hope your trip is amazing. Disneyland is one of the 642 00:38:54,840 --> 00:38:57,040 Speaker 1: many places I love, love, love, I hope you eat 643 00:38:57,080 --> 00:38:59,680 Speaker 1: all the Ronto wraps for me while you're there. If 644 00:38:59,719 --> 00:39:01,480 Speaker 1: you like to write to us, you can do so 645 00:39:01,600 --> 00:39:04,799 Speaker 1: at History Podcast at iHeartRadio dot com. You can also 646 00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:07,640 Speaker 1: find us as missed in History on social media, and 647 00:39:07,800 --> 00:39:09,640 Speaker 1: if you haven't subscribed, you can do that on the 648 00:39:09,640 --> 00:39:14,360 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. 649 00:39:18,239 --> 00:39:21,360 Speaker 1: Stuff You Missed in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. 650 00:39:21,680 --> 00:39:26,279 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 651 00:39:26,400 --> 00:39:28,440 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.