Why Did the 1904 Olympic Marathon Have Only 14 Finishers?

💡 The Answer

• The race was run on dusty roads in sweltering heat with no water stations.
• One runner hit a car and continued, another stopped for a nap and still finished.
• The first finisher, Fred Lorz, had hitched a ride for 11 miles and was later disqualified.
• Thomas Hicks, the actual winner, nearly died from strychnine and brandy given by his trainers.